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    geothermal

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    yeltsinondieki

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    geothermal

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    yeltsinondieki
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    2 views7 pages

    geothermal

    Uploaded by

    yeltsinondieki

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 7

    Renewable

    Geothermal
    Geothermal Basics

    What Is Geothermal Energy?

    The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat).
    So, geothermal energy is heat from within the Earth. We can recover this heat as
    steam or hot water and use it to heat buildings or generate electricity.

    Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the heat is


    continuously produced inside the Earth.

    Geothermal Energy Is Generated Deep Inside the Earth

    Geothermal energy is generated in the


    Earth's core. Temperatures hotter than the
    sun's surface are continuously produced
    inside the Earth by the slow decay of
    radioactive particles, a process that happens
    in all rocks. The Earth has a number of
    different layers:

    The core itself has two layers: a solid


    iron core and an outer core made of
    very hot melted rock, called magma.
    The mantle surrounds the core and is about 1,800 miles thick. It is made up
    of magma and rock.
    The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth, the land that forms the
    continents and ocean floors. It can be 3 to 5 miles thick under the oceans
    and 15 to 35 miles thick on the continents.

    The Earth's crust is broken into pieces called plates. Magma comes close to the
    Earth's surface near the edges of these plates. This is where volcanoes occur.
    The lava that erupts from volcanoes is partly magma. Deep underground, the
    rocks and water absorb the heat from this magma. The temperature of the rocks
    and water gets hotter and hotter as you go deeper underground.

    People around the world use geothermal energy to heat their homes and to
    produce electricity by digging deep wells and pumping the heated underground
    water or steam to the surface. We can also make use of the stable temperatures
    near the surface of the Earth to heat and cool buildings.

    Where Geothermal Energy is Found


    Naturally occurring large areas of
    hydrothermal resources are called
    geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal
    reservoirs are deep underground with no
    visible clues showing above ground. But
    geothermal energy sometimes finds its
    way to the surface in the form of:

    Volcanoes and fumaroles (holes The ring of fire goes around the
    where volcanic gases are released) edges of the Pacific. The map

    Hot springs shows that volcanic activity

    Geysers occurs around the Pacific rim.

    Most Geothermal Resources Are


    Near Plate Boundaries

    The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major plate
    boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated. Most of the
    geothermal activity in the world occurs in an area called the Ring of Fire. This
    area encircles the Pacific Ocean.

    When magma comes close to the surface, U.S. Geothermal Resource Map

    it heats ground water found trapped in


    porous rock or water running along
    fractured rock surfaces and faults. These
    features are called hydrothermal. They
    have two common ingredients: water
    (hydro) and heat (thermal).
    Source: U.S. Department of
    Geologists use various methods to look for Energy, Energy Efficiency &
    geothermal reservoirs. Drilling a well and Renewable Energy
    testing the temperature deep underground
    is the most reliable method for finding a
    geothermal reservoir.

    U.S. Geothermal Is Mostly in the West

    Most of the geothermal reservoirs in the United States are located in the western
    States and Hawaii. California generates the most electricity from geothermal
    energy. "The Geysers" dry steam reservoir in northern California is the largest
    known dry steam field in the world and has been producing electricity since 1960.

    Use of Geothermal Energy


    Some applications of geothermal energy use the Earth's temperatures near the
    surface, while others require drilling miles into the Earth. The three main uses of
    geothermal energy are:

    Direct use and district heating systems use hot water from springs or
    reservoirs near the surface.
    Electricity generation power plants require water or steam at very high
    temperature (300° to 700°F). Geothermal power plants are generally built
    where geothermal reservoirs are located within a mile or two of the surface.
    Geothermal heat pumps use stable ground or water temperatures near the
    Earth's surface to control building temperatures above ground.

    Direct Use of Geothermal Energy

    There have been direct uses of hot water as an energy source since ancient
    times. Ancient Romans, Chinese, and Native American cultures used hot mineral
    springs for bathing, cooking, and heating. Today, many hot springs are still used
    for bathing, and many people believe the hot, mineral-rich waters have natural
    healing powers.

    After bathing, the most common direct use of geothermal energy is for heating
    buildings through district heating systems. Hot water near the Earth's surface
    can be piped directly into buildings and industries for heat. A district heating
    system provides heat for 95% of the buildings in Reykjavik, Iceland.

    Industrial applications of geothermal energy include food dehydration, gold


    mining, and milk pasteurizing. Dehydration, or the drying of vegetable and fruit
    products, is the most common industrial use of geothermal energy.

    The United States Is the Leader in Geothermal Power Generation

    The United States generates more geothermal electricity than any other country,
    but the amount of electricity it produces is less than 0.5% of all electricity
    produced in United States. Only four States have geothermal power plants:

    California has 34 geothermal power plants, which produce almost 90% of


    U.S. geothermal electricity.
    Nevada has 15 geothermal power plants.
    Hawaii, Montana, and Utah each have one geothermal plant.

    Geothermal Power Plants


    Geothermal power plants use A Geothermic Power Station

    hydrothermal resources that have two


    common ingredients: water (hydro) and
    heat (thermal). Geothermal plants require
    high temperature (300°F to 700°F)
    hydrothermal resources that may come
    from either dry steam wells or hot water
    wells. We can use these resources by
    drilling wells into the Earth and piping the
    steam or hot water to the surface. Geothermal wells are one to two miles deep.

    Types of Geothermal Plants

    There are three basic types of geothermal power plants:

    Dry steam plants use steam piped directly from a geothermal reservoir to
    turn the generator turbines. The first geothermal power plant was built in
    1904 in Tuscany, Italy, where natural steam erupted from the Earth.
    Flash steam plants take high-pressure hot water from deep inside the Earth
    and convert it to steam to drive the generator turbines. When the steam
    cools, it condenses to water and is injected back into the ground to be used
    over and over again. Most geothermal power plants are flash steam plants.
    Binary cycle power plants transfer the heat from geothermal hot water to
    another liquid. The heat causes the second liquid to turn to steam which is
    used to drive a generator turbine.

    Geothermal Heat Pumps

    Using the Earth's Constant Temperatures for Heating and Cooling

    While temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day and season to
    season, temperatures 10 feet below the Earth's surface hold nearly constant
    between 50° and 60°F. For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are
    usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer.
    Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's constant temperatures to heat and cool
    buildings. They transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in winter
    and reverse the process in the summer.

    Geothermal Heat Pumps Are Energy Efficient and Cost Effective

    According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat


    pumps are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean, and cost effective
    systems for temperature control. Although most homes still use traditional
    furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more
    popular. In recent years, the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA have
    partnered with industry to promote the use of geothermal heat pumps.

    Geothermal Energy & the Environment


    The environmental impact of geothermal energy depends on how it is being used.
    Direct use and heating applications have almost no negative impact on the
    environment.

    Geothermal Power Plants Have Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone


    National Park, Wyoming
    Low Emission Levels

    Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel


    to generate electricity, so their emission
    levels are very low. They release less than
    1% of the carbon dioxide emissions of a
    fossil fuel plant. Geothermal plants use
    scrubber systems to clean the air of
    hydrogen sulfide that is naturally found in
    the steam and hot water.

    Geothermal plants emit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfur compounds than are
    emitted by fossil fuel plants. After the steam and water from a geothermal
    reservoir have been used, they are injected back into the Earth.
    Many Geothermal Features Are National Treasures

    Geothermal features in national parks, such as geysers and fumaroles in


    Yellowstone National Park, are protected by law, to prevent the land from being
    disturbed.

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