Geothermal Technology

[Nate]

Not to derail Chris' thread on Solar Panel technology and turning it into which "green" energy source is better I decided to make a thread on the technology I see paving the way towards more efficient and less enviromentally damaging energy.
IMO by today's tech standards both Solar Panel and Wind Turbine energy are not up to par for breaking us away from the Fossil Fuel Tit, the way to go is Geothermal. Raser Technologies Inc. is a cut above the rest with their introduction of the closed loop, lower temp modular that they have already built in Utah;

With alternative energy, sometimes it's as simple as getting energy from the earth.

"What we are doing is literally farming heat from the earth," says Brent Cook, CEO of Raser Technologies Inc., talking about the revolutionary new closed loop, lower temperature, and modular approach the Utah-based company is taking to geothermal power development.

What's particularly exciting is that this same power generation technology has the potential to be applied in any industrial setting where heat is a byproduct.

"I predict that it will revolutionize the power industry," Cook says. "Now, instead of building mammoth power plants that are belching smoke, we are talking about many smaller plants."

The company's new geothermal power plant near Beaver, Utah is a potential model for the future, consisting of 50 mini power plants, each tied into the geothermal resource and capable of working independently. This approach to power generation is simply an idea whose time has come, says Cook.

http://www.altenerg.com/back_issues/index.php?content_id=168

The bold section is where it becomes really interesting. Imagine being able to draw energy from the waste heat from an industrial site!

 

[Old Rocks]

It will take all the differant technologies to create a clean energy grid, including nuclear. And the more types of energy you have on one grid, the more robust that grid is.

 

[waltky]

Nuclear facility might see use as geothermal plant...

Nuclear facility might see use as geothermal plant
Tue, Nov 07, 2017 - NUCLEAR ISSUE: The minister said Taipower has proposed to transport nuclear waste stored on Orchid Island back to the nuclear plants or to choose a site for centralized storage

The Atomic Energy Council (AEC) is to launch a plan by the end of this year that would see nuclear power plants transformed into geothermal power generation facilities, AEC Minister Hsieh Shou-shing said yesterday. The nation’s three operating nuclear plants are to be decommissioned one after the other until 2025 and this retirement is proceeding as scheduled, Hsieh told the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee yesterday, adding that the council has also funded efforts to study “green” energy in recent years. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Rosalia Wu said the council should be tasked with the development of geothermal power, given that a viable source can be found about 20km beneath the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District.

One of Wu’s references was a March 4 op-ed by Wang Shou-cheng on TechNews. In the article, Wang encouraged the government to set up a geothermal energy development zone in Wanli and Jinshan districts where two nuclear power plants are located. While the nation hopes to generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, geothermal power should not be marginalized in consideration of different sources, Wu said. The government should consider launching a more progressive plan to make use of the geothermal energy stored beneath the Guosheng plant, Wu said, adding that the AEC must play a more active role in such a plan.

Also expressing his support for geothermal power, Hsieh promised to propose a preliminary plan to develop sources of geothermal energy beneath nuclear power plants by the end of December. As for the storage of nuclear waste on Orchid Island, Lanyu), Hsieh said the council is evaluating two disposal plans proposed by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) — either transporting it back to the original power plants or to choose another site for centralized storage. Hsieh made the remarks in response to questions from DPP Legislator Chang Liao Wan-chien. Under the first plan, Taipower would need five years for preparation and four more years to transport the waste, Hsieh said.

Spent nuclear fuel would be kept in indoor dry storage rooms, newly appointed Taipower chairman Yang Wei-fu said when assuming office on Monday last week. New Taipei City residents are not entirely opposed to the plan and they also welcome the indoors storage of spent fuel, Hsieh said yesterday, adding that more communication with local governments and the public is needed. As for the scenario in which a centralized storage location would be used, Taipower would be required to select a site within three years and to finish construction within five years, Hsieh said.

Nuclear facility might see use as geothermal plant - Taipei Times

 

[elektra]

Talk about an old thread, this Geothermal project failed and Raser technologies went bankrupt!

 

[Old Rocks]

EDGERTON, Wis. - Edgerton Hospital’s groundbreaking idea to use geothermal energy to heat and cool the facility is now paying off.

The hospital celebrated being open for five yearsin October and the amount of money it has saved in natural gas costs during that time has already paid for the roughly $850,000 geothermal system.

“Originally, it was projected that it would take us 11 years to recoup that cost,” CEO Jim Schultzsaid. “As of October, we were 5 years old, and we have now paid for the system and are saving about $15,000 a month in energy.”

Edgerton Hospital's geothermal energy pays off

Significant savings.

 

[elektra]

EDGERTON, Wis. - Edgerton Hospital’s groundbreaking idea to use geothermal energy to heat and cool the facility is now paying off.

“Originally, it was projected that it would take us 11 years to recoup that cost,” CEO Jim Schultzsaid. “As of October, we were 5 years old, and we have now paid for the system and are saving about $15,000 a month in energy.”

Yet, it does not work and the cost just began!

In addition to the geothermal system, the hospital is evaluating other ways to conserve energy.
“We would really like to become more self-sufficient in our electricity use,” Schultz said.
He said the hospital is exploring using LED lights and possibly wind or solar energy.

The 18- bed Edgerton Hospital was built in 2011

18 beds and they save $15,000? There is no way possible an 18 bed hospital uses enough electricity to save $15k a month!

Looking further, we find out that the system was given to the hospital!

