Post on 07-Apr-2020
Henry Begg, TWI Ltd
Solutions to Materials Challenges in Geothermal
• Underused compared with other renewables, despite global abundance
• Need high enthalpy reservoir
• Geologically active parts of the world
• Deep drilling
Geothermal – free power beneath our feet?
Why isn’t it everywhere?
• Projects require large capital outlay
• Drilling
• Plant
What’s holding us back from building plant?
Cost
The projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement numbers 815319 and 764086
• Significant materials challenges
• Wear/fracture of drill components in breaking rock
• Associated down-time with removing the drill string
• Wear of components in transport of cuttings
Why is drilling so expensive?
Damaged drill bit – Dexcel (Wikipedia)
• Significant materials challenges
• Wear/fracture of drill components in breaking rock
• Associated down-time with removing the drill string
• Wear of components in transport of cuttings
Why is drilling so expensive?
Worn drill component - Image courtesy of the GeoDrill consortium
This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement number 815319.
• New materials & coatings
• GO-WC
• Hardfacing HVOF and High Entropy Alloys
• Novel diffusion bonding techniques
• New hammer design
• Fewer moving parts – bi-stable fluidic oscillator
• Intelligent monitoring system
• 3D printed sensors directly on drill string components
HVOF coating – copyright TWI Ltd
• Significant materials challenges
• Corrosion – aggressive geochemistry (temperature, pH, chloride, H2S)
• Erosion – suspended, precipitated solids cause wear
• Scaling – precipitation of dissolved minerals
Why is plant so expensive?
Corroded component –Image courtesy of the GeoCoat consortium
• Significant materials challenges
• Corrosion – aggressive geochemistry (temperature, pH, chloride, H2S)
• Erosion – suspended, precipitated solids cause wear
• Scaling – precipitation of dissolved minerals
Why is plant so expensive?
Eroded component - Image courtesy of the GeoCoat consortium
• Significant materials challenges
• Corrosion – aggressive geochemistry (temperature, pH, chloride, H2S)
• Erosion – suspended, precipitated solids cause wear
• Scaling – precipitation of dissolved minerals
Why is plant so expensive?
Boch, Ronny & Szanyi, János & Leis, Albrecht & Mindszenty, A & Deák, József & Kluge, Tobias & Hippler, Dorothee & Demény, Attila & Dietzel, Martin. (2016). Geothermal Carbonate Scaling: Forensic Studies
Applying High-Resolution Geochemical Methods. Proceedings of the European Geothermal Congress. ISBN: 978-2-9601946-0-9. S-GC.
This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program under grant agreement number 764086.
• New coatings
• New compositions (high entropy alloys, Ni-PTFE composites)
• Range of deposition techniques (HVOF, laser cladding, electroless plating, esd)
• New materials
• Novel metal matrix composites Laser cladding – copyright TWI Ltd
Contact Details
Henry Begg
Section Manager
Surface Engineering
TWI Ltd
tel: +44 1223 899 565
email: henry.begg@twi.co.uk
web: www.twi-global.com