04. LOW MAINTENANCE | LONG OPERATIONAL LIFE
Even in standard power applications the maintenance of steam turbines is complicated and costly, requiring major overhauls at 5 year intervals. When employed in geothermal applications, steam systems require even more frequent maintenance due to turbine wear.
In contrast to flash and dry steam based plants where the geothermal fluid comes directly into contact with the turbine, geothermal power plants based on Turboden ORCs utilize the geothermal resource only as a medium for heating up the working fluid. The ORC’s turbine has no contact with the aggressive geothermal fluid which is confined inside the tubes of the heat exchangers.
Unlike steam the working fluid is non eroding and non corroding for valve seats tubing and turbine blades allowing for long operational life.