means heat inside the earth. At the center is a core of iron.
Around that is an outer core of
iron and rock so hot the rock is melted. The liquid rock is called magma.
The next layer is a mixture of rock
and magma called the mantle.
The shell of the earth – with the
oceans and mountains - is called the crust. Temp. of Shallow Crust (upper 10 ft.) Constant 55-75°F (13- 24°C) Up to 14,400°F (8,000°C) at Molten Core (approx. 4,000 mi. to center of core) Earth’s Crust Thickness: 3 to 35 Mi. Temperature Increases With Depth Gradient: 50-87°F / Mile (17-30°C / km) The inside of the earth is very hot.
Sometimes this heat
comes near the surface in the form of magma.
We can use this heat to
warm our houses and make electricity. Low Temperature Reservoirs High Temperature Reservoirs Low Temperature Reservoirs: Available almost anywhere on earth Predominantly Used for Heat Pumps Space Heating Other Common Uses: Hot Water Production In Greenhouses to Grow Flowers, etc. Industrial Uses: dry wood, pasteurize milk, grow fish, etc. High Temperature Reservoirs: Availability: Can Occur Within a Couple of Miles of Earth’s Surface Where Earth’s Crust Is Very Thin – i.e., Closer to Molten Magma at Core Suitable for Commercial Production of Electricity Power Plants Need High Capacity Geothermal Reservoir – Water / Steam >220°F (105°C) Greatest Potential for Energy Output Hot Geothermal Fluids Near Surface (<1-2 mi.) Preferably in Excess of 300°F, but Electrical Generation Is Occurring at Temps. In the Low 200’s°F. Proximity to Population Base Low Mineral and Gas Content Proximity to Transmission Lines Even though geothermal energy is underground, there are visible features on the surface.
These include volcanoes,
hot springs, and geysers. The most active geothermal resources are usually found where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated. Geothermal energy produces only a small percentage of U.S. electricity.
Today, it produces about 15 billion
kilowatt-hours, or less than one percent of the electricity produced in this country. The US is now the world’s largest geothermal producer Current bills are being processed to give research towards geothermal projects $500 million Pushing large scale production Most Basic Form of Geothermal Usage What – takes advantage of stored heat of near surface soil / water (Const. temp of 55-75 °F).usually 8feet down the ground Winter Months – uses ground as a “heat source” Transfers heat from warm subsurface to facility Summer Months – uses ground as a “heat sink” Transfers heat from facility to ground 3 Main Parts: Underground Piping Pump / Heat Exchanger System Indoor Distribution System System “Concentrates” Natural Heat Instead of Production of Heat by Combustion Horizontal Closed Loop
Most cost-effective for residential
installations Especially for new construction where sufficient land is available.
Vertical
Usually a better bet when area of useable
space is limited If the soil is too shallow for trenching. Used in more commercial and industrial applications. Pond/Lake
If the site has an adequate water body, this
may be the lowest cost option. Layout: A supply line pipe is run underground from the building to the water and coiled into circles at least eight feet under the surface to prevent freezing. Predominantly Space Heating / Cooling Currently Over 300,000 buildings in U.S. Homes, Schools, Commercial Complexes, and Industrial Facilities Different Types of Plants are Required to Take Advantage of the Particular Characteristics of Each Specific Geothermal Site Main Types of Geothermal Power Plants: Dry Steam Flash Steam Binary Cycle Uses Steam From Geothermal Reservoir Directly Only Requires Removal of Rock Fragments From Steam Prior to Entering Turbines Only Emissions Are Water Vapor Ist ever Dry Steam plant was installed in Itlay in 1904.
later on in 1960,this plant started to produce
electricity commercially.
Now ,there are Dry steam power plants in Ice
land ,Kenya,Japan ,Newszland. Pro: Lowest Technology Required – Lowest Capital Costs Con: Ideal Conditions Required Few Sites Available (Very Rare) Mostly common in those areas where volcanic irrepution is usual. Injection of Deep, High-pressure Water Into Low-pressure Tanks; Water “Flashes” to Steam Used to Drive Turbines Excess Water Returned to Maintain Pressure in Reservoir 1st time introduced in Newzeland in1950s.
Now a days plants are
in kineya ,Newzeland, indonesia and Japan. Moderately Hot Water (<175 °C) Passed Through Heat Exchanger Heat Transferred to Secondary Fluid (Low B.P. Fluids (i.e., Propane or Isobutane) Which Is Vaporized (“Flashed”) Higher Capital Cost Needs High Efficiency Equip. Water Never Contacts Turbine/generator Units Water Returned Directly to Reservoir No Plant Emissions! Direct Uses: Greenhouses 38 greenhouses in 8 western states use this technology vegetables, flowers, houseplants, and tree seedlings Aquaculture 28 operations are active in 10 states. It is estimated that geothermal greenhouses save about 80% of fuel costs compared to typical greenhouses about 5% to 8% of total operating costs. Industrial applications: food dehydration laundries gold mining milk pasteurizing spas Little to No Pollution
Flash Plants Emit Only Excess Steam
Binary Plants Have No Air or Liquid Emissions! Emission of Low Quantities of Greenhouse Gasses As Opposed to Burning Fossil Fuels, Current Geothermal Use Prevents the Yearly Emission of: 22 M tons of CO2 200k tons of SO2 80k tons of NOx 110k tons of Particulates Some Plants Produce Scale Which Is High in Minerals (Zinc and S) But, The Minerals are recyclable and can be Sold For a Profit! No Fuel Usage (storage, transfer, disposal, mining) Reliability: Plants Have Very Little Down Time - Avg. Availability is 90% or greater 60-70% for Coal and Nuclear Plants Minimal Land Use Compared to Other Energy Sources Requires 400 m2 of Land Per GW of Power Over a 30 Year Period Compare That to Coal and Nuclear Plants Which Require Land for Plant, Mining for Fuel, Storage of Fuel and Wastes, Etc. Start-up Costs Are High Geothermal Plants Require Significant Capital Expenditures, But the Fuel Is Free Cost - $1,500-$5,000 / Installed kW Depending on Plant Size, Resource Temp. Cost Of Power to Consumer Currently, $0.05 to $0.08 / Kwh Needs to Be $0.03 to Be Competitive Water can be corrosive to plant pipes, equipment If water not replaced back into reservoir, subsidence can occur Some high mineral / metal wastewater is produced Smelly gasses – H2S, Ammonia, Boron Release of steam and hot water can be noisy Limited # of High Temp. Resources Capable of Electric Generation Using Current Technology • geothermal.marin.org/ on geothermal energy • mailto:energyresources@egroups.com • rredc.nrel.gov/www.dieoff.org. Site devoted to the decline of energy and effects upon population • www.ferc.gov/ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission • solstice.crest.org/ • dataweb.usbr.gov/html/powerplant_selection.html • http://www.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/history.html • http://www.consrv.ca.gov/DOG/geothermal/index.htm • ftp://ftp.consrv.ca.gov/pub/oil/maps/Geothermal/G3-1.pdf • http://www.dennisweaver.com/habitat.html • http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/energy/geothermal Thank you