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Partner of the Month: CEA, France

Mon, 08 February, 2021

GeoHex partner of the month is CEA, France

Who We are

CEA is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) and a full member of EARTO (European Association of Research and Technology Organisations) to help resolve the main EU challenges (low carbon energies, defense and security, information and healthcare technologies) and to exploit opportunities for new wealth creation, improved standards of living, and economic competitiveness.

How do we think CEA contribute to the geothermal industry through projects like GeoHex?

The GeoHex consortium includes partners with complementary expertise, combining industrial skills with high level of excellence research institutes and universities. Based on a deep knowledge of heat exchangers (HEX) technologies for different geothermal power technologies across a wide range of geothermal conditions such as temperature, enthalpy, corrosion and scaling potential etc., CEA design, test and validate HEX with improved properties, i.e., going beyond current limitations in terms of geometries, materials, manufacturing and scalability, etc.  

Our role in GeoHex.

CEA design and test twelve HEXs: Six of them are built including standard materials to be used as a reference compared to the six “improved” heat exchangers coated with the materials innovations developed in GeoHex. Test of Heat exchangers will be conducted at CEA facilities to assess and validate their functioning and behaviour in conditions representative to real use and to assess their durability. CEA will specifically demonstrate their improved capacities regarding heat transfer, cost, and environmental performances on a test rig that will be built in collaboration with ENOGIA (SME). The test rig is conceived to be modular to facilitate HX installation and removal. The improved materials dedicated to two-phase thermal transfer intensification will be characterized thanks to an Organic Rankine Cycle test rig while a closed circuit in simulated brine will be dedicated to test HXs in corrosive & scaling conditions. 10 to 60 kW exchangers will be tested to obtain a near nominal turbine operating condition.

Images:

Crédits Guillaudin (Hero Image)

Crédits Morel (Thumbnail)