Geothermal Energy

Scientist: Eamonn D’Arcy

Where is Geothermal Energy used?

• Geothermal Energy is mainly used in Italy, New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, the Philippines and the United States.

• In Iceland, virtually every building in the country is heated with hot spring water. In fact, Iceland gets more than 50 percent of its energy from geothermal sources. In Reykjavik, for example (population 115,000), hot water is piped in from 25 kilometers away, and residents use it for heating and for hot tap water

• Seismically active hotspots are not the only places where geothermal energy can be found. at depths of anywhere from 10 to a few hundred feet below the surface virtually in any location on Earth.

• The largest geothermal system now in operation is a steam-driven plant in an area called the Geysers, north of San Francisco, California.

Once you get Geothermal Energy, How do you use it?

• If it is heated to a higher temperature by a boiler it can be used in buildings as hot water supply.

• It can be used to heat homes, buildings greenhouses, local resorts, fish farms and spas

• To dry out fish • De-ice roads,• Dehydrating onions and garlic• Pasteurizing milk.• Improve oil recovery, • Underfloor heating,

How Does a Ground-Source Steamed Heat Pump Work?

• Hundreds of meters of piping and coil are buried underground in loops.

• Cold water is pumped down an “Injection Well” towards the heated rock.

• The water becomes hotter because of the heated rock.• The water eventually starts to evaporate and turn into steam.• This happens through naturally occurring "hydrothermal

convection"• The steam will rise through the “Recovery Well”.• This “Recovery Well” leads to a generator.• The steam rotates the fan leaves inside the generator to

create electricity.

• Hundreds of meters of piping and coil are buried underground in loops.

• Cold water is pumped down an “Injection Well” towards the heated rock.

• The water becomes hotter because of the heated rock.• This now heated water is quickly pumped out before it turns

to steam.• The water will then flow through the Recovery Well to a

storage place.• The storage place for the already heated water will keep it

hot for use.

How Does a Ground-Source BoiledHeat Pump Work?

Interesting facts about Geothermal Energy• Comes from the Greek word "Geo" meaning "earth" and "Therme"

meaning heat.

• The temperature is 100 degree Celsius three miles beneath the earth. This is an ideal temperature to boil water to generate a steam-powered electric power plant.

• For example, more than 8,900 megawatts (MW) of large, utility-scale geothermal capacity in 24 countries now produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of nearly 12 million typical U.S. households (GEA 2008a).

• The United States has more geothermal capacity than any other country, with more than 3,000 megawatts in eight states. Eighty percent of this capacity is in California, where more than 40 geothermal plants provide nearly 5 percent of the state’s electricity.

Bibliography

• http://www.drenergysaverct.com/hvac-systems/geothermal-heating-cooling-connecticut_free-estimates.ppc?gclid=CLD9sc7z7qgCFYVx5QodeU8eNw

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_geothermal_energy_work

• http://www.greenprofitsguide.com/category/green-energy

• http://ww1.webanswers.com/home-garden/how-does-geothermal-energy-work-7a56c8

• http://www.alternativeenergysecret.com/geothermal-energy.html

•http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-does-geothermal-energy-work.html

• http://www.pier55.com/technology/energy/geothermal-energy/

• http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-geothermal-energy-works.html

• http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/how_does_geothermal_energy_work.html