GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

By: Katie KirkholderMolly Normandin

Zack SmallTanner Brooks 7B

The most abundant place to find geothermal

energy is Iceland. Geothermal energy is found in the the form of

volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers It can also come from miles under ground in the

core of the earth. It heats underground water until it turns into steam. The steam bursts through a crack or hole in the Earth’s crust as a geyser or hot spring.

http://www.engineering.com/Videos/VideoPlayer/tabid/4627/videoId/649/geothermal-energy-process.a spx

Where does it come from?

Geothermal energy is heat stored within the

earth. Geothermal energy is clean, reliable, and cost

effective. It’s availability is limited to areas near tectonic

plates such as California and Nevada.

What is Geothermal Energy?

Geothermal energy is used in many ways such

as; heating hot water and to generate electricity to power homes and industries.

People also use geothermal energy when they bathe in hot springs.

Some people believe that bathing in the warm water and breathing the vapors from the hot spring can cure some diseases.

Using the Energy

The energy is made deep beneath the earth’s crust. The earth has many layers, one being the iron core,

which is the center of the earth. Geothermal energy is not “made”, It is harvested

from geothermal heat vents, which are mostly found in California, Nevada, and Oregon.

If the harvesters or the people collecting the energy find a very hot rock, they can pour water to create the steam they need to create the electricity.

How it is made?

It is a sufficient and cost efficient form of

energy. There are lots of geothermal heat vents in hot

places, though this also may be a con because they can still get solar energy from the sun in these hot places.

Another advantage of geothermal energy is the environment friendliness.

A very important pro is the reliability of this form of energy

Pros

Some of the environmental dangers of geothermal energy are: Land subsidence Production of waste water with high mineral

content Disposal of hot water in the conversion

process Then there is the release of toxic gases such

as: Hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and Boron.

Cons

At The Geysers, power is sold at $0.03 to

$0.035 per kWh. A power plant built today would probably require about $0.05 per kWh. Some geothermal energy plants can charge more.

The cost of geothermal energy

Ways it can be

distributed

Vertical Loop Horizontal loop Pond loop

Open loop

Geothermal heat pumps are environmental.

They generate no on site emissions and have the lowest emission among all heating and cooling technologies.

Geothermal heat pump systems, also known as "geothermal," are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The way it is distributed.

Geothermal energy supplies less than 10% of

the world's energy. Geothermal energy is sustainable because hot

water can be re-injected into the ground. Geothermal energy can be found in the form of

volcanoes, hot springs and geysers. Geothermal energy is used since ancient times

in form of hot water. Geothermal energy could produce 10 percent of

US electricity by the year 2050.

Fun Facts

Geothermal energy can be easily found and

exploited along the "Ring of Fire" region. Geothermal energy is extremely efficient (almost

100%) energy source where the only real sources of losing energy is from turbine friction.

Geothermal energy has only one real problem and that is the lack of easily accessible sites.

Geothermal energy's advantage is also the fact that geothermal power plants run continuously day and night with an uptime typically exceeding 95%.

More Fun Facts

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00281/engli

sh/stopics/interactive/geoquiz.htm

Use the information you learned in the power point to answer these simple 5 questions.

Time to take a Quiz!

"Geothermal." EIA Energy Kids -. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=geothermal_home-basics-k.cfm>. "Geothermal Energy Facts." Alternative Energy Sources for Your Home. Web. 11 Mar.

2012. <http://www.affordable-alternative-energy.com/geothermal-energy-facts.html>. "Geothermal Energy Facts." Natural & Renewable Energy Sources. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/geothermal_energy_facts.html>. "Geothermal Energy Quiz." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

<http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00281/english/stopics/interactive/geoquiz.htm>. Gibson, Diane. Geothermal Power. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2002. Print. "PDFCLOUD.NET." Geothermal Energy Facts. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://conserve-

energy-future.com/GeothermalEnergyFacts.php>. "Puna Geothermal VentureHawaii." Puna Geothermal Venture: Where Does

Geothermal Energy Come From? Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.punageothermalventure.com/Faqs/8/where-does-geothermal-energy-come-from>.

Web. <www.blogspot.com>. Web. <www.ucsusa.com>. "Welcome to Our Web Page." SCIENCE KIDS. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.

<http://www.sciencekids.com/>.

Bibliography