Design of a Small Capacity Geothermal Power Plant for Cooling and Heating Systems of Health Resort in Jordan

Abstract

Jordan is a developing non-producing oil country; a major part of its needed energy is imported from the neighboring countries in the forms of oil and gas, the cost of this imported energy creates a heavy financial burden on the national economy which reflects on the development plans and the standard living of the people. Jordan has good potential of geothermal energy at different places. Therefore, several applications are suggested to be utilized in the agricultural and industrial fields. In this study the binary thermodynamic cycle is suggested to utilize the geothermal source into the form of power plant for generating electricity for heating and cooling system of a health resort in the nearby region of the geothermal field. Also in this study, the air- conditioning and heating loads for a health resort are calculated and the underground thermal power plant is designed to provide the suitable power supply to the health resort. It is concluded that the geothermal resources of energy is proved to be one of the good options of renewable energy sectors in Jordan. Therefore the geothermal power plant can be an option for electrical production of the Jordanian volcanic mountains resorts.