drill baby drill, an alternative geothermal power plant

[trevorjohnson83]

So the surface temperature of 90 degrees on a hot day, what would be the temperature at ten feet below the earth? does anyone know how to use two temperature gradients to make electricity?

ChatGPT said:​

On a hot day with a surface temperature of 90°F (32°C), the temperature just 10 feet below the surface is significantly more stable and largely unaffected by daily weather variations.

Approximate Temperature at 10 Feet Depth:​

• Typically around 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 16°C) in temperate regions.
• The exact temperature depends on your location (latitude and climate), soil type, and seasonal averages rather than the current surface temperature.

---

Why It Stays Cooler:​

• Thermal inertia: Soil and rock conduct heat very slowly.
• Thermal lag: The deeper you go, the longer it takes for surface heat to penetrate.
• At 10 feet, daily and even weekly temperature changes barely register.

In summer, 10 feet down might slowly warm by a few degrees over months, but it never reaches surface extremes unless artificial heating (like buried pipes) or geothermal activity is involved.


how deep is the average drill hole for a geothermal plant?

ChatGPT said:​

The depth of a typical drill hole for a geothermal power plant depends heavily on the type of geothermal system being used:

---

​

These are usually located in volcanic or tectonically active regions.

• Depth:
  
  • Typically 1,500 to 10,000 feet (≈ 500 to 3,000 meters)
  • Some wells go as deep as 15,000 feet (≈ 4,500 meters) if needed to reach high-temperature reservoirs.
• Target temperatures: Usually 300°F to 700°F (150°C to 370°C)

---

​

These use shallower wells to tap into warm water.

• Depth: Often hundreds to 2,000 feet (≈ 100 to 600 meters)

---

​

Not the same as geothermal electricity production, but often confused.

• Depth:
  
  • Vertical loops: 150 to 500 feet (≈ 45 to 150 meters) per borehole
  • Horizontal loops: only 6 to 10 feet deep (≈ 2 to 3 meters)

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Let me know if you're asking about residential geothermal, electric power generation, or something in between.

Let me know your general location if you want a more precise estimate.

 

[Woodznutz]

So the surface temperature of 90 degrees on a hot day, what would be the temperature at ten feet below the earth? does anyone know how to use two temperature gradients to make electricity?

ChatGPT said:​

On a hot day with a surface temperature of 90°F (32°C), the temperature just 10 feet below the surface is significantly more stable and largely unaffected by daily weather variations.

Approximate Temperature at 10 Feet Depth:​

• Typically around 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 16°C) in temperate regions.
• The exact temperature depends on your location (latitude and climate), soil type, and seasonal averages rather than the current surface temperature.

---

Why It Stays Cooler:​

• Thermal inertia: Soil and rock conduct heat very slowly.
• Thermal lag: The deeper you go, the longer it takes for surface heat to penetrate.
• At 10 feet, daily and even weekly temperature changes barely register.

In summer, 10 feet down might slowly warm by a few degrees over months, but it never reaches surface extremes unless artificial heating (like buried pipes) or geothermal activity is involved.


how deep is the average drill hole for a geothermal plant?

ChatGPT said:​

The depth of a typical drill hole for a geothermal power plant depends heavily on the type of geothermal system being used:

---

​

These are usually located in volcanic or tectonically active regions.

• Depth:
  • Typically 1,500 to 10,000 feet (≈ 500 to 3,000 meters)
  • Some wells go as deep as 15,000 feet (≈ 4,500 meters) if needed to reach high-temperature reservoirs.
• Target temperatures: Usually 300°F to 700°F (150°C to 370°C)

---

​

These use shallower wells to tap into warm water.

• Depth: Often hundreds to 2,000 feet (≈ 100 to 600 meters)

---

​

Not the same as geothermal electricity production, but often confused.

• Depth:
  • Vertical loops: 150 to 500 feet (≈ 45 to 150 meters) per borehole
  • Horizontal loops: only 6 to 10 feet deep (≈ 2 to 3 meters)

---

Let me know if you're asking about residential geothermal, electric power generation, or something in between.

Let me know your general location if you want a more precise estimate.

Geothermal heating or cooling is too efficient, clean, and cheap to be widely attractive to energy producers. It is also notable that there is no serious insulation initiative in the U.S. Estimates suggest that 90 percent of existing structures are under insulated re today's energy costs.

 

[Woodznutz]

Pictured is my old high school building, completed in 1907. It was heated and cooled by 'basement' air which was heated and circulated to each room via hollow walls and large vents measuring 4 x 6 feet. Air movement was barely discernable. Cooling was done by circulating air from the huge, deep basement which kept room temps at a comfortable level even on the hottest days. The large windows also allowed abundant fresh air and daylight when the weather was suitable to open them. Sadly, this fine old building was demolished to provide space for a parking lot.

 

[elektra]

View attachment 1132332
Pictured is my old high school building, completed in 1907. It was heated and cooled by 'basement' air which was heated and circulated to each room via hollow walls and large vents measuring 4 x 6 feet. Air movement was barely discernable. Cooling was done by circulating air from the huge, deep basement which kept room temps at a comfortable level even on the hottest days. The large windows also allowed abundant fresh air and daylight when the weather was suitable to open them. Sadly, this fine old building was demolished to provide space for a parking lot.

I bet your memory forgot all about the large hot water boiler in the basement and the rows of radiators.

Pipes freeze in the north without heat. Basement air would never keep kids from freezing in the dead of winter.

 

[Old Rocks]

I bet your memory forgot all about the large hot water boiler in the basement and the rows of radiators.

Pipes freeze in the north without heat. Basement air would never keep kids from freezing in the dead of winter.

What he described was efficient use of the existing climate in the area that he lived in. No, it would not work for all areas. But it did work there and that was wise use of the existing environment.

 

[elektra]

What he described was efficient use of the existing climate in the area that he lived in. No, it would not work for all areas. But it did work there and that was wise use of the existing environment.

Bullshit, unverifiable.

 

[ReinyDays]

Here's a better example:

"Geothermal energy is a Boon for Klamath Falls, but Only in Certain Spots" -- Oregon Public Broadcasting (so it has to be true) -- Nov. 27th, 2023

"Oregon Tech bought the land and drilled 2,000 feet into the rock — the equivalent of 185 stories down — to a deposit of water that measured 196 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 16 degrees short of boiling."

C'mon OP ... ChatGPT is lying to you ... making you look quite the fool ... there's an active magma chamber under Crater Lake ... it's this fresh upwelling of molten lava that heats the ground water in the area ...

Drilling into an active volcano's throat ... that's how we generate electricity ...only works around volcanoes ...