Patent ID: 8707697
Filing Date: 2014-04-29
Classification: F03G,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method for interfacing with a system that produces electricity from Geopressured-Geothermal (GPGT) brine energy and providing a means for concentrating the end-brine from that system, wherein the GPGT-to-electricity system flows GPGT brine from a well-bore, separates an existent gas, and produces electricity from the GPGT brine energy, the method comprising the steps of; a. flowing the gas separated from the GPGT brine by the GPGT-to-electricity system to fuel a heat engine to produce working power generate electricity, said heat engine rejects waste heat via heat exchange to a spray evaporation pond (SEP) provided as a system of the said interfacing method; b. flowing a portion of the degassed GPGT brine produced by the GPGT-to-electricity system to a low-temperature heat engine, said low-temperature heat engine produces shaft power to generate electricity, and said low-temperature heat engine rejects waste heat via heat exchange to the SEP provided as a system of the interfacing method; c. flowing the remainder of the degassed GPGT brine not routed to the power cycle in step b to a multi-effect distillation (MED) system provided with the interfacing method, where that portion of the brine is distilled to concentrate the end-brine, MED end-effect steam is condensed via heat exchange to the SEP provided as a system of the interfacing method, MED distilled water product is recovered for use, and said MED concentrated brine product is routed to a mixer provided as a system of the interfacing method; d. flowing the thermally spent brine from step b to the SEP provided by the interfacing method, the SEP continually recirculates the brine through means for recovering the waste heat from steps a, b, and c, thereby thermally augmenting the evaporation in the SEP for the purpose of concentrating the discharge brine from step b to an acceptable concentration, and then routing that concentrated brine to the mixer of step c, to yield the final saturated end-brine product; e. concentrating a portion of the GPGT brine by the SEP simultaneously while rejecting the waste heat from the heat engines of steps a and b, and the MED; and f. utilizing the final product end-brine from step c for purposes, selected from the group consisting of; including for use as bulk material for the construction of salinity gradient solar ponds (SGSP), and routed for disposal in a disposal well.