Geothermal Energy, Tapping the Earth’s Internal Heat

Tim MervineAnna Chandler

http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/sld050.htm

Main Goal

Provide energy using the natural heat of the Earth

Goal is derived from the name Geo means Earth Thermal means Heat

Impact

Don’t burn fossil fuels Produce less than 1% of the CO2

of a fossil fuel plant Clean the air of hydrogen sulfide 97% less acid rain, causing sulfur

compounds than fossil fuel plants Water is reheated and reused

Dry Steam Power Plants

Rising steam turns the turbine After condensing, water goes

down to be reheated Dry steam plants are rare

Dry Steam Power Plants

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/geo2.htm

Flash Steam Power Plants

Hot water rises Pressure decreases as it rises Steam is given off and used to

turn the turbines Afterwards the steam condenses

and goes to be reheated

Flash Steam Power Plants

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/geo4.htm

Binary Power Cycle Plant

Hot water rises Heat and liquid with a lower

boiling point Second liquid turns to steam to

turn the turbine Water goes to be reheated while

the second liquid condenses

Binary Power Cycle Plant

http://www.technologystudent.com/energy1/geo3.htm

Possible technological obstacles

Not being able to drill access geothermal hotspots

Corrosion and scaling of pipes

Political/economical obstacles

Plants are expensive to create Geysers that fall on federal

protected land are not able to be used

Geothermal hot spots located in oceans have questionable land ownership

Negative environmental impacts

Very little carbon emissions

Generation of electricity from the geothermal plants has ended geyser eruptions of second and third largest geysers in the 50 states

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/renewable.energy.annual/appd.html

Bibliography

http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/ http://technologystudent.com/energy1/engex.htm http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/re

newable/geothermal.html http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/rene

wable.energy.annual/appd.html