What is Geothermal Energy?
Geothermal Energy:
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Deep below the earth's surface is a layer of molten rock, or magma. Magma can be seen when it comes up through cracks in the earth's crust, also known as volcanoes. The magma exists within the mantle layer of the earth.
The magma beneath the crust heats up the crust rock that borders it to near melting temperature. So by conduction, for every 100 meters you go into the earths crust, the temperature of the ground increases 3 degrees Celsius, or 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time you get to about 10,000 meters, the rock is hot enough to boil water. Any further and the ground water is much hotter.
Self Taken Photo. Chena Hot Springs Resort Geothermal Plant.
Geothermal energy is the ability to bring up this water and turn the intense temperature difference into a more usable form of energy for us. Pumps bring the hot water: of temperatures from 160 degrees Fahrenheit up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; to the surface, condensers turn the water into steam, steam drives turbines, the turbines produce electricity.
This is accomplished by a hot substance flowing to a colder area and thus you get work from the system in the form of electrical power.
http://oceansjsu.com/images/
Deep below the earth's surface is a layer of molten rock, or magma. Magma can be seen when it comes up through cracks in the earth's crust, also known as volcanoes. The magma exists within the mantle layer of the earth.
The magma beneath the crust heats up the crust rock that borders it to near melting temperature. So by conduction, for every 100 meters you go into the earths crust, the temperature of the ground increases 3 degrees Celsius, or 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time you get to about 10,000 meters, the rock is hot enough to boil water. Any further and the ground water is much hotter.
Self Taken Photo. Chena Hot Springs Resort Geothermal Plant.
Geothermal energy is the ability to bring up this water and turn the intense temperature difference into a more usable form of energy for us. Pumps bring the hot water: of temperatures from 160 degrees Fahrenheit up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; to the surface, condensers turn the water into steam, steam drives turbines, the turbines produce electricity.
This is accomplished by a hot substance flowing to a colder area and thus you get work from the system in the form of electrical power.
