Preventing diffusion
of ammonia in the Kalina
process
ntil now, the secondary
circuit in geothermal power
plants, which is used in
the Kalina process for the
ammonia-water-steam
generation at low temperatures, has
always been protected by safety valves.
Due to the limited leak-tightness of
re-sealable relief devices (safety valves)
especially over longer periods of time,
some operators have now begun installing
rupture discs downstream from the safety
valves.
U
Manufacturers such as REMBE GmbH are
now offering rupture discs specifically
for this type of application. Dr. Stefan
Rüsenberg, the man responsible for
76
PECM Issue 27
this development, said "The KUB® GT
is specially tailored to the needs of
geothermal power plants. We use high-
quality, corrosion-resistant materials to
ensure the rupture discs are permanently
leak-tight and can be in service for a
long period of time. The key word in this
application is zero emissions. This is also
important for the acceptance of these
power plants amongst the population."
The GT in the product name stands for
geothermal”, Rüsenberg added.
These rupture discs are used to secure
a vast range of steam and condensate
lines as well as condensers, evaporators
and heat exchangers. By installing the
rupture disc in a special holder on the
process side of the safety valve, the
valve will be protected from the process
medium during normal operation. The
KUB® GT rupture disc has a completely
smooth surface on the process side. In
combination with the corresponding
holder, a metal-on-metal gasket is created
which guarantees a much higher leak-
tightness than the use of a safety valve as a
stand-alone solution would provide.
Even if the Kalina process was primarily
used by geothermal power plants, it
is fundamentally also suitable for all
processes that use corrosive, hazardous or
polluting media and require a high degree
of leak-tightness.
www.rembe.de