We all know that the earth produces some heat below its surface in the deep interiors. The temperature at which this heat is produced is far much higher than the actual temperature of the sun’s surface. This heat generated under the earth’s surface can be used as a renewable energy source called geothermal energy. The heat at which this heat is produced is so high that energy can not uphold itself below the surface and so it finds a way through volcanoes, hot springs and fumaroles to appear at the surface of the earth..
A large part of the geothermal energy resources are found near the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean comprises of a Ring of Fire where a significant amount of geothermal energy is produced as an alternative energy source. This alternative energy source produced from the molten core of the earth is mainly used to produce electricity. This magma is available in abundance below the earth’s surface and this is the reason why geothermal energy is considered to be a renewable energy source.
Electricity produced from the geothermal energy resources uses technologies namely, binary technology or flash technology. In the flash technology, the water available at extremely high temperatures as a geothermal energy resource is super heated to produce steam, which then drives to a turbine to generate electricity. In the binary technology, heat of the geothermal water is transferred to another liquid to produce vapors which then drive turbines for producing electricity. This electricity produced by the use of geothermal energy can be further used for several other purposes.
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Renewable Alternative Energy Sources from Geothermal Energy
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009Geothermal Earth Power Products & Cooling Systems
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009The geothermal energy or the earth energy can be put to several uses. By using proper techniques, it can be converted to useful electrical energy called geothermal power. Geothermal power can be used in various applications.
One common application of earth power is the geothermal cooling system. The geothermal cooling system uses the fact that the ground remains cooler than the surrounding atmosphere during summers and it remains warmer than the surrounding atmosphere during winters. This keeps the buildings cool during summers.
It is important to understand that geothermal cooling systems do not produce heat or cold as geothermal power products. They function to transfer heat from one place to another. Such a system consists of pipes, delivery system and a heat exchanger unit. The heat exchanger unit is installed in ground near the building and transfer heat. During a hot summer day, a refrigerant or water flows through the system into the earth through pipes. In the depths of the earth, the water is cooled and then transferred back to the delivery system. The cool water circulates through the home and absorbs the heat causing it to get heated and is then transferred back into the ground for cooling. This is the simplest configuration of such a system. Changing and improving technologies have helped in developing systems that can work efficiently.
The use of cooling systems that work on earth power can help to reduce the electricity bills by a significant amount. Geothermal power used in these systems is a renewable energy source and will always be available.
