Earth

Materials and Resources:

GEOTHERMAL
ENERGY
 Geothermal Energy

As you descend deeper into the

Earth's crust, underground rock and
water become hotter. This heat can
be recovered using different
geothermal technologies depending
on the temperature. But the heat
resources in geothermal reservoirs
are not inexhaustible.
 Geothermal Energy

The adjective geothermal comes from the Greek words ge (earth)

and thermos (heat). It covers all techniques used to recover the
heat that is naturally present in the Earths subsurface,
particularly in aquifers, the rock reservoirs that contain
groundwater.
About half this thermal (or heat) energy comes from the residual
heat produced when the planet was formed 4.5 billion years ago
and about half from natural radioactivity.
The temperature of geothermal water increases with depth,
depending on the thermal gradient the average rate at which the
temperature rises with depth of the region where it is found.
The average value of the gradient worldwide is 3C per 100 meters
of depth, but it varies between 1C and 10C per 100 meters
depending on the physical conditions and geology of the region.
 Different Types of Geothermal Energy
Geothermal technologies differ with the temperature of geothermal water, which determines what
can be done with it:
At 20C to 90C, geothermal heat and water are used for
geothermal heating. It is called "LOW-TEMPERATURE
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY: Heating).
At 90C to 160C, the water is used on the surface in liquid
form. It transfers its heat to another fluid, which vaporizes
at low temperature and drives a turbine to generate power.
This is called MEDIUM-TEMPERATURE GEOTHERMAL
ENERGY: Power.
At temperatures above 160C, the water turns into steam
when it reaches the Earths surface. It drives turbines to
generate power. This is called HIGH-TEMPERATURE
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY.
 Types of Geothermal Energy

1. Dry steam plants use

steam piped directly
from a geothermal
reservoir to turn
generator turbines. The
first geothermal power
plant was built in 1904 in
Tuscany, Italy, where
natural steam erupted
from the earth.
 Types of Geothermal Energy
2. Flash steam plants take
high-pressure hot water
from deep inside the
earth and convert it to
steam to drive generator
turbines. When the
steam cools, it
condenses to water and
is then injected back into
the ground to be used
again. Most geothermal
power plants are flash
steam plants.
 Types of Geothermal Energy

3. Binary cycle power

plants transfer the
heat from geothermal
hot water to another
liquid. The heat causes
the second liquid to
turn to steam, which is
then used to drive a
generator turbine.
 Availability of Geothermal Resources

This heat varies in different areas. The average geothermal heat flow the energy available for any
given surface area and period on the surface is low. It averages 0.06 watts per square meter per
year, or 3,500 times less than the solar energy flow received in a single year by the same surface area.
This is why priority is given to using heat resources in those areas that are most likely to provide
significant amounts of energy. These geothermal reservoirs are found in all the Earths sedimentary
basins, but high-temperature geothermal energy is most likely to be found near volcanoes. In volcanic
areas, geothermal heat flow can reach 1 watt per square meter.
Geothermal reservoirs tend to be depleted with use, some faster than others. Their replenishment
capacity depends on:
Heat sources within the Earths crust, mainly radioactivity and residual heat.
Energy from outside the reservoir (solar heat) for very low-temperature applications using
heat pumps. Ensuring that these reservoirs will be reheated is especially crucial for geothermal
heat pumps: external factors, such as low winter temperatures, cool the subsurface, meaning
that less heat is available to be harnessed.
The circulation of groundwater that is reheated on contact with heat sources located away
from the reservoir before returning to the reservoir.
Therefore, these heat resources must be replenished to use a reservoir in a sustainable
manner. This involves capping the amount of heat used and putting a time limit on the
operation of the site.
In addition, the availability of geothermal energy is geographically limited. Significant losses
occur when heat is transported over long distances. This can cause problems, because
production sites cannot always be located close enough to the place of consumption to meet
energy needs.
How is heat from inside the earth tapped as a
source of energy for human use?
How is heat from inside the earth tapped as a
source of energy for human use?
 This is because large amounts of carbon tied up in
trees and other plants are released when the
reservoir is initially flooded and the plants rot. Then
after this first pulse of decay, plant matter settling on
the reservoirs bottom decomposes without oxygen,
resulting in a build-up of dissolved methane. This is
released into the atmosphere when water passes
through the dams turbines.