Ormat Industries Ltd.

Ormat Technologies, Inc.

Ormat Turbines, Ltd.

Meir Rigal

Nadav Amir

Ohad Zimron

Lucien Y Bronicki

Yoel Gilon

Moshe Grassianni

Naday Amir

Aba Nathan

Amir Karas

Nadiv Amir

Yechiel Rifner

A method and an apparatus for producing power from a heat source comprising a nonane heater/vaporizer, an intermediate fluid vapor turbine mounted on a shaft that receives and expands the vaporized nonane, an organic fluid vaporizer that receives the expanded vaporized nonane for supplying heat to liquid organic working fluid present in said organic fluid vaporizer and vaporizes said liquid organic working fluid with heat from the expanded vaporized nonane to form vaporized organic working fluid and a nonane condensate, a seal of said shaft being cooled using the nonane condensate by cooling and condensing hot pressurized vapor near the seal, and liquid containing such condensed hot pressurized vapor being supplied to a condensate drain vessel, the drained condensate being supplied to a line connected to a cycle pump of the nonane intermediate cycle, and an organic vapor turbine that expands the vaporized organic working fluid.

Method of and apparatus for cooling a seal for machinery

A method is provided for cooling a seal located in a wall of a chamber and through which a movable shaft passes, the seal being heated by hot pressurized vapor that leaks through the seal into the chamber and internal friction. The method comprises the steps of: providing a chamber in which the seal is located and into which the hot pressurized vapor leaks; injecting cool liquid into the chamber in which the seal is located; and cooling and condensing the hot pressurized vapor in the chamber thus cooling the seal.

A seal system for a geothermal power plant of the type having a steam turbine operating on high pressure steam produced from geothermal fluid includes a high pressure seal housing associated with the high pressure stage of the turbine. The housing has a first internal chamber for receiving geothermal steam that leaks from the high pressure stage, and a further internal chamber for receiving geothermal steam leaking from the first internal chamber. A condenser/vaporizer is provided for condensing steam from the further internal chamber using an organic fluid and producing condensate that can be disposed of in a re-injection well. Leakage of high pressure geothermal steam through the seal is suppressed because most of the leakage with be shunted to the condenser/vaporizer, which preferably is associated with a module that includes a steam turbine and an organic turbine coupled to a generator.

Seal system for geothermal power plant operating on high pressure

An energy recovery, pressure reducing system according to the present invention for reducing high pressure gas in a transmission pipeline to a lower pressure in a consumer pipeline includes a primary pressure regulator or regulating valve having an adjustable flow control opening, the pressure regulating valve being selectively connectable between the transmission and consumer pipelines for throttling the high pressure gas and producing low pressure gas when the primary pressure regulator or regulating valve connects the pipelines. A bypass line shunts the primary pressure regulator or regulating valve for connecting the pipelines when the primary pressure regulating valve is disconnected from the pipelines. The bypass line includes an expander system having at least one expander for expanding the high pressure gas in the gas transmission pipeline and producing work and lower pressure gas that is supplied to the consumer pipeline. Preferably, a generator is coupled to the expander for converting work produced by the pressure regulating of the high pressure gas in the expander to electricity which is supplied to an electrical load. A fast acting, selectively adjustable pressure regulator or regulating valve apparatus is connected in parallel with the expander system. Finally, a control system is provided, responsive to a reduction in flow through the expander system for rapidly switching the apparatus from a non-operational state in which no gas is transmitted between the transmission and the consumer pipelines, to an operational state in which high pressure gas is throttled to the lower pressure in the consumer pipeline and transmitted thereto.

Energy recovery, pressure reducing system and method for using the same

The present invention provides a method of and apparatus for controlling the operation of a valve that regulates the flow of geothermal fluid that comprises geothermal brine and steam flowing through the valve to a geothermal plant. The method includes determining the maximum permitted value of at least one parameter or quantity affecting the operation of the geothermal plant, and setting a predetermined value for the at least one quantity which is less than the maximum value of the quantity. The flow of fluid through the valve is reduced when the value of said at least one quantity reaches its preset value for maintaining the operation of the geothermal plant.

Method of and apparatus for controlling the operation of a valve that

A closed Rankine-cycle power plant (10) has a boiler (24) for vaporizing an organic working fluid and a first nozzle box (58) for receiving vaporized working fluid from the boiler (24) and for furnishing the fluid to a set of axial flow turbine blades (30) located on the periphery of a turbine rotor (50). The vaporized working fluid from the nozzle box (58) expands on passing through the blades (30) producing work that drives a generator (34) coupled to the turbine (28). A second nozzle box (62) receives vaporized working fluid that exits from the axial flow blades (30) on the rotor (50) and applies the working fluid to a second set of radial flow blades (66) on the rotor (50) adjacent the second nozzle box (62). Working fluid from the boiler (24) is applied directly to the first nozzle box (58), and in a selective, controlled manner, through a proportioning valve (26), working fluid from the boiler (24) is applied to the second nozzle box (62) thereby providing an efficient way to vary the work output of the turbine (28).

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Doar Na Avtah, Israel

Meir Rigal