Geothermal energy refers to the thermal energy in the Earth's crust that comes from the planet's formation and the radioactive decay of elements. Some rock melts and solid mantle behaves plastically due to the extreme temperature and pressure in the Earth's interior. It is currently unknown but possibly nearly equal quantities.
A Cambridge, Massachusetts-based business has outlined its plans to transform the way traditional power plants generate electricity. They claim to have created a new form of drilling technology that will enable nearly any power plant to switch to geothermal energy as a fuel source. This is no less than a breakthrough for Geothermal Power Market as it is likely to increase the production of Geothermal energy cost-effectively.
These engineers have been working to develop the technology for the past decade. According to the new technology, a gyrotron-powered drilling platform vaporizes a borehole. This is done by releasing the millimeter-sized energy waves from the drill bit's tip. The energy waves are generated on the surface and have a frequency that is similar to that of microwaves. The energy waves smash the rock as the hole is drilled, allowing for far deeper drilling than conventional drills.
Water can be pushed down the hole's depths. The heat from the Earth converts it to steam, which erupts like a geyser back up out of the hole. In addition, it may also be used indefinitely to generate electricity from a geothermal energy source as it is less expensive to generate electricity than traditional techniques.
The drilling depth required for any specific site will vary according to its unique geology. However, most sites will only require drilling to a depth of about 20 kilometers. They also point out that the Earth's temperature would be around 370 degrees Celsius at such depths. This is more than hot enough to generate the amount of steam required to power a turbine.
The team also pointed out that most coal or fuel oil power plants burn their fuel to generate steam, then spin a turbine. As a result, they propose that if a well could be dug on-site at an existing facility, it would be a simple thing to change the steam source. As a result, it stops emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
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