Scribd
Upload
37 views

Introduction

The document discusses renewable energy and defines geothermal energy. It describes the three main types of geothermal power plants as binary cycle plants, dry steam plants, and flash steam plants. It also discusses how geothermal energy is used, produced, and works.

Uploaded by

Achraf Ammouria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views

Introduction

The document discusses renewable energy and defines geothermal energy. It describes the three main types of geothermal power plants as binary cycle plants, dry steam plants, and flash steam plants. It also discusses how geothermal energy is used, produced, and works.

Uploaded by

Achraf Ammouria
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Introduction 

:
A renewable energy resource can be employed repeatedly and

does not run out because it is naturally replaced. They cannot

be depleted and are able to supply an endless source of clean

energy. It means sources of this energy that are alternative to

the most commonly used non-sustainable sources, such as

fossil fuels. A renewable resource, essentially, has an everlasting

supply such as solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal

pressure. Just as there are numerous natural sources of energy,

there are several renewable energy technologies. But generally,

renewable energy technologies produce power, heat, or

mechanical energy by converting those resources either to

electricity or to motive power.


DEFINITION
geothermal energy Geothermal energy is renewable, clean power
derived from the thermal energy in subterranean earth. The earth’s
thermal energy is created by the decay of radioactive elements in the
earth along with the heat from the sun and that remaining from the
earth’s creation. Unlike solar power or wind power, geothermal energy is
not interrupted by lull times. The technology also has a small carbon
footprint in development.

Main Types of Geothermal Power Plants


Geothermal power plants come in 3 main types:

- Binary cycle power plants

- Dry steam power plants

- Flash steam power plants

Dry steam power plants :


As the name suggests, these geothermal power plants utilize ‘’dry
steam” to generate electricity. Dry steam is, essentially, water vapor or
water in gaseous state. The geothermal power plant companies drill two
separate wells to the extremely hot water reservoir under the earth’s
surface; the production well and injection well. The production well
extracts steam with a temperature of at least 150°C (300°F) from the hot
water reservoir below and directs it to the turbine.
Flash steam power plants :
This kind of geothermal power plant utilizes water at temperatures of at
least 182°C (360°F). As the name suggests, it uses flash steam to generate
electricity. Flash steaming is the process whereby extremely high-
pressure hot water is flashed or vaporized into steam in a flash tank by
reducing the pressure. The steam is then directed to turn turbines, which
turns a shaft connected to a generator leading to production of
electricity .

Binary cycle power plants :


This geothermal power plant is advantageous compared to the flash
steam and dry steam power plants because it requires slightly cooler
water (as low as 57°C (135°F) to heat a separate fluid (binary fluid) that
has a lower boiling point.
How is it Used?

The heat from geothermal energy can be (and is) used either directly to heat
homes and businesses or used in conjunction with geothermal heat pumps. In the
same way that they can be used to heat, geothermal systems can also be used to
cool. In a hotter environment, or at a hotter time of year, water circulated
through a geothermal loop carries heat below the earth’s surface, where it is
absorbed into the ground; the cooled water is carried back up to regulate the
higher ambient temperature. Geothermal heat pumps are one of the
environmentally-friendly methods used to cool green data centers.

How is Geothermal Energy Produced?

Wells of up to a mile deep or more are drilled into underground


reservoirs to tap into the geothermal resources. These resources can be
exploited from naturally occurring heat, rock and water permeability or
through enhanced geothermal systems, which enhance or create
geothermal resources through a process called hydraulic stimulation.
These geothermal resources, whether natural or enhanced, drive turbines
linked to electricity generators.

How Does Geothermal Energy Work?

Geothermal power plants come in three different designs; dry steam,


flash and binary:

The oldest type is dry steam, which takes steam directly from fractures in
the ground to drive a turbine. Flash plants pull high pressure hot water
from underground and mix it with cooler low pressure water. This, in
turn, creates steam that is used to drive a turbine. Binary plants use hot
water passed through a secondary fluid that has a lower boiling point
than water. The secondary fluid is turned into vapour which drives a
turbine. Most future geothermal power plants are expected to be binary
plants.

You might also like