RB1-9 An Investigation of the Applicability of the ST-4 Mod. 5.30 Computer Program to Near-Critical and Supercritical Fluids

A. Salehpour and R. S. Kistler

1982

The field performance data from a binary cycle test loop using geothermal brine and a hydrocarbon working fluid have been tested against the predictions of the ST-4 Computer Program. The data are for five primary heat exchangers having brine in the tubes and hydrocarbon in the shells in counterflow. Working fluids are i-Butane, 90/10 mole percent i-Butane/i-Pentane, and 80/20 mole percent i-Butane/i-Pentane. Each working fluid is heated to slightly supercritical conditions. The results of the comparison have shown that the ST-4 Computer Program predicts the data well if the heat exchanger train is divided in several segments such that the working fluid properties do not vary drastically from inlet to outlet of each segment.