A Review of Problems on Scaling and Corrosion in Geothermal Plants.

摘要

Two of the major problems encountered in the operation of geothermal power plants are the deposition of dissolved solids from aqueous solutions and the corrosion of metals. Steam and hot water from underground reservoirs are known to differ in their qualities and contain many impurities. Some of these impurities,such as insoluble carbonate and silica,have been largely responsible for the deposition of scale on the production wells and on the equipment of power plants. The presence of gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide,together with etching chloride and sulfate ions and moisture,has brought about severe corrosion in condensers,turbines,and other exposed parts of geothermal power plants. The result has been frequent interruptions in the operation of plants and expensive replacements of affected parts. The discussion in the following sections is an attempt to describe in detail the mechanisms of scaling and corrosion as they pertain to geothermal power plants.