Edgerton Hospital received a financial incentive from Focus on Energy

Oh, it is free money to doctors as well, it includes an office building, community areas, all kinds of freebies.

The 60,000 square foot complex includes emergency urgent care services, a medical office building, skilled care facility, community rooms, imaging, surgery, lab and physical therapy area

 

[Old Rocks]

Silly ass, Elektra, that type of geothermal works very well, and is used all over the world. You simply don't have the slightest idea of what you are talking about.

 

[longknife]

Geothermal has been in use in Iceland for some time and is quite successful. I guess it only works in certain locations.

 

[anotherlife]

Geothermal is great. Imagine what a tactical advantage it would be if your army can just punch through the earths crust anywhere it is advancing and refuel that way, instead of having to import gasoline and transport it through vulnerable supply lines. Geothermal certainly deserves more investment. Especially the drilling part.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Geothermal is great. Imagine what a tactical advantage it would be if your army can just punch through the earths crust anywhere it is advancing and refuel that way, instead of having to import gasoline and transport it through vulnerable supply lines. Geothermal certainly deserves more investment. Especially the drilling part.

How exactly do you think that would work? Any idea how deep the earths crust is?

And how the hell dies heat, deep within the earth replace gasoline and jet fuel?

 

[anotherlife]

Geothermal is great. Imagine what a tactical advantage it would be if your army can just punch through the earths crust anywhere it is advancing and refuel that way, instead of having to import gasoline and transport it through vulnerable supply lines. Geothermal certainly deserves more investment. Especially the drilling part.

How exactly do you think that would work? Any idea how deep the earths crust is?

And how the hell dies heat, deep within the earth replace gasoline and jet fuel?

I don't know, that requires scientific and engineering research. It is an energy source though, that can be made globally uniform in this way. And every technological advancement is a byproduct of military strategy.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

I don't know, that requires scientific and engineering research. It is an energy source though, that can be made globally uniform in this way

You can't fuel jets and vehicles with heat you have to dig 30 miles for.

I'm a fan of geothermal, but it is your statement that the military can use this on the battlefield, that is ridiculous.

Scientists want to be first to drill into the Earth's mantle - CNN

 

[mamooth]

And how the hell dies heat, deep within the earth replace gasoline and jet fuel?

With enough energy, you can turn water and CO2 into hydrocarbon fuel. But you're right, that doesn't mean it's sensible to drill down 30 miles.

The Navy was researching this for use on their aircraft carriers, the theory being that electricity from the nuclear reactors could be used to make jet fuel. It wouldn't be cost effective, as it would be cheaper to buy jet fuel, but it would enable an aircraft carrier to keep operating aircraft without needing to load on more jet fuel.

Anyways, I think we should start tapping the area around Yellowstone more. The more heat you draw off the hotspot, the safer it gets. A few wells won't matter, but ten thousand wells operating for a century would pull off a significant fraction of the heat.

 

[Tax Man]

In the early 70's i worked on the Geysers geothermal power plant construction. This is on Cobb mountain near Middletown by Santa Rosa California. It is still running and producing power. Being that it was a natural release of earths heat in the region there was a good reason to believe it would work and it does, there.

 

[Old Rocks]

You go a hundred feet down anywhere, and the temperature is pretty stable, usually around 50 degrees. That is a geothermal resource for heating or cooling. There are many areas that have 'warm' geothermal resources, less than 100 degrees C, but still hot, that can be used to generate electricity. And many area where there are very hot rocks, but we would have to pump water down to those rocks in order to have steam for the turbines. Each area presents different challenges, and different opportunities.

 

[BULLDOG]

Geothermal is great. Imagine what a tactical advantage it would be if your army can just punch through the earths crust anywhere it is advancing and refuel that way, instead of having to import gasoline and transport it through vulnerable supply lines. Geothermal certainly deserves more investment. Especially the drilling part.

How exactly do you think that would work? Any idea how deep the earths crust is?

And how the hell dies heat, deep within the earth replace gasoline and jet fuel?

It powers generators that charge the batteries of electric cars.

 

[BULLDOG]

You go a hundred feet down anywhere, and the temperature is pretty stable, usually around 50 degrees. That is a geothermal resource for heating or cooling. There are many areas that have 'warm' geothermal resources, less than 100 degrees C, but still hot, that can be used to generate electricity. And many area where there are very hot rocks, but we would have to pump water down to those rocks in order to have steam for the turbines. Each area presents different challenges, and different opportunities.

Go down 10 feet and you get stable 50 degrees or so. Possibly a little lower in the north, but still stable.

 

[elektra]

Silly ass, Elektra, that type of geothermal works very well, and is used all over the world. You simply don't have the slightest idea of what you are talking about.

hey, dumbass, first and foremost, HEAT PUMPS are not geothermal. But, Geothermal is so weak, so ineffective, and renewable clean green energy is such a failure, they must include something to make it seem like it works!

 

[elektra]

this is not geothermal energy nor is it green, clean, renewable energy, but, because Renewables are so weak, you got to include something to get those numbers up

 

[BULLDOG]

Silly ass, Elektra, that type of geothermal works very well, and is used all over the world. You simply don't have the slightest idea of what you are talking about.

hey, dumbass, first and foremost, HEAT PUMPS are not geothermal. But, Geothermal is so weak, so ineffective, and renewable clean green energy is such a failure, they must include something to make it seem like it works!

Geothermal heat pump - Wikipedia