Geothermal, the third leg of a renewable triad

[Old Rocks]

Up until now, geothermal was only practical in less than 2% of our landmass. Using this technology, it could be used in as much as 50%. Combined with solar and wind, it could easily make the elimination of fossil fuel generation an achievable goal in this century. As usual, cost will be the determining factor;

 

[justoffal]

Up until now, geothermal was only practical in less than 2% of our landmass. Using this technology, it could be used in as much as 50%. Combined with solar and wind, it could easily make the elimination of fossil fuel generation an achievable goal in this century. As usual, cost will be the determining factor;

The biggest and continuing problem with all geothermal systems are the huge 24/7 energy draw of the pumping construct. While deep geothermal can come up under its own pressure it must be pumped back down to complete the cycle. One possible solution could be windmill driven pumps.... Holland invented them centuries ago.

 

[sparky]

The biggest and continuing problem with all geothermal systems are the huge 24/7 energy draw of the pumping construct. While deep geothermal can come up under its own pressure it must be pumped back down to complete the cycle. One possible solution could be windmill driven pumps.... Holland invented them centuries ago.

exactly JO

~S~

 

[Concerned American]

Controversial energy project in southern Washington state moves closer to breaking ground

A federal commission released its final environmental review for the Goldendale Pumped Storage Energy Project — to the consternation of several tribes and environmental groups.

www.opb.org

 

[westwall]

The biggest and continuing problem with all geothermal systems are the huge 24/7 energy draw of the pumping construct. While deep geothermal can come up under its own pressure it must be pumped back down to complete the cycle. One possible solution could be windmill driven pumps.... Holland invented them centuries ago.

The bigger problem is fracking is required to get the best results, and liquid from every geothermal site out there is corrosive as hell.

I'm actually very disappointed that the researchers and those actually using the technology haven't come up with better materials for the piping.

I'm hoping that some of these new exotics coming from the world of F1 will have a use in the geothermal realm. Metals like Inconel which is very resistant to heat and corrosion.

 

[toobfreak]

Up until now, geothermal was only practical in less than 2% of our landmass. Using this technology, it could be used in as much as 50%.

Too funny. Now you are just going to drill the shit out of the crust and sap all of the heat out of it. Do you understand that heat is just as nonrenewable as fossil fuels? Every watt of heat you extract from the Earth is a watt of heat lost the Earth cannot ever replace. Eventually, the Earth will simply run out of heat as its heat is mostly leftover heat trapped from the formation of the Earth plus a little from trapped radioactive decay.

• The crust will collapse.
• The internal Terran rock biota will die.
• The Earth will cool faster.
• All that heat you are pumping out of the rock will only end up making the atmosphere hotter.

 

[toobfreak]

Metals like Inconel which is very resistant to heat and corrosion.

Yeahbut, Inconel is way expensive costing a buttload, probably due to containing niobium.

 

[westwall]

Yeahbut, Inconel is way expensive costing a buttload, probably due to containing niobium.

Yeah, but right now you basically have to rebuild a geothermal plant every two years. Guess what, that's expensive as hell.

Inconel should give at least 5 years of service.

 

[toobfreak]

Yeah, but right now you basically have to rebuild a geothermal plant every two years. Guess what, that's expensive as hell.
Inconel should give at least 5 years of service.

There are many unusual, proprietary super-alloys made by a company called ATI.

They make all kinds of crazy stuff for the defense department, nuclear reactors, heavy industry, etc., wherever there is a critical need. They make crazy stuff like titanium sponge, and many other things no one else has. I'd like to see that geothermal plant lifespan increased more like 25 years.

ATI might make something that can outlast even Inconel. Check 'em out.

ATI: Proven to perform.

www.atimaterials.com

 

[1srelluc]

Blah, just toss another log in the wood stove.

 

[elektra]

Geothermal is a toxic polluting already failed source for energy.

