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Geothermal Energy Powerpoint

Geothermal energy is generated by harnessing the Earth's internal heat, primarily through drilling deep wells to access steam or hot water. It is an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy source used for heating, electricity production, and various direct applications. Geothermal power plants, including dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle types, have low emissions and contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, although they are limited to geologically active areas.

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19 views18 pages

Geothermal Energy Powerpoint

Geothermal energy is generated by harnessing the Earth's internal heat, primarily through drilling deep wells to access steam or hot water. It is an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy source used for heating, electricity production, and various direct applications. Geothermal power plants, including dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle types, have low emissions and contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels, although they are limited to geologically active areas.

Uploaded by

floresxylex
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© © All Rights Reserved
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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Trapping the Earth’s Internal Heat


How is Geothermal Energy Generated?
• Temperatures hotter than the sun’s surface are
continuously produced inside the earth by a slow
decay of radioactive particles

• The most common method that scientists use to find


geothermal reservoirs is drilling a deep well and
testing the temperature deep underground.

• Steam or very hot water from deep within the earth


is piped to the surface and used as a heat source or
to produce electricity.

• Earth’s kinetic energy is converted into electricity.


Energy Efficient and Cost Effective
• Geothermal are the
most energy
efficient, cost
effective, and
environmentally
clean systems for
temperature control
Uses and Goals
• Heat pumps – heat and cool building; melt snow
from roads and sidewalks

• Direct use applications – greenhouses, heat water


for fish farming, pasteurize milk, food
dehydration, gold mining

• Power plants – produce electricity

• Help mitigate global warming


How is Geothermal Energy Generated?
• Temperatures hotter than the sun’s surface
are continuously produced inside the earth by
a slow decay of radioactive particles

• People around the world use geothermal


energy to produce electricity and heat their
homes by digging deep wells and pumping the
heated water or steam to the surface
Where is Geothermal Energy Found?
• Found along major
plate boundaries where
earthquakes and
volcanoes are
concentrated
– Geysers
– Hot springs
– Fumaroles
– Geothermal reservoirs
The Ring of Fire
Two Geothermal Systems
• Conventional Geothermal System utilizes steam
from natural resources such as geysers or by
drawing water from the hot, high-pressure
depths of Earth; and
• Supercritical Geothermal System a naturally
occurring hot water or steams flows heated by
magma and circulating through permeable rock.
In volcanic geothermal energy, the heat comes
from supercritical. The energy from supercritical
water is much higher than conventional steam.
1. Wells are drilled deep into the
earth to pump steam or hot
water to the surface.
2. When the water reaches the
surface, the drop in pressure
causes the water to turn into
steam.
3. The steam spins a turbine,
which is connected to a
generator that produces
electricity.
4. Cooling tower cools the steam
and condenses it back to water.
5. The cooled water is pumped
back into the earth to begin the
process again.
Geothermal Power Plants
• Require high
temperatures (300 F –
700 F) hydrothermal
resources that may either
come from dry steam
wells or hot water wells

• There are three types of


geothermal power plants:
dry steam plants, flash
steam plants, and binary
cycle power plants
Dry Steam Plants
• Use steam piped
directly from a
geothermal
reservoir to turn
the
turbogenerator
Flash Steam Plants
• Takes high pressure hot
water from deep inside
the earth and converts it
to steam to drive the
generator turbines
• When the steam cools it
condenses into water and
is injected into the earth
to be used over and over
again.
• Most geothermal plants
are flash steam plants
Flash Steam Power Plants are the most common form of geothermal power
plant. The hot water is pumped under great pressure to the surface. When it
reaches the surface the pressure is reduced and as a result some of the water
changes to steam. This produces a ‘blast’ of steam. The cooled water is
returned to the reservoir to be heated by geothermal rocks again.
Binary Cycle Power Plants
• Transfers the heat from
geothermal hot water
to another liquid.
• The heat causes the
second liquid to turn to
steam which is used to
drive a generator
turbine.
Geothermal Powerplant in the Philippines
Geothermal Power Plants and the
Environment
• Geothermal power plants
do not burn fuel to generate
electricity so their emission
levels are very low
• Release less that 1% of
carbon dioxide emissions of
a fossil fuel plant
• Use scrubber systems to
clean the air of hydrogen
sulfide
• Emits 97% less acid rain-
causing sulfur compounds
than fossil fuel plants
Advantages
• Very high efficiency/high net yield
• Very reliable (runs 24 hrs. a day)
• Very clean – no air pollution or GHGs
• Renewable and sustainable
• Conserves fossil fuels
• Can help decrease dependence of foreign oil
• No transportation involved
Disadvantages
• Can’t provide our current energy needs
• Can only be used in certain geologically active
areas
• Water contains minerals that can be corrosive
and difficult to dispose of safely
• Harmful gases can escape from deep within the
earth
• Piping system requires large areas of land
• Initial costs can be high

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