Reykjavík University and Landsvirkjun file a joint patent application for a new solution for Geothermal Utilisation

Reykjavík University and Landsvirkjun have jointly filed a patent application with the European Patent Office for an innovative technological solution to improve the utilisation of geothermal resources. The solution is a method for determining the dimensions and thermodynamic properties of an ejector, enabling the utilisation of geothermal wells that have previously remained unused due to low pressure. An ejector is a type of pump that connects two fluid streams at different pressures.

The solution supports improved utilisation of geothermal systems, extended operational lifespans of geothermal wells, and increased overall energy production efficiency without the need for extensive, costly interventions. It aligns well with objectives related to sustainable energy use and the more efficient utilisation of natural resources, and can enhance the utilisation of existing wells in geothermal areas for which investments have already been made but which are currently usable for energy production.

The inventors of the solution are Ximena Guardia Muguruza, PhD candidate; María Sigríður Guðjónsdóttir, Associate Professor; Egill Júlíusson, Adjunct Lecturer and former Landsvirkjun employee; Guðrún Arnbjörg Sævarsdóttir, Professor; Yonatan Afework Tesfahunegn, Associate Professor; and Jeffrey Macatangay Andal, former MSc student, all from the Department of Engineering at Reykjavík University, along with Karl Emil Sveinsson, geothermal steam supply system operator at Landsvirkjun. The solution has been tested at Landsvirkjun’s Þeistareykir geothermal field and the energy laboratory at Reykjavik University with good results.

Reykjavík University and Landsvirkjun have maintained a formal collaboration for more than a decade, and the patent application is the result of close, long-standing cooperation in research, innovation, and the development of solutions to energy and climate challenges. The project received funding from the Icelandic Technology Development Fund in 2021.

The project highlights the importance of collaboration between academia and energy companies in developing technological solutions that support the energy transition, improved energy efficiency, and long-term climate goals.

Group pictures:

Top row: Hilmar Már Einarsson project manager at Landsvirkjun, Ragnhildur Helgadóttir president of Reykjavik University, Ólöf Vigdís Ragnarsdóttir director at Reykjavik University, Kristján Einarsson project manager at Landsvirkjun, Ólafur Eysteinn Sigurðsson dean of the school of technology at Reykjavik University, Ásgeir Ásgeirsson chair of the department of applied engineering at Reykjavik University, Ríkarður S. Ríkarðsson EVP of business development and innovation at Landsvirkjun, Hjalti Páll Ingólfsson director of geothermal development and resources at Landsvirkjun.

Bottom row: Ármann Gylfason dean of the faculty of engineering at Reykjavik University, Yonatan Afework Tesfahunegn associate professor at Reykjavik University, Karl Emil Sveinsson geothermal steam supply operator at Landsvirkjun, Ximena Guardia Muguruza PhD candidate at Reykjavik University, María Sigríður Guðjónsdóttir associate professor at Reykjavik University, Guðrún Arnbjörg Sævarsdóttir professor at Reykjavik University, Daði Þorsteinn Sveinbjörnsson business innovation manager at Landsvirkjun, Bjarni Pálsson EVP of wind and geothermal at Landsvirkjun.

Missing from the photo is Egill Júlíusson, adjunct lecturer at Reykjavik University and a former employee of Landsvirkjun.