Geothermal Energy

GEOTHERMAL
ENERGY
Contents of This Template
● WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

● Types of geothermal power plants
● What are the advantages and disadvantages
● and the principle behind how electricity is generated through
geothermal energy??
What is Geothermal
Energy?
Geothermal power plants are used in order to generate
electricity by the use of geothermal energy (the Earth's
internal thermal energy). They essentially work the same
as a coal or nuclear power plant, the main difference
being the heat source. With geothermal, the Earth's heat
replaces the boiler of a coal plant or the reactor of a
nuclear plant.[2] Click here to learn how this heat is
produced.
Hot water or steam is extracted from the Earth through

a series of wells and feeds the power plant. In most
geothermal plants the water pulled up from the ground
is returned back to the subsurface. The rate of water
used is often larger than the rate of water returned, so
make-up water supplies are generally needed.
there are 3 main types Flash cycle stem plants
These plants use dry steam that is
of geothermal power naturally produced in the ground.
This steam travels from the
plants production well to the surface and
through a turbine, and after
transferring its energy to the
turbine it condenses and is
injected back into the Earth.
dry steam plants
These plants use dry steam that Binary cycle plants
is naturally produced in the Binary power plants are expected to be the most
ground. This steam travels from commonly used type of geothermal power plant in the
the production well to the surface future, as locations outside of the known hot spots
begin to use geothermal energy. This is because
and through a turbine, and after
binary cycle plants can make use of lower
transferring its energy to the temperature water than the other two types of plants.
turbine it condenses and is They use a secondary loop which contains a fluid
injected back into the Earth. with a low boiling point, such as pentane or butane.
The water from the well flows through a heat
exchanger which transfers its heat to this fluid, which
evaporates due to its low boiling point. It is then
passed through a turbine, accomplishing the same
task as steam
Advantages
1. Environmentally Friendly
Geothermal energy is more environmentally friendly than conventional fuel sources such as coal and other fossil
fuels. In addition, the carbon footprint of a geothermal power plant is low. While there is some pollution
associated with geothermal energy, this is relatively minimal when compared to fossil fuels.
2. Renewable
Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy that will last until the Earth is destroyed by the sun in around
5 billion years. The hot reservoirs within the Earth are naturally replenished, making it both renewable and
sustainable.
3. Huge Potential
Worldwide energy consumption is currently around 15 terawatts, which is far from the total potential energy
available from geothermal sources. While we can’t currently use most reservoirs there is a hope that the number
of exploitable geothermal resources will increase with ongoing research and development in the industry. It is
currently estimated that geothermal power plants could provide between 0.0035 and 2 terawatts of power.
4. Sustainable / Stable
Geothermal provides a reliable source of energy as compared to other renewable resources such as wind and
solar power. This is because the resource is always available to be tapped into, unlike with wind or solar energy.
5. Heating and Cooling
Effective use of geothermal for electricity generation requires water temperatures of over 150°C to drive turbines.
Alternatively, the temperature difference between the surface and a ground source can be used. Due to the ground
being more resistant to seasonal heat changes than the air, it can act as a heat sink/ source with a geothermal
heat pump just two metres below the surface.
6. Reliable
Energy generated from this resource is easy to calculate since it does not fluctuate in the same way as other
energy sources, such as solar and wind. This means we can predict the power output from a geothermal plant
with a high degree of accuracy.
7. No Fuel Required
Since geothermal energy is a naturally occurring resource there is no fuel required, such as with fossil fuels that
are a finite resource which needs mining or otherwise extracting from the earth.
8. Rapid Evolution
There is a great deal of exploration into geothermal energy at the moment, meaning that new technologies are
being created to improve the energy process. There are an
Disadvantages
1. Location Restricted
The largest single disadvantage of geothermal energy is that it is location specific. Geothermal plants
need to be built in places where the energy is accessible, which means that some areas are not able to
exploit this resource. Of course, this is not a problem if you live in a place where geothermal energy is
readily accessible, such as Iceland.
2. Environmental Side Effects
Although geothermal energy does not typically release greenhouse gases, there are many of these gases
stored under the Earth’s surface which are released into the atmosphere during digging. While these
gases are also released into the atmosphere naturally, the rate increases near geothermal plants.
However, these gas emissions are still far lower than those associated with fossil fuels.
3. Earthquakes
Geothermal energy also runs the risk of triggering earthquakes. This is due to alterations in the Earth’s
structure as a result of digging. This problem is more prevalent with enhanced geothermal power plants,
which force water into the Earth’s crust to open up fissures to greater exploitation of the resource.
However, since most geothermal plants are away from population centres, the implications of these
earthquakes are relatively minor.
4. High Costs
Geothermal energy is an expensive resource to tap into, with price tags ranging from
around $2-$7 million for a plant with a 1 megawatt capacity. However, where the upfront
costs are high, the outlay can be recouped as part of a long-term investment.
5. Sustainability
In order to maintain the sustainability of geothermal energy fluid needs to be pumped back
into the underground reservoirs faster than it is depleted. This means that geothermal
energy needs to be properly managed to maintain its sustainability.
It is important for industry to assess the geothermal energy pros and cons in order to take
account of the advantages while mitigating against any potential problems.
the principle behind how electricity is generated
through geothermal energy
Geothermal power plants use steam to produce
electricity. The steam comes from reservoirs of
hot water found a few miles or more below the
earth's surface. The steam rotates a turbine
that activates a generator, which produces
electricity. The use of power plants mentioned
earlier is vital here.
Bibliography
- https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/elect
ricity-generation
- https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowled
ge/faqs/geothermal-energy/pros-and-cons#W
hataretheAdvantagesofUsingGeothermal
- https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/geot
hermal-energy/

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GEOTHERMAL

● WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Hot water or steam is extracted from the Earth through

2. Environmental Side Effects

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