Transcript Geothermal Energy, Tapping the Earth’s Internal Heat

Geothermal Energy, Tapping
the Earth’s Internal Heat
Tim Mervine
Anna Chandler
http://geothermal.marin.org/GEOpresentation/sld050.htm
Main Goal
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Provide energy using the natural
heat of the Earth
Goal is derived from the name
 Geo means Earth
 Thermal means Heat
Impact
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Not being able to drill access
geothermal hotspots
Corrosion and scaling of pipes
Political/economical obstacles
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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
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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/r
enewable.energy.annual/appd.html
Bibliography
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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