First Geothermal Plant in Alaska Starts Power Production August
23, 2006 Chena Hot Springs announced on August 10th the
successful commissioning and startup of the first geothermal
power plant in Alaska. The unique 200-kilowatt power plant also
holds a record for producing power from the lowest temperature
resource yet: a well producing 162.5 degree Fahrenheit water.
That's scalding hot water, but far from boiling. To produce
power from the well, the company teamed with DOE, United
Technologies, and Carrier Corporation to fashion a binary power
plant from commercial air-conditioning equipment, using the air
conditioning compressor as a turbine. The system essentially
runs in reverse: the geothermal heat vaporizes the refrigerant;
the refrigerant vapor passes through the compressor, spinning it
and a generator to produce power; and then a condenser removes
heat and converts the vapor back into a liquid. To make the
system more efficient, Chena Hot Springs pipes its cooling water
in from a well at a higher elev