Transcript The Hidden Energy We Walk All Over

The Hidden Energy
We Walk All Over
By: Mary Beth Gazdziak &
Stephanie McKay
What is Geothermal
Energy?
 Comes from the Greek words “geo”
meaning Earth and “therme” meaning
heat.
 Defined as heat from within the Earth
 Renewable energy - water is
replenished by rainfall and the heat is
continuously produced inside the Earth.
A Look Inside the Earth
 Geothermal energy is generated
about 4,000 miles below the
surface.
 Hot temperatures are produced by
the slow decay off radioactive
particles - a process that happens
in all rocks
Earth’s Layers
 Core itself has two
layers: solid iron
core, and outer core
of magma.
 Mantle: 1,800 miles
thick made up of
magma and rock
 Crust: forms
continents and
oceans, 3-5 miles
think (oceans) and
15-35 miles thick
(continents)
How is it produced?
 Geothermal Electricity is generated
when hot water and steam from under
the earth’s surface is pumped upwards
to power a turbine.
 The turbine is turned a second liquid,
which is heated by the water and
steam.
 These sources need to be a minimum of
200 degrees Fahrenheit and there are a
limited number of geothermal hotspots
with accessible regions.
Traveling Underground
 As one travels underground, the rocks
and water absorb the heat from this
magma and create reservoirs for
geothermal energy.
 These reservoirs are created by magma
coming close to the earth’s surface and
heating ground water.
 All of these resources have heat and
water, and are called hydrothermal
resources.
 Hydrothermal
resources can be
spotted on the
earth’s surface
through geysers,
volcanoes, and hot
springs
 The only way to test
if they really exist is
the drill deep into
the earth and test
the temperature
underground.
 Most active
geothermal
resources found on
“Ring of Fire”
The 3 uses
 The three most
common uses for
geothermal energy
are the direct use
and directing heating
system, electricity
generation, and
geothermal heat
pumps.
 Direct use uses hot
water.
 Electricity generation
requires a power
plant to use water or
steam at a
temperate of 300700 degrees
Fahrenheit, and are
usually only located
where the reservoirs
are 1-2 miles below
the earth’s surface.
Continued
 There are three
varieties of these
power plants. Dry
Steam Plants use
steam directly from
a reservoir to turn
turbines, Flash
Steam Plants, which
convert hot water
into steam to drive
turbines, and Binary
Power Plants, which
turn hot steam into
another liquid to
drive the generator.
 Geothermal heat
pumps are pumps that
use stable ground or
water temperatures
near the earth’s
surface to regulate
building temperatures
above ground.
 They use the constant
temperatures below
the earth’s surface to
regulate heating and
cooling above it.
Geothermal energy
compared to an orphan
 “forgotten”
 Very few who
try to help
 Great potential
– just needs to
be given a
chance
Positive
 They burn no fuel when
generating electricity

release 1-3% of the
Carbon Dioxide
emissions that a Fossil
Fuel Plant does.
 Direct use of
geothermal energy has
almost no negative
impact on the
environment
 Geothermal features
like geysers are
protected by law and
cannot be harmed
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Negative effects
 Triggers earthquakes
 Capline - on a good day
they experience on an
average ten
earthquakes, but not
able to feel them.
 Switzerland- earthquake
triggered able to be felt
by humans
 Could be a problem if
you’re near a major
fault.
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Negative Effects Cont’d
 There are high risks
 trying to find the reservoirs
 Drilling a well costs a lot of money,
about two to three million dollars (per
well)
 Even if a company does hit a hot spot,
they will still have to set up some sort
of power plant, which will require even
more money.