Geothermal Dimensions (Units)

By: Ahmed Magdy Beshr, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Geophysics department The word "Geothermal" consists of two parts, "Geo" means earth, and "thermal" means heat. So, geothermal means earth heat. Therefore, geothermal energy is a form of heat measured in Calorie, Joule, Btu, .....

The Most Common Units for Heat:

Calorie (Cal): Heat is measured for the first time in Calorie (Cal), which defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 at atmospheric pressure. Commonly the kilocalorie (kcal) is used where, 1 kcal = 1000 cal. Joule (J): Is the unit of heat in the International System of Units (SI). Sometimes kilojoule (kJ) is used. BTU (British Thermal Units): The BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 at atmospheric pressure. 1 Cal = 4.184 J = 3.9 103 BTU 1 J = 0.239 Cal = 9.478 104 BTU 1 BTU = 251.996 Cal = 1055.06 J Another units for heat: Therm (thm): Is a unit of heat derived from BTU equal to 100.000 BTU. Newton meter: Energy is the ability to do work, and work measured in Joule. But: , ( ) = ( = ) () = , therefore the heat measured in N.m. 1 J = 1 Nm J = kg
m s kgm2 s2 ML2 T2

m= 2

, therefore the joule dimension will be

Other Measurements and Their Dimensions (Units):

Temperature (T): Is the measure of hotness and coldness of a body. The common scales used for measuring temperature are Celsius (), Fahrenheit (), and Kelvin (K) scales. The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales based on freezing point and melting point of water. The Kelvin scale called Absolute Temperature scale, because on the Kelvin scale the coldest possible temperature at , which equal 0 Kelvin and called Absolute zero.

Temperature conversions: K = + 273 5 = [ 32] 9 9 = + 32 5 Temperature gradient (): It is a vector quantity, defined as the rate of change of temperature with distance from reference point. It measured in kelvin per meter, /. Geothermal gradient (): Is the rate of increase in temperature per unit depth in the earth. It is measured in or . Geothermal step: The increase in depth in the earths crust (in meters) corresponding to a rise of 1 in rocks temperature, therefore it is measured in / or /. Geothermal step is the inverse of the geothermal gradient. Heat flow ( ): Is the flow of heat from its source at the earth's interior to the surface of the earth. It is the flow of heat per unit time per unit area, therefore it measured in milliWatt per square meter, / . The heat transferred by three methods: Conduction: The heat transferred by the direct contact of molecules, without movement of the material. For example, transfer of heat through metals. Convection: Heat transfer due to the fluid movement, therefore it required transfer of the heated material. For example, hot water transfers heat to cold water by convection. Radiation: It does not require a medium to transfer heat like electromagnetic waves. The most common example is the transfer of heat from the sun to the earth. Heat flow rate (): Is the rate of heat flow per unit time , therefor it measured in joule per second (/) or watt (w). - The power is the rate of work per unit time, =
() ()

Nm s

= = watt , measure the rate of heat flow.

s

Heat transfer coefficient (h): The amount of heat transferred by convection through a unit area of a body in a unit time when the temperature difference between the faces of this body by one degree. It measured in watt per square meter- kelvin, /( ). =

Specific heat capacity (S): The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a material by one temperature degree. The common unit for it is joule per kilogram- kelvin, /( ). =

Heat capacity (C): The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a material by one temperature degree. It measured in joule per kelvin, /. = The relation between S and C is: =

, means heat capacity per unit mass.

Thermal conductivity (k): For a given plate has two faces with a temperature difference between them, the thermal conductivity will defined as the amount of heat transferred in unit time through a unit area of a plate has a unit thickness when its opposite faces differ in temperature by one degree. It measured in watt per meter kelvin, /( ). =

Thermal Diffusivity (): Is the thermal conductivity divided by the volumetric heat capacity (density multiplied by specific heat capacity ) all, divided by the time , at constant pressure. It measured in /. 3 = ) = 2 ) = ( = ( 3 Latent heat (L): Is the amount of heat absorbed or released by a material to change the state of matter at constant temperature and pressure. The common forms of latent heat are latent heat of fusion (solid to liquid), latent heat of vaporization (liquid to gas), and latent heat of sublimation (solid directly to gas). It measured in kilojoule per kilogram, /. =

Heat production: The amount of heat generation in a rock by radioactive decay per unit volume of this rock per unit time. It measured in microWatt per cubic meter, / .

Stefan-Boltzmann constant (): Is the constant of proportionality in the Stefan-Boltzmann law for radiated black body. Its value is . /( ). = 4 , Stefan-Boltzmann law. Emissivity (): The emissivity of a material is the ability of its surface to emit heat energy by radiation. Emissivity is a unitless or a dimensionless quantity. The materials that radiate energy are the black body has emissivity ( = ) and the real body has emissivity ( < ).