Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Geothermal as an Alternative Energy

Geothermal energy means using the stored heat from the earth. Geothermal energy is one  of alternative energy. The core of our planet is too hot that its temperature is estimated to reach 500 C (9.932 F). Thus the distance of 3 meters around the top of the earth's surface temperature is held constant near 10-16 Celsius (50-60 F) every year. With a wide variety of geological processes, then in some places even higher temperatures can be found.
 
Utilizing geothermal energy for work

When the geothermal sources near the surface, the hot water that can be streamed directly to a few places that require heat. This is one way of utilization of geothermal energy to heat their homes, to heat greenhouses and even melt snow on the road.



Even in places where storage is not easily accessible geothermal, heat pumps can carry warmth to the soil surface and into the building. This is the way to works anywhere because temperature below ground remains constant over the years. The same system can be used to warm buildings in winter and cool the building in summer.

The power plant

Geothermal energy as a power plant requires wells with depths reach up to 1.5 kilometer or more to reach the geothermal reserves are very hot. Some of these power plants use heat from the reserves to directly drive the turbine. The other pump hot water high pressure to low pressure in the tank. This causes the "heat spike" which is used to run a turbine generator. Most new power plants using hot water from the ground to heat other liquids, such as isobutene, which is heated at a low temperature lower than water. When the liquid evaporates and expands, then the liquid will move the turbine generator.

Excess use of Geothermal Energy

Geothermal power generation is almost no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal energy is not too noisy and unreliable. Electric generation, geothermal power could generate electricity about 90%, compared to fossil-fueled power plants that generate electricity around 65-75 percent.

Ironically, with the number of geothermal reserves in the world as an alternative energy that can be updated, but the source of geothermal energy has not been maximally utilized to replace energy from fossil fuels.

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