Geothermal Energy

by Leonardo Gonzalez Janeth Gallegos Ricardo Duron Italo Calderon

Raw Materials

Magma Water Rocks

Alaska and Hawaii Closer towards magma, the hotter the rock, the more energy that is produced

Pros and Cons of Raw Materials

Pros
1. Energy is being produced 2. Geothermal is renewable 3. Does not cause a significant amount of
pollution

Cons
1. More money is spent 2. Earthquakes are more common 3. Minor damage can take years to recover 4. Many people rely on Geothermal Energy 5. Digging towards the earth's core can release
hazardous gases

4. Good for either cooling or heating a house

Energy Generation
-the rocks in the earths crust are hot due to the magma in the mantle

-building a power plant on a site where rocks are hot is ideal

-after the site it located, water is pumped in -it turns into steam and is captured by the production well -The steam pushes the turbine and creates energy

Energy Generation cont.

The Steam -rises -shoots out of a nozzle -pushes the blades of the turbine -turns the turbine The Turbine -rotates -moves a coil of wire within a magnetic field (Faraday's law of Induction) -produces energy

Construction of the powerplant and drilling cost $2.6-$5.6 million to make 3.6 cents per kilowatt-hour v. 3.23 cents per kilowatt-hour for coal Low investments of Geothermal Energy due to the location of the plants

Economics

The water used becomes contaminated because it goes underground

o

Environmental Impact

the "wastewater" is used again, so it never enters the environment

Can emit hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, and boron into the atmosphere
o prevented depending on how the plant is built o emissions are 30% lower per megawatt-hour than coal plants

Advantages
- Renewable - Relatively clean source of energy - Reliable source of energy - Power plants require very little land and freshwater - Doesn't rely on other countries

Disadvantages
- Can release dangerous toxins into earths crust and air - Factories located near volcanoes and areas with lots of earthquake activity - Powerplant and drilling cost a lot to make

Works Cited
- "Earth's Heat." Geothermal Energy. N.p., 4 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 May 2013. -"Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Energy." Ucsusa.org. Union of Concerned Scientists, 05 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 May 2013. <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-geothermalenergy.html>. - Environmental Impacts of Geothermal Energy." Ucsusa.org. Union of Concerned Scientists, 05 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 May 2013. <http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-geothermalenergy.html>. -"Geothermal Energy." Renewableenergyworld.com. Renewable Energy World, n.d. Web. 21 May 2013. <http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/geothermal-energy>. -"How a Geothermal Power Plant Works (Simple)." Geothermal Technologies Office:. U.S. Department of Energy, 11 Apr. 2006. Web. 23 May 2013. <http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/gpp_animation.html>. - Mims, Chritopher. "Can Geothermal Power Compete with Coal on Price?: Scientific American." Can Geothermal Power Compete with Coal on Price?: Scientific American. N.p., 2 Mar. 2009. Web. 21 May 2013.