Old crock, you know that

 

[Dekster]

We would be better off creating more affordable systems that harness heat pollution from machinery to create steam to add electrons to the grid.

 

[elektra]

I'm hoping that some of these new exotics coming from the world of F1 will have a use in the geothermal realm. Metals like Inconel which is very resistant to heat and corrosion.

Iconell, I am the expert. I was inspecting iconell this evening. Tubing connecting the Lox copv bottlee

Of course most my iconell experience is in Nuclear reactors. Then there is the time I inspected many of the metals at the Geothermal plants of the southern part of the salton sea.

Iconell is extremely expensive. Geothermal cant afford it. Of course the geothermal industry gets billions from our pockets. I am pretty sure they replaced much of the miles of 48 inch concrete lined steel pipes with inconell.

The geothermal industry had to, the contaminated the asparugus fields and poisoned the water fowl of the pacific flyway.

The biggest problem with geothermal is it is just like a can of warm beer, once you pop it open all the fizz is gone in seconds.

Geysers can frack as you state
The Salton sea cant, they must drillva new well, deeper than an oil well.

The salton sea fracks at the end of the cycle after the fluid has cooled. The brine from most geothermal wells is an extreme toxic waste that must be fracked.

Yep, every geothermal well becomes a, "flat" beer.

 

[elektra]

Yeah, but right now you basically have to rebuild a geothermal plant every two years. Guess what, that's expensive as hell.

Inconel should give at least 5 years of service.

The Salton sea has drill new wells every year. They lose energy that fast.

The wells are a mile or more from the plants, those pipes I imagine get thrown away every time they need a new well.

Corrosion and erosion are problems. Stress is also a huge problem at the salton sea. These wells are violent cause they are essentially volcanic. Just man made. The well heads rachet up and down so much that a mile away, at the plant, the pipes are moving, shaking rattling, about a foot back and forth. It is crazy. Tons of stress, literally.

 

[westwall]

The Salton sea has drill new wells every year. They lose energy that fast.

The wells are a mile or more from the plants, those pipes I imagine get thrown away every time they need a new well.

Corrosion and erosion are problems. Stress is also a huge problem at the salton sea. These wells are violent cause they are essentially volcanic. Just man made. The well heads rachet up and down so much that a mile away, at the plant, the pipes are moving, shaking rattling, about a foot back and forth. It is crazy. Tons of stress, literally.

Yup. The tech is very basic, but I find it cool. Geothermal is a viable alternative in the future, but those issues need to be addressed before it is truly useful

 

[elektra]

Yup. The tech is very basic, but I find it cool. Geothermal is a viable alternative in the future, but those issues need to be addressed before it is truly useful

How? Each well's properties are different, and like a tea pot, the energy is much less once the lid comes off.

Geothermal will only be as good as ole faithful. I think that is a good indicator of what the earth can give us.

 

[westwall]

How? Each well's properties are different, and like a tea pot, the energy is much less once the lid comes off.

Geothermal will only be as good as ole faithful. I think that is a good indicator of what the earth can give us.

That depends on which field you are working. Not all geothermal fields are alike. Here in Nevada we have several geothermal plants that are fairly stable.

Their problems are the caustic nature of the fluid.

 

[Concerned American]

Geothermal will only be as good as ole faithful. I think that is a good indicator of what the earth can give us.

Living in cold weather, I think there is more potential than old faithful. I know people who are using geothermal to augment their heating systems in their shops.

 

[elektra]

Living in cold weather, I think there is more potential than old faithful. I know people who are using geothermal to augment their heating systems in their shops.

You mean a heat pump

Geothermal to produce electricity is not even close to being similar

 

[westwall]

You mean a heat pump

Geothermal to produce electricity is not even close to being similar

Like I said, that depends on where the field is. The Geysers north of San Francisco has been in continuous operation since 1960 IIRC. They are still using a majority of the original wells too.

That one plant accounts for more than 15% of the entire California renewable power generation.