Heat Power and Metal Extraction
At various locations in the world, geothermal power plants have been extracting metals from geothermal liquids, while producing electrical energy for the grid. Now an organization called
CHPM203 is in the process of researching and designing systems that can do this more effectively while creating a scientific resource for future improvements in the process. They see the merging of mineral extraction and the production of electrical energy as a more sustainable financial model that solves two key problems. How to mine without damaging the ecological system and how to produce a clean constant source of energy.
Geothermal Power Plant Advantages
A geothermal electric plant has a number of advantages it is clean green energy, it operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it has the smallest footprint of any power plant, it is the cheapest method of producing green energy and it's waste hot water heats cities. It can also extract minerals without having to create any environmental damage. So what are the minerals that have been extracted from geothermal liquids? Here is a short list of some of these minerals z
inc, silica, lithium, manganese, boron, lead, silver, antimony and strontium.
So who is CHPM2030, it is a project funded by the European Commission tasked with improving a disruptive technology that can help Europe meet both its energy and strategic metals needs. They are partnered with 12 universities and agencies in addition to a number of third parties.
Click here for a complete list.
Geothermal Power Stations Around the World
Geothermal electric plants can be found all over the world in 24 countries and more countries are building these plants every year. In 2010 they produced 10,1715 kilowatts of power an increase of 20% since 2005. In the US alone there are 77 geothermal electric power stations producing clean energy. The Philippines, after the US, is the second largest producer of geothermal and it supplies 27% of the power needs of the country. Unfortunately, Canada is the only major country on the "Ring of Fire" that has not yet develop geothermal electric energy, and it has massive untapped reserves.
Methods of Producing Geothermal Energy
Geothermal energy uses a process similar to other steam turbine power stations except it needs no fuel it uses heat from the earth's core to heat water to drive the turbines. There are four types of power stations currently being used.
Dry Steam Power Stations
This is perhaps the most primitive of the systems as it uses steam directly from the earth to drive turbines.
Flash Steam Power Stations
This method of producing power from the earth's heat is slightly more refined than the Dry Steam Power Station, it uses high-pressure hot water to flash steam from cold water, which in turn drive the turbines. However it is old technology.
Binary Cycle Power Stations
This is the modern method of producing geothermal electricity from the earth's heat. It fundamentally is a heat exchanger where geothermal liquids are passed by a secondary fluid that has a much lower boiling point than water. Thus it can drive a steam turbine using considerably lower temperatures. This is how modern Geothermal Plants are constructed.
Geothermal Closed Loop Power Stations
This
method of producing geothermal energy is revolutionizing the production of geothermal power as it does not require finding a hot water source. It simply circulates a liquid usually, usually one that has a lower boiling point, through a closed loop drilled into the earth's surface. This means, of course, it could be used much more easily outside of the ring of fire, anywhere in the world.
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