Geothermal

Renewable Energy
ELE 0421-1 - EE ELECTIVE 2

Paguirigan, Palma, Palmero, & Rejano

 Lesson Outline
Introduction & History
Application
Benefits & Potential
Advantages
Disadvantages
Limitations
What is geothermal
energy?
Heat within the earth.
Came from the Greek words
geo (earth) and therme (heat).
A renewable energy source that
is continuously produced inside
the earth. People use
geothermal heat for bathing, for
heating buildings, and for
generating electricity.
 Geothermal Energy
comes from Deep
The slow decay of Four Major Parts
radioactive particles in /Layers of the Earth
the earth's core, a process An inner core of solid iron that is about 1,500
that happens in all rocks, miles in diameter
produces geothermal An outer core of hot molten rock called
magma that is about 1,500 miles thick.
energy.
A mantle of magma and rock surrounding the
outer core that is about 1,800 miles thick
A crust of solid rock that forms the
continents and ocean floors that is 15 miles
to 35 miles thick under the continents and 3
miles to 5 miles thick under the oceans
 History

Geothermal energy has been in use for

about 10,000 years, starting with the The first industrial use of geothermal
Paleo-Indians who used the hot springs energy began near Pisa, Italy in the late
and natural pools for cooking, bathing 18th century.
and warmth.
The first residences to receive
The world’s first district heating system geothermal heat were in Warm Springs
was installed at Chaudes-Aigues, France Avenue in Boise, Idaho in 1892 and the first
in the 14th century, but it was not until geothermal electric power generation
the late 19th century that other cities and took place in Larderello, Italy in 1904 by
industries realized the economic Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti.
potential of geothermal resources.
Development of Geothermal Power
Technologies
Dry Steam Geothermal
Flash Steam Power Plants
Plants
The original geothermal power plant The most common geothermal power
systems. They used and use the steam plant types in the world and are more
provided by a hydrothermal reservoir energy-efficient than dry steam
directly to spin generator turbines plants.

Enhanced Geothermal Binary Cycle Power

Systems (EGS) Plants
A geothermal system that make use of The newest technology in geothermal energy
geothermal resources sourced from much generation and accounts for the vast majority
deeper reservoirs than the other systems. of geothermal growth in the US and around the
world over the last few decades.
Applications of Geothermal
Energy
Paguirigan

Direct
uses
Electrical
Geothermal Power
Heat Pumps Generation
Direct uses:
The direct uses of geothermal energy involve
the use of heated water from the ground
without the need for any other heating source.
The direct of geothermal resources is at low-
temperature, which ranges from about 50 to
150 0C (122 and 302 °F).

Low-temperature geothermal water and steam

have been used to warm single buildings and
whole districts where numerous buildings are
heated from a central supply source.
Direct uses:
Most swimming pools, greenhouses, balneological (therapeutic) facilities at
spas and aquaculture ponds have been heated with geothermal resources.
Other common applications of direct uses of geothermal energy include
cooking, industrial uses such as drying fruits, vegetables, and timber, milk
pasteurization, and large-scale snow melting.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are used to heat buildings in
the winter and cool them in the summer. They took
advantage of the relatively stable moderate temperature
conditions that are obtained within the first 300 meters (1000
feet) of the surface. Most GHPs temperatures are found at
shallower depths such as 6 meters (about 20 feet) of the
earth’s surface. Consequently, the heat can be used to warm
buildings during winter, when the air temperature falls below
that of the ground. Similarly, during summer, warm air is
drawn from a building and circulated underground, where it
loses much of its heat and is returned.
Electrical Power Generation
Geothermal energy is used to generate
electricity based on the temperature and the
fluid (steam) flow. Electricity is produced in
three ways in geothermal power plants. (dry
steam, flash, and binary.)
These three different designs control the
behavior which is used to drive electrical
generators.
The excess water vapor produces at the end
of each process is condensed and returned
to the ground, where it is reheated for later
use.
Thus, geothermal power is considered a form
of renewable energy.
How Geothermal Energy Works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mCRDf7QxjDk&t=56s
 Dry steam
The dry steam design takes
steam directly from fractures
in the ground to drive a
turbine.

The heated water vapor is

funneled directly into a
turbine that drives an
electrical generator.
 Flash Steam Plants
Flash plant pulls high-pressure hot
water from underground and mixes it
with cooler low-pressure water. This,
in turn, creates steam that is used to
drive a turbine.

Pressurized high-temperature water is

drawn from beneath the surface into
containers at the surface known as
flash tanks. This is where the sudden
decrease in pressure causes the
liquid water to flash or vaporize into
steam. The flash is then used to
power the turbine-generator set.
Binary Cycle
The binary-cycle power plants
employ stem driven off a
secondary working fluid such as
ammonia and hydrocarbon
contained within a closed loop of
pipes to power the turbine-
generator set.
In this process, geothermally heated water is drawn up through a different set of
pipes, and much of the energy stored in the heated water is transferred to the
working fluid through a heat exchanger.

The working fluid then vaporizes and passes through the turbine in order to rotate
it. It then recondensed and piped back to the heat exchanger.
Benefits, Potential and Advantages
of Geothermal Energy Lander Palma
 Benefits

Renewable Small footprint

The heat flowing from Earth’s interior is Geothermal power plants are compact. They
continually replenished by the decay of use less land per gigawatt-hour (404 m2)
naturally occurring radioactive elements than comparable-capacity coal (3,642 m2),
and will remain available for billions of wind (1,335 m2), and solar photovoltaic (PV)
years. power stations (3,237 m2)*.

