What solids control equipment is used in geothermal system?

Solids control equipment in geothermal systems is used to purify geothermal fluids (drilling fluid/geothermal well water), remove solid impurities, stabilize fluid properties, ensure drilling safety and efficient system operation, and adapt to the special characteristics of the geothermal environment.

TR Solids Control addresses the unique challenges of geothermal development, such as high temperatures, high mineralization, and complex mud composition. Through modular design, precise separation technology, and environmentally friendly process upgrades, it achieves efficient separation and recycling of rock cuttings, solid particles, and harmful impurities in geothermal drilling mud. This ensures drilling safety, improves geothermal extraction efficiency, and reduces environmental impact, providing stable and reliable solids control support for geothermal power plant construction, geothermal heating, and geothermal exploration projects.

I. Solid control equipment for geothermal systems

1. Shale shaker：It separates large particles such as rock cuttings and sand with a diameter ≥74μm from geothermal drilling fluid to prevent clogging of subsequent equipment.

   High-temperature resistant materials (such as 316L stainless steel screen frames and ceramic-coated screens) are used to resist the high temperature and corrosion of geothermal drilling fluids.

   The vibratory motor must have a high temperature protection rating (IP65 or above) to prevent motor failure due to high drilling fluid temperature;

   Optional double-layer screen design, with an upper coarse screen and a lower fine screen, to improve the separation efficiency of coarse particles (geothermal drilling cuttings may contain hard minerals, so the screen needs to be wear-resistant).

2. Desander / Desilter

   Desander: Separates sand particles with a diameter of 15-74μm (such as quartz sand and feldspar commonly found in geothermal fluids);

   Desilter: Separates mud particles and colloids (clay minerals and corrosion products in geothermal drilling fluid) with a particle size of 2-15μm.

   The hydrocyclone is lined with polyurethane or ceramic, which is wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and can be adapted to the scouring of high-mineralized fluids.

   The feed inlet and underflow outlet must be designed with high-temperature resistance and sealing to prevent leakage of high-temperature fluids;

   It can be integrated with a Shale shaker ("integrated desander and desilter machine"), reducing the floor space required (geothermal drilling platforms are usually space-constrained).

3. Centrifuges：Separate ultrafine particles with a diameter ≤2μm (such as colloids, clay, chemical additive residues, and corrosion products in geothermal fluids), stabilize drilling fluid viscosity and density, and prevent scaling in geothermal well pipes.

   It adopts a high-temperature resistant differential and is equipped with a cooling system.

   The inner wall of the drum is coated with wear-resistant ceramic to prevent wear from high-hardness mineral particles;

   For high-viscosity geothermal drilling fluids, a high-speed variable frequency centrifuge is selected, which can adjust the speed to adapt to the fluid characteristics.

4. Vacuum degasser：Removes dissolved gases (such as methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide) from geothermal fluids to prevent "gas intrusion" from causing drilling fluid performance failure, and at the same time prevents the leakage of harmful gases from causing safety risks.

   The vacuum tank is made of high-temperature resistant stainless steel, and the sealing components are made of corrosion-resistant and high-temperature resistant materials such as fluororubber.

   Equipped with a gas detection linkage device (such as sensor), it automatically shuts down and exhausts gas when the gas level exceeds the limit;

   With a degassing efficiency of ≥95%, it is suitable for the high gas solubility of geothermal fluids.

5. Drilling fluid cleaner (integrated purification)：An integrated device that combines a Shale shaker, desander, desilter, and small centrifuge to achieve three-stage purification: coarse, medium, and fine, suitable for continuous operation needs at geothermal drilling sites.

   The overall frame is treated with an anti-corrosion coating, and the pipelines are made of seamless stainless steel.

   Equipped with an intelligent liquid level control system, it can adapt to scenarios with large fluctuations in geothermal drilling fluid flow.




The following are auxiliary equipment, which can be selected according to the site conditions:

6. Shear pump / drilling fluid mixer: Mixes geothermal drilling fluid additives (such as high-temperature stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors, and filtration loss reducers) to ensure uniform dispersion of additives and improve the high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance of drilling fluid.

   The pump body is made of high-temperature resistant alloy material, and the impeller design is suitable for high-viscosity fluids with a shear rate ≥10000s⁻¹.

7. Geothermal fluid storage tank / circulation tank: Stores purified drilling fluid or geothermal well water to ensure continuous system circulation, while settling any remaining fine impurities.

   The tank body is made of stainless steel or carbon steel with anti-corrosion coating, and can withstand high temperatures ≥150℃;

   Equipped with an insulation layer (for geothermal projects in areas with low surface temperatures) to prevent fluid cooling and crystallization;

   Built-in stirring device (variable frequency motor) to prevent mineral particles from settling and forming scale.

8. Solid waste treatment equipment

   Dryer: Dehydrates and dries rock cuttings separated by Shale shaker and desander (moisture content ≤15%), facilitating transportation and environmentally friendly disposal (geothermal rock cuttings may contain high salt and high mineral content, so environmental pollution needs to be reduced);

   Sludge filter press: Presses and dewaters the ultrafine sludge separated by centrifuge to form sludge cake, reducing solid waste transportation costs and meeting environmental emission standards.

9. Corrosion-resistant pipes and valves: connect various solid control equipment, transport geothermal fluids, and prevent corrosion and leakage of high-temperature, high-mineralization fluids.

   Pipes are made of 316L stainless steel, duplex steel, or fluoropolymer-lined materials. Valves use ceramic valve cores, and seals are made of high-temperature and corrosion-resistant materials.

II. Configuration of TR Slurry Solids Control System

1. The Shale shaker uses a high-temperature resistant polyurethane screen, and the screen box adopts a shock-absorbing structure design to reduce the wear and tear on the equipment caused by high-frequency vibration. At the same time, it is equipped with an automatic screen cleaning device to prevent rock chips from clogging the screen holes, and improve the separation efficiency of large rock chips to over 95%.

2. The desander and desilter optimize the internal flow channel design of the hydrocyclone and use a silicon carbide hydrocyclone bushing to enhance wear resistance and high temperature resistance. By adjusting the feed pressure and overflow port size, the separation efficiency of sand particles larger than 40μm is increased to 90%, and the separation efficiency of mud particles of 10-40μm reaches 85%.

3. The centrifuge is equipped with a forced cooling system to ensure stable operation in a 120℃ mud environment; by optimizing the drum speed and spiral differential speed, the removal rate of ultrafine particles below 10μm is increased to 70%, and the solid content of the purified mud is controlled within 5%.

4. The vacuum degasser adopts a two-stage vacuum design to enhance the degassing effect, reducing the gas content in the mud from 8% in the early stage to below 1%, effectively maintaining the stability of the mud density and avoiding the risk of gas intrusion.

5. In terms of auxiliary equipment, high-temperature resistant sand pumps and explosion-proof mixers are selected. The mud tank is designed with heat preservation to prevent the mud temperature from dropping too quickly and affecting performance. At the same time, a solid waste drying area is set up to dehydrate the separated rock cuttings and reduce environmental disposal costs.

Solids control equipment in geothermal systems is crucial for ensuring drilling safety and improving development efficiency. Its configuration must be tailored to the specific needs of the well, formation characteristics, and mud temperature, resulting in a "multi-stage purification, precise matching" system solution. TR Solids Control's geothermal systems, through customized solids control equipment selection and optimization, not only effectively solve purification challenges under complex conditions such as high temperature and high sand content, but also achieve mud recycling and solid waste reduction, providing strong support for the green and efficient development of geothermal resources.