Tue, 14 May, 2024
TWI’s Research and Product Development Programme Manager, Dr Shiladitya Paul will present findings from the GeoSmart project, in which TWI has played a part, at the Iceland Geothermal Conference in Reykjavik-Harpa between the 28 and 30 May, 2024.
Shiladitya’s presentation will take place between 10:30 and 12:00 on Thursday, 30 May on the topic of, ‘Materials and Corrosion Challenges in PCM Storage System for Geothermal Plants.’ The presentation will explore the lessons learnt during the Horizon 2020-funded GeoSmart project.
The harsh conditions associated with the operation of geothermal power plants pose challenges such as the exposure of parts to corrosive geothermal brine, fluctuations in thermal loading, and complex stresses. Scaling and corrosion are major concerns to geothermal power plants, impacting their sustainability, operational life, and the cost of maintenance.
All of these problems are further exacerbated due to the use of multi-material systems that increase the risk of galvanic corrosion. This means that material selection is of great importance to geothermal power plant operations and the GeoSmart project has been test modelling and experimenting with the use of aluminium and carbon steel in molten thermal energy storage (TES) fluids, providing an examination of galvanic effects.
The project team also developed thermal spray coatings to modify scaling behaviour and mitigate the effects of scaling. The coatings were selected based on performance data, ease of application, and cost before undergoing further tests and characterisation in simulated geothermal brine.
You can find out more about the GeoSmart project on the dedicated website, here.
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.