GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

FUTURE ENERGY SOURCE

GEO RELATED TO EARTH + THERMAL HEAT ENERGY

Geothermal Energy is the thermal energy generated and stored inside earth crust in molten state. This energy can be utilized for generating power without having adverse effect on climate. At present 24 countries in the world has got success in producing electricity by using GEOTHERMAL ENERGY. Approximately about 10,715 MW of power is being provided through GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANTS. At present USA is the biggest producer of this power whose production is around 3,086 MW.

WORKING
A power plant that uses this natural source of heat to produce power is called a Geothermal Power Plant. Some insight to the power generation is shown in figure

WATER

CLEAN ELECTRICITY

WATER + GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT

WATER VAPOURES + TURBINES

WATER VAPOURS ( AT HIGH PRESSURE)

1. First Water is Pumped through one of the wells to the base where hot rocks in molten state are present . 2. Water soon will vaporise due to tremendous heating present there. 3. Water vapours come above from base at high pressure through other wells. 4. These water vapours have enough power to rotate our turbines specially designed to work with these vapours. After doing their work these vapours are condensed and again can be used for power generation.

IS IT ECO-FRIENDLY?
YES. Unlike other sources of power generation being used at present time GEOTHERMAL ENERGY is better in many aspects. It is

RENEWABLE, SUSTAINABLE, VERY LESS POLLUTING and PRESE33NT IN LARGE AMOUNT.

WHERE ARE THE RESOURCES?

The earths heat content is about 1031 joules. This heat naturally flows to the surface by conduction at a rate of 44.2 terawatts (TW) and is replenished by radioactive decay at a rate of 30 TW. These power rates are more than double humanitys current energy consumption from primary sources, but most of this power is too diffuse (approximately 0.1 W/m2 on average) to be recoverable. The Earth's crust effectively acts as a thick insulating blanket which must be pierced by fluid conduits (of magma, water or other) to release the heat underneath.

Electricity generation requires high temperature resources that can only come from deep underground. The heat must be carried to the surface by fluid circulation, either through magma, hot springs, hydrothermal circulation, oil wells, drilled water wells, or a combination of these. This circulation sometimes exists naturally where the crust is thin: magma conduits bring heat close to the surface, and hot springs bring the heat to the surface. If no hot spring is available, a well must be drilled into a hot aquifer. Away from tectonic plate boundaries the geothermal gradient is 25-30C per kilometre (km) of depth in most of the world, and wells would have to be several kilometres deep to permit electricity generation. The quantity and quality of recoverable resources improves with drilling depth and proximity to tectonic plate boundaries.

POSSIBILITY IN INDIA
In our country there is large potential to generate electricity through geothermal energy sources as there are plenty of these sources across the whole country which is shown in the figure:

ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER SOURCES OF ENERGY

1. It is the only renewable source of energy which not only serves in day but it serves at nights equally unlike Solar Power Plants. 2. Its maintenance is very much affordable as compared to Nuclear And Hydroelectric Power Plants. 3. It does not produce Radiations like in Nuclear Power Plants. 4. It is that Energy Source which does not require external fuel like used in Coal and Nuclear Power Plants. 5. Its widespread availability across the Globe.