How is geothermal energy generated

In fact, the largest single geothermal power plant is a flash-steam facility in Malitbog, Philippines. Binary Cycle Power Plants Binary cycle power plants use a unique process to conserve water and generate heat.

The hot water is contained in a pipe, which cycles above ground. The hot water heats a liquid organic compound that has a lower boiling point than water.

The organic liquid creates steam, which flows through a turbine and powers a generator to create electricity. The only emission in this process is steam. The water in the pipe is recycled back to the ground, to be re-heated by the Earth and provide heat for the organic compound again. The Beowawe Geothermal Facility in the U. The organic compound used at the facility is an industrial refrigerant tetrafluoroethane, a greenhouse gas.

This refrigerant has a much lower boiling point than water, meaning it is converted into gas at low temperatures. The gas fuels the turbines, which are connected to electrical generators. Enhanced Geothermal Systems The Earth has virtually endless amounts of energy and heat beneath its surface. However, it is not possible to use it as energy unless the underground areas are "hydrothermal. Many areas do not have all three of these components. An enhanced geothermal system EGS uses drilling, fracturing, and injection to provide fluid and permeability in areas that have hot—but dry—underground rock.

Depending on the type of rock, this can be as shallow as 1 kilometer 0. High-pressure cold water is injected into the drilled space, which forces the rock to create new fractures, expand existing fractures, or dissolve. This creates a reservoir of underground fluid. It warms a secondary fluid that has a low boiling point, which evaporates to steam and powers a turbine.

The brine cools off, and cycles back down through the injection well to absorb underground heat again. There are no gaseous emissions besides the water vapor from the evaporated liquid. Pumping water into the ground for EGSs can cause seismic activity, or small earthquakes. In Basel, Switzerland, the injection process caused hundreds of tiny earthquakes that grew to more significant seismic activity even after the water injection was halted.

This led to the geothermal project being canceled in Geothermal Energy and the Environment Geothermal energy is a renewable resource. The Earth has been emitting heat for about 4. However, most wells that extract the heat will eventually cool, especially if heat is extracted more quickly than it is given time to replenish. Re-injecting water can sometimes help a cooling geothermal site last longer.

Geothermal systems do not require enormous amounts of freshwater. In binary systems, water is only used as a heating agent, and is not exposed or evaporated. It can be recycled, used for other purposes, or released into the atmosphere as non- toxic steam.

However, if the geothermal fluid is not contained and recycled in a pipe, it can absorb harmful substances such as arsenic, boron, and fluoride. These toxic substances can be carried to the surface and released when the water evaporates.

In addition, if the fluid leaks to other underground water systems, it can contaminate clean sources of drinking water and aquatic habitats. Advantages There are many advantages to using geothermal energy either directly or indirectly:. They can be used to heat, cool, or power individual homes, whole districts, or industrial processes.

Geothermal Energy and People Geothermal energy exists in different forms all over the Earth by steam vents, lava, geysers, or simply dry heat , and there are different possibilities for extracting and using this heat. In New Zealand, natural geysers and steam vents heat swimming pools, homes, greenhouses, and prawn farms. New Zealanders also use dry geothermal heat to dry timber and feedstock. Other countries, such as Iceland, have taken advantage of molten rock and magma resources from volcanic activity to provide heat for homes and buildings.

Iceland also relies on its natural geysers to melt snow, warm fisheries, and heat greenhouses. The United States generates the most amount of geothermal energy of any other country. Every year, the U. Industrial geothermal technologies have been concentrated in the western U. In , Nevada had 59 geothermal projects either operational or in development, followed by California with 31 projects, and Oregon with 16 projects. The cost of geothermal energy technology has gone down in the last decade, and is becoming more economically possible for individuals and companies.

Since the three countries with the greatest capacity for geothermal energy use have included the United States, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Turkey and Kenya have been steadily building geothermal energy capacity as well. Balneotherapy Balneotherapy is the treatment of disease by spa watersusually bathing and drinking.

The most famous balneotheraputic spa in the world, Iceland's Blue Lagoon, is not a natural hot spring. It is a manmade feature where water from a local geothermal power plant is pumped over a lava bed rich in silica and sulfur. These elements react with the warm water to create a bright blue lake with alleged healing properties.

Ring of Geothermal Geothermal energy sources are often located on plate boundaries, where the Earths crust is constantly interacting with the hot mantle below. The Pacifics so-called Ring of Fire and East Africas Rift Valley are volcanically active areas that hold enormous potential for geothermal power generation.

The Fumaroles There are no geysers at The Geysers, one of the most productive geothermal plants in the world. The California facility sits on fumarolesvents in the Earths crust where steam and other gases not liquids escape from the Earths interior. Native American usually does not include Eskimo or Hawaiian people.

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Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a well under high pressure. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped, which causes the water to turn into steam.

The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity. The steam cools off in a cooling tower and condenses back to water. The cooled water is pumped back into the Earth to begin the process again. Water or a refrigerant moves through a loop of pipes. When the weather is cold, the water or refrigerant heats up as it travels through the part of the loop that's buried underground.