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GeoHex

Project ID

Full name

Advanced material for cost-efficient and enhanced heat exchange performance for geothermal application

Call:

H2020-LC-SC3-2019-RES-TwoStages

Funding period:

11/2019-10/2022

EC contribution:

€ 4 989 401,25

Grant agreement no.:

851917

Coordinator:

TWI LIMITED

Website:

cordis.europa.eu/project/id/851917

Heat exchangers (HXs) are the most critical components of a geothermal power plant specially for organic Rankine cycle (ORC) based plant and the capital cost of heat exchanger accounts for a large proportion of ORC, and even reaches about 86% when air cooled condenser is used. Direct heat exchangers (e.g. geothermal brine to district heating) and ORC HXs such as superheater, preheater, evaporator are in direct contact with the geothermal brine, causing scaling and corrosion at different extent based on the thermophysical condition and chemical composition of the geofluid. To handle corrosion, expensive materials are recommended, but due to lower thermal conductivity and degraded performance over time compel to increases the size of the HXs. Hence, improvements in the antiscaling and anticorrosion properties as well as heat transfer performance of the HX material will lead to smaller, more efficient and less costly systems.