Geothermal Plant

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
IS IT A VIABLE OPTION IN
AN OIL-INDUCED
ENERGY CRISIS?
Tapping an
inexhaustible Energy
Source
By: Vijay Kumar Saini
13EGIEE118
OUTLINES
INTRODUCTION
BRIEF HISTORY
DIFFERENT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SOURCES AND USES
TYPES
ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL AND RESOURCES IN INDIA
WORLD WIDE GEOTHERMAL USES AND POTENTIAL
CONCLUSION
WHAT IS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY???
The word geothermal originated from the Greek rootsgeo,
meaning earth, andthermos, meaning heat.
In simple means, Geothermal energyisthermal
energygenerated and stored in the Earth.
Thermal energy is the energy that determines
thetemperatureof matter
Definition: Geothermal Energy is energy
stored in the form of heat beneath the
surface of the solid earth.
BRIEF HISTORY OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
PALEO-INDIANS USAGE DATES BACK
10,000 YEARS
USE BY ROMANS HOT SPAS; HOT
RUNNING WATER, ETC.
EARLY 1800S YELLOWSTONE HOT
SPRINGS AND HOT SPRINGS
ARKANSAS
IN 1852, THE GEYSERS RESORT HOTEL
IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
OPENED
108 YEARS LATER, GEOTHERMAL
ELECTRICITY PLANT OPENED AT THE
SAME LOCATION THE GEYSERS
Different Geothermal Energy Sources
Hot Water Reservoirs
Natural Steam Reservoirs
Geo Pressured Reservoirs
Normal Geothermal Gradient
Hot Dry Rock
Molten Magma
However, no useful and economical technology has been

developed to extracted this large source of energy.
DIRECT USES OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY IS
APPROPRIATE FOR SOURCES BELOW 1500C
Space heating
Air conditioning
Industrial processes
Drying
Greenhouses
Aquaculture
Hot water
Resorts and Pools
Melting Snow
FOUR MAIN TYPES
DRY STEAM POWER PLANT

SINGLE/DOUBLE FLASH STEAM POWER PLANT
BINARY CYCLE POWER PLANT
HOT DRY POWER PLANT
Dry Steam
Plants
These were the first type of
plants created. They use
underground steam to directly
turn the turbines.
Dry Steam Plants produce
electricity directly from the
steam that emerges at the
earths surface. The steam
drives turbines. Ideal for
vapor dominated resourced
where there is no water
contamination.
SINGLE/DOUBLE FLASH STEAM
These are the most common plants. These systems
pull deep, high pressured hot water that reaches
temperatures of 3600F or more to the surface. This
water is transported to low pressure chambers, and
the resulting steam drives the turbines. This produces
a blast of steam. The remaining water and steam are
then injected back into the source from which they
were taken.
Double flash steam power plants include an additional

drop in pressure after the initial flash to help power the
circulatory pumps and others that contribute to power
loss. 20-25% power increases with only 5% more
cost.
BINARY CYCLE POWER
PLANT
This system passes moderately hot
geothermal water past a liquid, usually an
organic fluid, that has a lower boiling point.
The resulting steam from the organic liquid
drives the turbines. This process does not
produce any emissions and the water
temperature needed for the water is lower than
that needed in the Flash Steam Plants (2500F
3600F).
Hot Dry Rocks
The simplest models have one injection well
and two production wells. Pressurized cold
water is sent down the injection well where
the hot rocks heat the water up. Then
pressurized water of temperatures greater
than 2000F is brought to the surface and
passed near a liquid with a lower boiling
temperature, such as an organic liquid like
butane. The ensuing steam turns the
turbines. Then, the cool water is again
injected to be heated. This system does not
produce any emissions. US geothermal
industries are making plans to commercialize
this new technology.
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP
40% reduction in CO emissions vs. competing
heating and cooling technologies. Used to extract
heat from warm shallow groundwater to supply a
single domestic dwelling. In the winter heat is
removed from the earth and delivered in a
concentrated form via the heat pump. Because
electricity is used to increase the temperature of the
heat, not to produce it, Ground source pumps can
deliver three to four times more energy as heat than
the energy content of the electricity it consumes.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
PRODUCTION AND USAGE?
Geothermal energy does not produce any pollution, and does not contribute to the
greenhouse effect.
The power stations do not take up much room, so there is not much impact on the
environment.
Geothermal energy generally involves low running costs since it saves 80% costs over
fossil fuels and no fuel is used to generate the power.
Dependence on fossil fuels decreases with the increase in the use of geothermal energy.
with the sky-rocketing prices of oil, many countries are pushing companies to adopt these
clean sources of energy.
Since ancient times, people having been using this source of energy for taking bath,
heating homes, preparing food and today this is also used for direct heating of homes and
offices.
Geothermal energy on the other hand has created many jobs for the local people.
Useful minerals, such as zinc and silica, can be extracted from underground water.
Geothermal energy is homegrown. This will create jobs, a better global trading position and
less reliance on oil producing countries.
In large plants the cost is 4-8 cents per kilowatt hour. This cost is almost competitive with
conventional energy sources.
Geothermal Heat Pumps:
- produces 4 times the energy that they consume.
-initially costs more to install, but its maintenance cost is 1/3 of the cost for a typical
conventional heating system and it decreases electric bill. This means that geothermal space
heating will save the consumer money.
-can be installed with the help of special programs that offer low interest rate loans.
As Opposed to Burning Fossil Fuels, Current Geothermal Use Prevents the Yearly Emission of:
22 M tons of CO2
200k tons of SO2
80k tons of NOx
110k tons of Particulates
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
PRODUCTION ?
Start-up costs are high
Geothermal plants require significant capital expenditures, but the fuel is free
Cost - $1,500-$5,000 / installed KW depending on plant size, resource temp. and chemistry1
Cost of power to consumer
Currently, $0.05 to $0.08 / kwh2
Needs to be $0.03 to be competitive
Water can be corrosive to plant pipes, equipment
If water not replaced back into reservoir, subsidence can occur.
Some high mineral / metal wastewater and solid waste is produced
Smelly gasses H2S, Ammonia, Boron
Release of steam and hot water can be noisy

GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL AND RESOURCES OF
INDIA Estimated (min.) reservoir
Geothermal Field Temp (Approx) Status
Puga geothermal 240 C at 2000m From geochemical and deep geophysical

field studies (MT)
120 C - 150 C at 500 meter and Magnetotelluric survey done by NGRI
Tattapani Sarguja
200 Cat 2000 m
(Chhattisgarh)
Magnetotelluric survey done by NGRI
Tapoban Chamoli 100 C at 430 meter
Steam discharge was estimated 3000 cu
(Uttarakhand)
Cambay Garben 160 C at 1900meter (From Oil meter/ day with high temperature gradient.
(Gujrat) exploration borehole)
Magneto-telluric study was done by NGRI
Badrinath Chamoli 150 C estimated Deep drilling required to ascertain
(Uttarakand)
geothermal field.
Surajkund Hazaribagh 110 C
Magneto-telluric study was done by NGRI.
(Jharkhand)
110 C Heat rate 128.6 mW/m2
Manikaran Kullu (H P) Magneto-telluric study was done by NGRI
Kasol Kullu (H P) 110 C Heat flow rate 130 MW/m2
Magneto-telluric study was done by NGRI
Indias first geothermal
plant to come up in
Chhattisgarh. NTPC has
already started
exploratory and
preparatory work in this
area. It has also started
talks with oil and natural
Gas Corp and
international
organisations
for drilling operation.
WORLD WIDE GEOTHERMAL USES AND
POTENTIAL
Iceland is one of the more countries successful in using
geothermal energy:
-86% of their space heating uses geothermal energy.
-16% of their electricity generation uses geothermal energy.
TRIVIA:
The Philippines, which generates 23% of its electricity from
geothermal energy, is the worlds second biggest producer
behind the U.S.
The first geothermal power station was built at Landrello, in Italy,
and the second was at Wairekei in New Zealand.
CONCLUSION
Short term (several years to a decade):
Not a viable option to replace 25% loss in oil imports. at best, a valuable supplement to replace a few % of
the lost energy.
Some valuable side effects:
Production of clean energy.
Less reliance on foreign sources of energy.
Reliable and renewal energy source.
Long term (likely decades for technology to provide an economically feasible option):
Biggest impact in electrical generation sectors the potential exists to provide all energy requirements.
Energy consumption for space heating and cooling could also change dramatically.
Geothermal energy has the ability to expand
Few environmental effects
Very cost efficient
Geothermal is renewable
CITATIONS
http://www.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/ Government Lab
http://www.geothermalheatpump.com/how.htm Good explanation of practical use
http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/appliance/refrigerator/overview.htm
http://www.bnl.gov/est/MEA.htm Brookhaven Laboratories
http://geothermal.inel.gov/ INEEL
_____________________________________________________________
geothermal.marin.org/ on geothermal energy
mailto:[email protected]
rredc.nrel.gov/www.dieoff.org.
www.ferc.gov/ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Boyle, Godfrey. Renewable Energy, Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004,
ISBN 0-19-26178-4. (my preferred text)
Brower, Michael. Cool Energy. Cambridge MA: The MIT Press, 1992. 0-262-02349-0,
TJ807.9.U6B76, 333.7940973.
Duffie, John and William A. Beckman. Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. NY: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 920 pp., 1991
Questions?
Thank You!

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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

However, no useful and economical technology has been

DRY STEAM POWER PLANT

Double flash steam power plants include an additional

Smelly gasses H2S, Ammonia, Boron

Release of steam and hot water can be noisy

Puga geothermal 240 C at 2000m From geochemical and deep geophysical

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