Renewable Energy Ideas - Geothermal Energy

 

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is a form of energy from heat located inside the Earth. Hot water and steam, trapped in areas of volcanic and tectonic activity, are used for heating and electricity production.

As the exploitable geothermal energy are two sources of energy:
- The Earth's hot core energy transmitted by conduction its upper layers;
- Solar radiation transmitted through the earth and stored in its bedding area.

Geothermal power plants that capture but can affect the surrounding soil (when hot water is injected into the rock to obtain steam) and emit small amounts (5% compared to a fossil fuel power) of CO2 and sulfur.

Types of Central Geotermal

There are three types of geothermal plants which are used to this time in the world to convert geothermal power into electricity water: dry, flash and binary, depending on fluid status by: vapor or liquid, or by its temperature.

- Dried plants were the first types of plants built, they use steam from geothermal source.
- Flash fired plants are the most prevalent today. They use water at temperatures of 360 ° F (182 ° C), injecting a high pressure to equipment on the surface.
- Binary cycle power plants differs from the first two, the fact that water or steam from geothermal spring does not come in contact with the turbine electric generator respectively. Tap water temperatures up to 400 ° F (200 ° C).