Geothermal power

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Background

Geothermal energy is the energy that can be harnessed using the heat that occurs naturally in the Earth. This heat can be found in volcanoes, hot springs, and geysers ^[1]. The high temperatures range from 225º F- 600º F ^[2] and occur in these areas due primarily to the decay of radio-active isotopes that occur within the rocks in the Earth's crust ^[3]. The surrounding ground water can then be heated, or water can be pumped into the hot areas to produce steam. This steam is what is captured to be used to create electricity through a turbine system.

Types and/or methods

There are three common types of geothermal power: dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. Dry steam uses the steam directly from the earth, flash steam pumps water into the hot areas to boil the water and create steam, and binary cycle uses a secondary fluid to power a generator^[4].

Dry Steam

Power from dry stream geothermal plants is found directly from the Earth. The natural steam that is created from the geysers in the earth is channeled directly into a turbine that powers a generator. These systems are very rare; not many places on Earth contain enough natural energy in the the steam produced to provide sufficient power^[5]. picture The only dry stream power producer that is located in the United States is in California. In the Mayacamas Mountains, just north of San Francisco, The Geysers generates a net capacity of about 725 megawatts of electricity - enough to power 725,000 homes, or a city the size of San Francisco. picture

Flash Steam

Description example

Binary Cycle

Description example (greater than 360º F)

Utilized areas

Under-utilized areas

Further reading

References