BE.

Mechnical Engineering

MODULE NO 4 .GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Short notes on Geothermal Energy? Geothermal Energy 1. Steam collected from natural underground steam storage is used to run the turbine. 2. The steam contains the moisture which is to be removed in a moisture separator.

Figure: Geothermal Power Plant

3. The dry steam is passed through the turbine. 4. The turbine is coupled to the generator, which produces electricity. 5. Exhaust steam from the turbine is given to the condenser.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Q.1. Short notes on Uses o f GEOTHERMAL ENERGY or Application of Geothermal Energy Ans: Application of Geothermal Energy The following are the three main application of the steam and hot water from the wet geothermal reserviours 1. Geneartion of electtric power 2. Space heating for buildings. 3. Industrial process heat The major benefits of geothermal energy is its baried application and versatility.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Application of Geothermal Energy The three main applications of Geothermal Energy A. Power Plants a. Power plant technologies are being used to convert hydrothermal fluids to electricity. b. The type of conversion used depends on the state of the fluid (whether steam or water) and its temperature.

B. Direct use a. Geothermal reservoirs of low -to moderate-temperature water 68F to 302F (20C to 150C) provide direct heat for residential, industrial, and commercial uses. b. This resource is widespread in the U.S., and is used to heat homes and offices, commercial greenhouses, fish farms, food processing facilities, gold mining operations, and a variety of other applications.

C. Geothermal Heat Pumps a. The geothermal heat pump, also known as the ground source heat pump, is a highly efficient renewable energy technology that is gaining wide acceptance for both residential and commercial buildings. b. Geothermal heat pumps are used for space heating and cooling, as well as water heating. c. Its great advantage is that it works by concentrating naturally existing heat, rather than by producing heat through combustion of fossil fuels.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Q.2. Short notes on Problem of Geothermal Energy Or Short notes on Problem of Geothermal Energy tapping Or What is the environmental effect of utilizing geothermal energy? Ans: Environmental Problem Geothermal power plant creates some environmental problems which are peculiar to them alone. The effluent will be salty and may contain sodium and potassium compoun ds. Additionally, in some cases lithium, fluorine, boron and arsenic compound may be present. Such effluent can not be discharged into the existing water sources unless properly treated without risking sever pollution problem. Some effluents contain boron, fluorine and arsenic. All these are very harmful to plants and animal life in concentration as low as two parts per million.suitbale waste treatment plants to prevent degradation of water quality will have to be installed to treat these new and increased sources of pollution.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Problem of Geothermal Energy tapping

1. Because geothermal plants do not burn fuel, they have an inherent environmental advantage over power plants that do. 2. The geothermal fluids are drawn from the Earth and returned to the Eart h, so the environmental emissions are very low. 3. Although there is of course some emissions and waste products. 4. But overall, geothermal energy is one of the cleanest power sources available today.

a. Air pollution 1. The prime cause of acid rain is sulfur oxi des, and the geothermal power produces minimal amounts of this gas. 2. The coal emission for sulphu r oxide is 5.44 kg/MWh, for oil 4.99 kg /MWh and for geothermal power only 0.16 kg/MWh. Geothermal power plants manage the demands for clean air. 3. Geothermal plants emit no nitrogen oxides and very low amounts of sulfur dioxide and this involve that they easily meet the most strict clean air standards. The low levels of air emissions produced by geothermal plants are caused almost entirely by the release of ga ses from geothermal fluids, except for water vapor from the cooling towers. 4. These gases are for the most part carbon dioxide, which is not a pollutant, but which does act as a greenhouse gas to trap heat within Earths atmosphere. Emissions of carbon diox ide from geothermal plants are much less than from fossil -fuel power plants, which produce about 1000 to 2000 times as much. 5. The gases released from the geothermal fluid may include hydrogen sulfide, which causes the characteristic odor often obvious near natural hot springs.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

6. At most general hot-water power plants, hydrogen sulfide is present in such low concentrations that it becomes insignificant. 7. Also carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia can be released in the process. 8. But methods have been and are b eing developed to capture these secondary products and put them to useful applications. Hydrogen sulfide is much more abundant in geothermal steam reservoirs. 9. At the Geysers, the steam contains up to 0.15 percent hydrogen sulfide by weight, but the treatment processes remove more than 99.9 percent. 10. These processes are much simpler, less expensive, and more effective than emissions-control equipment at fossil -fuel power plants. 11. Typical emissions of hydrogen sulfide from geothermal plants are less than 1 parts per billion-well below what people can smell. b. Water pollution 1. A second concern is in this area of water pollution. 2. Underground water contains many minerals, including large quantities of salt. 3. If for example a pipeline breaks or if this water is re -injected in the superficial mountain layers and mixed with the surface water, plants and animals will be destroyed and the local ecological system will be disrupted. 4. The solutions to this problem seem to be purification or re -injection of subterranean waters back into the underground reservoirs. c. Surface ground effects 1. A third concern is that of ground subsidence.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