Domestic Clean
Geothermal resources can be harnessed Modern closed-loop geothermal power plants
for power production without importing emit no greenhouse gasses and have life cycle
fuel. emissions four times lower than solar PV, and six
to 20 times lower than natural gas. Geothermal
power plants consume less water on average

Baseload over the lifetime energy output than most

conventional electricity-generation
Geothermal power plants produce technologies**.
electricity consistently and can run
essentially 24 hours per day/7 days per
week, regardless of weather conditions.
What are the Advantages
of Using Geothermal?
1. Environmentally Friendly
Geothermal energy is more environmentally friendly
than conventional fuel sources such as coal and other
fossil fuels. In addition, the carbon footprint of a
geothermal power plant is low. While there is some
pollution associated with geothermal energy, this is
relatively minimal when compared to fossil fuels.

2. Renewable
Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy
that will last until the Earth is destroyed by the sun in
around 5 billion years. The hot reservoirs within the
Earth are naturally replenished, making it both
renewable and sustainable.
What are the Advantages
of Using Geothermal?
3. Huge Potential 4. Sustainable / Stable
Worldwide energy consumption is currently Geothermal provides a reliable source of
around 15 terawatts, which is far from the total energy as compared to other renewable
potential energy available from geothermal resources such as wind and solar power. This
sources. While we can’t currently use most is because the resource is always available to
reservoirs there is a hope that the number of be tapped into, unlike with wind or solar
exploitable geothermal resources will increase energy.
with ongoing research and development in the
industry. It is currently estimated that
geothermal power plants could provide
5. Reliable
between 0.0035 and 2 terawatts of power. Energy generated from this resource is easy
to calculate since it does not fluctuate in the
same way as other energy sources, such as
solar and wind. This means we can predict the
power output from a geothermal plant with a
high degree of accuracy.
What are the Advantages
of Using Geothermal?
6. Heating and Cooling
Effective use of geothermal for electricity generation
requires water temperatures of over 150°C to drive
turbines. Alternatively, the temperature difference
between the surface and a ground source can be used.
Due to the ground being more resistant to seasonal
heat changes than the air, it can act as a heat sink/
source with a geothermal heat pump just two metres
below the surface.

7. No Fuel Required
Since geothermal energy is a naturally occurring
resource there is no fuel required, such as with fossil
fuels that are a finite resource which needs mining or
otherwise extracting from the earth.
What are the Advantages
of Using Geothermal?
8. Rapid Evolution
There is a great deal of exploration into geothermal
energy at the moment, meaning that new
technologies are being created to improve the energy
process. There are an increasing number of projects
to improve and grow this area of industry. With this
rapid evolution many of the current cons of
geothermal energy will be mitigated against.
Potential of Geothermal
1. Always available
2. Doesn’t require large spaces
3. Silent energy
4. It creates record numbers of jobs
5. Provides more energy for the same nominal power
6. Allows double recycling
7. The plants are long-lasting, safe and reliable
8. Requires very little maintenance
cited from:
9. The Earth’s heat can also cool enelgreenpower.com
10. More advantages for the home
Disadvantages and Limitations
Environmental Concerns
There are some environmental
concerns. Water use is one of the big
concerns because geothermal power
uses a lot of water in its processes
and such. There are also a number of
different compounds that go into the
air, water, and ground as a result of the
process, including sulfur dioxide and
silica discharges, both of which can
harm the environment.
High Initial Costs
One of the disadvantages of
geothermal energy is the capital or the
initial cost, which is around $10,000 to
$80,000. The total amount usually
covers geothermal heat pump system
installation, professional drilling, and
new equipment.
May Cause Surface
Instability
Geothermal has become infamous for
causing earthquakes as setting up of
geothermal power plants can alter the
land’s structure. A process called
hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of
building a large scale and efficient
geothermal system power plant that can
trigger earthquakes.
Sustainability issues
Geothermal heat coming from the
reservoir below may die down or run out
of steam even after years of activity.
The dry spell may last decades, which is
why it’s recommended that you use the
heat prudently and not abuse it.
Improper use can also result in a poor
distribution of heat.

In order for geothermal processes to

begin, you need the area in question to
be at least 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or
177 degrees Celsius.
Location Dependent
One of the principal disadvantages of
geothermal energy is its availability.
Developers are unable to build a plant
anywhere for this energy source. They
need to develop energy plants on top of
reservoirs. Which typically found near the
boundaries of volcanic and tectonic plates.
References
1. StudentLesson. "Understanding Geothermal Energy". June 26, 2021. Retrieved from:
https://studentlesson.com/definition-applications-diagram-working-advantages-and-disadvantages-
of-geothermal-energy/?fbclid=IwAR0Pl6Xb_5E7FN2dGWHFvQxSNgnw5cDZ7L-
btt1X0cWeWpxVQ9rNSrkXmA8
2. https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-basics
3. https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/geothermal-
faqs#:~:text=It%27s%20clean%2C%20offering%20energy%20that,nitrous%20oxide%20or%20sulfur%
20dioxide.
4. https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/geothermal-energy/pros-and-
cons#WhataretheAdvantagesofUsingGeothermal
5. https://www.enelgreenpower.com/learning-hub/renewable-energies/geothermal-energy/advantages