GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal Energy: Introduction

 What is geothermal energy?
 Geothermal energy- energy that comes from the
ground; power extracted from heat stored in the
earth
 Geo: earth
 Thermal: heat
Geothermal Energy Generation
Direct Electrical
 Small scale uses  Dry steam
 Heating homes  Flash steam
 Hot springs  Binary cycle
 Greenhouse heating
 Food dehydration plants
 Agriculture
 Crop drying
 Milk pasteurization
How Geothermal Works
 Earth’s core heat
 Water → steam → drive electrical generators
 Turbines
 Area specific
 Geothermal energy is localized
Dry Steam/Flash Steam/Binary Cycles

 Each uses the heat from underground in some

manner to generate energy
 Different combinations of water temperatures
create different effects
 How Geothermal Energy Works
Geothermal Energy: History
 Used for bathing in Paleolithic times
 Ancient Romans used it as a central

heating system for bathing and

heating homes and floors
 1892: America’s first district heating

system was put into place

Example of a Power Plant in Larderello Today
Geothermal Energy: History

 1926: a deep geothermal well was used to heat

greenhouses.
Geothermal Energy: History
 1960: Pacific Gas and Electric has
first successful geothermal electric
power plant in US at The Geysers
 Turbine lasted more than 30 years
United States and Geothermal
GETTING IT OUT OF THE GROUND

 To get the steam and water out of the earth, a hole is drilled using a drilling rig.
We call this hole a well and it is about 27cm wide and can go down over 2.5km
into the earth. It is very expensive to drill a well and it can cost up to $8 million
dollars.
 When the well is being drilled, a special drilling mud is used to stop the well
collapsing. A metal pipe is then put in to stop it collapsing when the well is in use.
Inside this pipe is another pipe called the liner. The steam and water travel up this
liner.
 At the top of this well is a master valve used to control the flow and then a
pipeline carries the water and the steam to the power station.
 At the Mighty River Kawerau Power Station there is about 8km of pipeline. The
pipe has to be thick and welded together so it can stand the pressure from the hot
steam and water. Bolted on to the pipelines are valves. These are like very big
versions of taps we have at home. They are used to turn off the steam and water or
to slow it down. The pipelines are also covered with insulation to stop the heat
escaping and also to stop peoplefrom burning themselves. The pipes heat up to
about 180oC.
DETAILS OF HOW IT WORKS

 Water is not used so it has to be separated from the steam.

 This is done by the separator which sends the water to a re-injection well that puts
the water back deep into the ground
 This means the water can be reheated and used again. The steam is sent to the
power station. The steam is sent to the turbine and as it passes through the turbine
blades, it makes the turbine spin. The turbine causes the generator to spin and this
is what produces the electricity.
 What happens to the steam? Once it comes out of the turbine, it goes to the
condenser. The condenser’s job is to turn the steam back into water so it can be re-
injected back into the ground. Because the condenser needs to cool the steam to
turn it back to water, water is used for cooling. The condensed water is then sent to
the cooling tower to cool even more. The water needed for cooling is then used
again - recycled –and the rest is put back into the ground.
Why use geothermal energy?
It is renewable
It doesn’t cause pollution
Owners of buildings using geothermal have cut 25 to 50 percent off their utility bills.
No cooling towers, rooftop units, or individual room air conditioning units are needed,
so buildings and schools using geothermal systems look better.
There’s no fire hazard and no outside equipment that could potentially hurt kids
Geothermal systems are quieter, more reliable, more efficient, and more compact
compared to regular heating and cooling systems.
Daniel Boone high school saved $33,000 by using geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy costs dropped from $.10 - .16 per kilowatt hour to $.5 - .8 per
kilowatt hour.
The earth under our feet stays the same temperature year round, whether it’s blazing hot
in summer or freezing cold in winter. In summer the earth is cooler than the air, and in
winter it’s warmer. Geothermal heat pumps cleverly put that fact to good use. They use
the earth to warm buildings in the winter and keep them cool in the summer. They work
so well TVA helps Valley businesses and school systems install them in their buildings.
Can Geothermal Energy run out?
• 100% renewable
 Earth’s core is always going to be heated
 As long as there is a way to extract the energy from the
heat, the energy will always be available
 Advantages to
Geothermal Power
 Geothermal energy does not
produce any pollution, and
does not contribute to the
greenhouse effect.
 The power stations do not take up much room, so
there is not much impact on the environment.
 No fuel is needed.
 Once you've built a geothermal power station, the
energy is almost free.
It may need a little energy to run a pump, but this can
be taken from the energy being generated.
 Disadvantages to
Geothermal Power
 The big problem is that there are not many places
where you can build a geothermal power station.
You need hot rocks of a suitable type, at a depth
where we can drill down to them.
The type of rock above is also important, it must be of
a type that we can easily drill through.
 Sometimes a geothermal site may "run out of steam",
perhaps for decades.
 Hazardous gases and minerals may come up from
underground, and can be difficult to safely dispose of.
Environmental Effects/ Benefits
 Remarkable difference
of environmental
effects compared to
fossil fuels
 Leaves almost no
footprints
 Most hardware used to
extract geothermal
energy is underground (http://www.geothermal.nau.edu/about/enviroment.
shtmlNorthern Arizona University. 2009 Oct
 Minimal use of surface 27)
Environmental Effects/Benefits

Power Source Land

Requirement
 Easy to operate
(ac/mW)  Open up economy
Geothermal 1-8
Nuclear 5-10
 Much more efficient
Coal 19 use of land
Environmental Effects/ Disadvantages
 Fluids drawn from the deep
earth carry a mixture of gases
 Pollutants contribute to global Operation Noise Level (dBa)

warming and acid rain

Air drilling  85–120
 Construction of Plants can
adversely affect land stability Mud drilling  80

 Sources may hold trace Discharging wells after drilling (to Up to 120
amounts of toxic remove drilling debris)

chemicals/mineral deposits Well testing 70–110

 Loud Noises Diesel engines (to operate 45–55
compressors and provide electricity)
 Initial start up cost
(expensive) Heavy machinery (e.g., for earth Up to 90
moving during construction)
Opposition to Geothermal Energy
 Not everyone agrees that geothermal energy is a
solution to our energy crisis
 Too costly
 Noise
 Use of fresh water
 Land surveying
 The technology is not quite there
 Some people just believe that our fossil fuels will
“never” run out
 Don’t believe that fossil fuels are finite
Conclusion
 Overall, geothermal appears to be a sound solution
to energy needs
 Geothermal energy has the ability to expand
 Few environmental effects
 Very cost efficient
 Geothermal is RENEWABLE
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 ASK.COM
 GEOTHERMAL EDUCATION SOCIETY.
 GOOGLE.COM
 WIKEPEDIA.ORG
 WWW.GEOHEAT.OIT.EDU
 http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/fossil.htm
 http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/fossilfuels.htm
 www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/publications/reports/ser/geo/geo.asp
 http://lsa.colorado.edu/summarystreet/texts/geothermal.htm