2. As water is extracted from the crust, and exhausting steam relieves underground pressure, there may be (and in some cases have been), a tendency for the ground to crack or sink. 3. Careful geological studies must be performed to insure a solid crust structure before energy extraction can begin. d. Noise 1. Noise disturbances are limited to the building time for a geothermal foundation. 2. An area with a diameter of approximately 1 km is then going to be exposed for noise from among other things drilling. e. Silica Silica can be particularly troublesome with distinct heating system Reinjection of silica loaded waters could flow up the permeability of the substrate thus necessitating the constant changing of bore reinjection sites. Settlement pond could mitigate this trouble.

f. Seismicity Some fears have been expressed that prolonged geothermal expansion could trigger off earthquake especially if reinjection is practiced in the zone of high shear stress where fairly large temperature differentiation occurs.

g. Escaping system: Huge volumes of flash steam escaping into the air could cause dense fog to occur, which may drift across to nearly roads and cause traffic azards.The proportion of escaping steam should be small.

h. Geopressure water, in addition to the above problems is thought to carry large quantities of sand, especially at the high flows required. The result is increased erosion and scaling problems.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Q.3. Explain how geothermal sources can be tapped for energy in different way? Or Explain various methods of tapping geothermal energy?

Directuse systems typically include three components: 1. A production facility usually a well to bring the hot water to the surface; 2. A mechanical system piping, heat exchanger, controls to deliver the heat to the space or process; and 3. A disposal system injection well or storage pond to receive the cooled geothermal fluid.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

Q.4.List the advantages and disadvantages of Geothermal Energy? Ans: Advantage of Geothermal energy 1. Geothermal energy is cheaper. 2. It is versatile in its use. 3. It is the least polluting as compared to other conventional energy sources. 4. It is available for multiple used from a single resources. 5. Geothermal power plants have the highest annual load factors of 85 % to 90 % compare to 45-50% for fossil fuel plants. 6. It delivers greater amount of net energy from its system as compared to other alternative or conventional system. 7. Geothermal energy from the earths interior is almost as inexhaustible as solar or wind energy, so long as its sources are actively sought and economically tapped.

Disadvantage of Geothermal energy 1. Lower overall power production efficiency,(about 15% as compared to 35-40% for fossil fuel plants) 2. Drilling operation is noisy. 3. Large areas are needed for exploitation of geothermal energy as much of it is diffused. 4. The withdrawal of large amount of steam or water f rom a hydrothermal reservoirs results in surface subsidence or settlement.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

GEOTHERMAL POWER GENERATION PLANTS:

There are three types of geothermal power generation plants: 1. Dry steam power plant 2. Flash steam power plant 3. Binary cycle power plant

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

DRY STEAM POWER PLANT: 1. Steam plants use hydrothermal fluids that are primarily steam. 2. The steam goes directly to a turbine, which drives a generator that produces electricity. 3. The steam eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels to ru n the turbine. (Also eliminating the need to transport and store fuels!) 4. This is the oldest type of geothermal power plant. 5. It was first used at Lardarello in Italy in 1904, and is still very effective. 6. These plants emit on excess steam and very minor am ounts of gases.

Figure: Dry steam power plants.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

FLASH STEAM POWER PLANTS: 1. Hydrothermal fluids above 360F (182C) can be used in flash plants to make electricity. 2. Fluid is sprayed into a tank held at a much lower pressure than the flui d, causing some of the fluid to rapidly vaporize, or "flash." 3. The vapor then drives a turbine, which drives a generator. 4. If any liquid remains in the tank, it can be flashed again in a second tank to extract even more energy.

Figure: Flash steam power plants.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

BINARY CYCLE POWER PLANTS: 1. Most geothermal areas contain moderate -temperature water (below 400 degrees F). 2. Energy is extracted from these fluids in binary -cycle power plants. 3. Hot geothermal fluid and a secondary (hence, "binary") fluid with a much lower boiling point than water pass through a heat exchanger. 4. Heat from the geothermal fluid causes the secondary fluid to flash to vapor, which then drives the turbines. 5. Because this is a closed -loop system, virtually nothing is emitted to the atmosphere. 6. Moderate-temperature water is by far the more common geothermal resource, and most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary -cycle plants.

Figure: Binary cycle power plants.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik

Non Conventional Energy Sources

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Vaibhav Vithoba Naik