engineering

Reykjanes power station

Reykjanes power station is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Reykjanes power station rather than just read about it. In short: The Reykjanes power station (known as Reykjanesvirkjun [ˈreiːcaˌnɛsˌvɪr̥cʏn]) is a geothermal power station located in Reykjanes at the south-western tip of Iceland. As of 2012, the power plant generated 100MWe from two high pressure 50MWe turbines, using steam and brine from a reservoir at 290 to 320 °C (554 to 608 °F), which is extracted from 12 wells that are 2,700 m (8,900 ft) deep.

Key takeaways

Reykjanes power station belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Reykjanes power station to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Reykjanes power station from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Reykjanes power station (known as Reykjanesvirkjun [ˈreiːcaˌnɛsˌvɪr̥cʏn]) is a geothermal power station located in Reykjanes at the south-western tip of Iceland. As of 2012, the power plant generated 100MWe from two high pressure 50MWe turbines, using steam and brine from a reservoir at 290 to 320 °C (554 to 608 °F), which is extracted from 12 wells that are 2,700 m (8,900 ft) deep. This was the first time that geothermal steam of such high temperature had been used for electrical generation. In May 2023 a low pressure 30 MWe turbine started operation, bringing the power output of the plant to 130 MWe. The turbine uses medium and a low pressure steam at about 155 °C (311 °F) and 105 °C (221 °F) coming from the separation station that separates steam from geothermal fluid. The residual heat from the cooling water is used to heat sea water for fish farming. The power plant was open to the public and housed the Power Plant Earth interpretative exhibition. However, the exhibit was closed in June 2018. From December 2023 staff based at the Reykjanes power station controlled remotely the geothermal Svartsengi power station which was threatened by volcanic activity.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Reykjanes power station

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Reykjanes power station claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Reykjanes power station before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Reykjanes power station ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Reykjanes power station

In research: Reykjanes power station appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Reykjanes power station in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Reykjanes power station is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geothermal power stations in Iceland, Icelandic building and structure stubs, Renewable power plant stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Reykjanes power station outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Reykjanes power station” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Reykjanes power station in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Reykjanes power station means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Reykjanes power station out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reykjanes power station in simple terms?

Why does Reykjanes power station matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Reykjanes power station?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Reykjanes power station.