Tue, 14 May, 2024
Findings from the GeoSmart project are due to be presented at the upcoming Iceland Geothermal Conference taking place in Reykjavik-Harpa between the 28 and 30 May 2024.
TWI’s Research and Product Development Programme Manager, Dr Shiladitya Paul will present on the topic of, ‘Materials and Corrosion Challenges in PCM Storage System for Geothermal Plants,’ between 10:30 and 12:00 on Thursday, 30 May as part of the ‘Energy Storage and Load Balancing’ forum. The presentation will delve into the lessons learnt during the Horizon 2020-funded GeoSmart project.
Geothermal power plants face challenges due to the harsh conditions associated with their operation, including exposure of parts to corrosive geothermal brine, fluctuations in thermal loading, and complex stresses. Corrosion and scaling are major concerns for geothermal operators, impacting plant sustainability, operational life, and maintenance costs.
These problems are exacerbated through the use of multi-material systems that increase the risk of galvanic corrosion. Material selection is, therefore, of great importance to geothermal power plant operations and the GeoSmart project worked to test modelling and experimental work around the use of aluminium and carbon steel in molten thermal energy storage (TES) fluids, with an examination of galvanic effects. In addition, to mitigate the effects of scaling, thermal spray coatings were developed to modify scaling behaviour in simulated geothermal environments. These coatings were selected based on performance data, application ease, and cost considerations before being tested and characterised to demonstrate their potential corrosion mitigation effects in simulated geothermal brine.
About the Iceland Geothermal Conference (IGC)
The 5th Iceland Geothermal Conference will address the themes of security and stability, sustainability and innovation, viability and profitability of geothermal with the imperative of addressing climate change and creating a sustainable future society. You can find out more about IGC 2024, here.
The GeoSmart project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 818576.