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GEOTHERMAL
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 3
GEOTHERMAL
CHAPTER 3
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CHAPTER 3
Tectonic
plate
Subducting
tectonic plate
30
Magma
GEOTHERMAL
CHAPTER 3
31
CHAPTER 3
Heat
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GEOTHERMAL
CHAPTER 3
Dry Steam Power Plants. A very few geothermal reservoirs are filled
naturally with steam, not water. This means that the wells will
produce only steam. The power plants that run on this steam are
called dry steam power plants. Here, the steam blasts right into the
turbine blades (they do not need separators), then is condensed to
water and piped back into the reservoir. Though dry steam reservoirs
are rare, they have been important to the development of geothermal
power, especially in California, Italy, and Japan.
Binary Power Plants. In some geothermal reservoirs, the water is hot
(over 200 F, or 93C), but not hot enough to produce steam with the
force needed to efficiently turn a turbine-generator. Fortunately, we can
generate electricity from these moderate temperature reservoirs,
using binary power plants.
In the binary process, the geothermal water is used only for its
heat, not to produce steam. In a heat exchanger (see sidebar, this
page), the heat transfers to a second liquid. This second liquid flashes
to vapor and drives the turbine. Once used, the geothermal water is
pumped back into the reservoir. Moderate-temperature reservoirs are
more common than high-temperature reservoirs, so the use of binary
power plants is expanding worldwide.
H E AT E X C H A N G E R S
33
CHAPTER 3
RE M I N DE R
W = watt
kW = kilowatt = 1,000 watts
MW = megawatt = 1,000 kilowatts
1 megawatt serves about 1,000
homes in the United States.
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GEOTHERMAL
CHAPTER 3
THE GEYSERS
35
CHAPTER 3
H O T LO C AT I O N S
This map shows the edges of the tectonic plates (they all have names) that form the
Ring of Fire. Most countries in this area have lots of geothermal energy.
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GEOTHERMAL
CHAPTER 3
H O T E N E R GY F O R A C O L D C O U N T R Y
CONSIDERATIONS
Geothermal power plants have no smoky emissions.
What comes out the top of a geothermal plant cooling
tower is steam (water vapor) with only trace amounts
of natural minerals and gases from the geothermal
reservoir. Flash and dry steam plants produce only a
small fraction of air emissions compared to fossil fuel plants. Binary
power plants have virtually no emissions.
Geothermal wells are sealed with steel casing, cemented to the sides
of the well along their length. The casing protects shallow, cold
groundwater aquifers from mixing with geothermal reservoir waters.
This way the cold groundwater doesnt get into the hot geothermal
reservoir and the geothermal water doesnt mix with potential
sources of drinking water.
(continued)
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CHAPTER 3
CONSIDERATIONS (continued)
Geoth
erma
Unite
l Fact
d Sta
t
s
es
G
eothe
r
mal re
Geothermal power plants run day and night,
produ
source
ction
s suita
so they provide reliable baseload electricity.
in the
weste
ble fo
U
r elec
r
.
S
n
. oc cu
s
tates .
Most geothermal power plants can increase
tric
r
m
T
o
stly in ity
he U.S
. has
the
their output of electricity to provide more
about
powe
r
2
p
,
8
l
ants
00 MW
power at times of greater demand. But
other
curren
o
c ount
tly mo f geotherm
geothermal power plants cant be
r y.
a
re tha
World
n any l
used exclusively for peaking power;
wide
A
round
if geothermal wells were turned off
the w
o
orld t
f
geoth
and on repeatedly, expansion and
here
ermal
are ab
includ
p
ower
out 11
ing th
contraction (caused by heating and
p
l
a
,000
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e U .S .
ts in 2
Japan
MW
,
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,
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taly, t
Indon
cooling) would damage the wells.
ntr
h
esia,
G
New Z e Philippin ies,
eothe
rmal e
e
ealan
x
d, and s,
that c
ould b perts have
M
exic o .
identi
e
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ermal powered 1
9 cou
00 pe
energ
ntries
rcent
y.
* Data
b
availa
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ble
sta
te-spe
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e
forma
tion a www.ene
bout G
rg
eothe yforkeeps.o
rmal e
nergy rg for
use.
38