Published on September 29, 2020With rising economic instability, people are complaining of various household issues. Some areas are witnessing power outages, while others are facing water shortages. As a result, authorities are exploring solutions to combat these overwhelming issues. They are digging wells to generate electricity and improve water supply in nearby areas. Alongside being pocket-friendly, it makes the best use of natural sources of the earth.
Unsurprisingly, there are pools of water underground heated by molten rocks, popularly known as geothermal power. So, how about you harness the power of the earth’s temperature? Communities are digging geothermal wells to eliminate all water shortage problems. Usually, they are self-discharging wells that produce more flow and energy than other wells. It gives you access to the underground reservoir, helping you adjust the temperature of the water.
Geothermal wells have two primary functions – generate steam to make electricity and close the earth’s surface for heating water. Do you wish to know more? Let us explain to you how geothermal wells and systems work to achieve these two goals.
Geothermal Power Plants
Geothermal wells serve a greater purpose than one can imagine. It uses heat from deep inside the earth to create steam for generating electricity. Wells are drilled 1-2 miles deep into the ground, letting them pump hot water to the surface. Here is the procedure step by step.
- Firstly, you need to put geothermal wells & systems under high pressure to pump hot water from underground.
- When hot water reaches the surface, the pressure reduces, allowing the water to turn into steam.
- It spins a turbine that connects to the generator, producing electricity.
- The steam cools off the water and condenses back to it.
Alongside this, here are three more ways of producing electricity through geothermal wells.
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Dry Steam Plant
These are the most common plants as they are working with geothermal wells for decades. They work by piping hot steam from underground directly into the turbines, power generator. After this, the vapor condenses into water and pipes it back into the earth by digging another injection well. It is pretty simple, but a time-consuming method.
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Flash Steam Plant
Instead of steaming water, these plants pump hot water directly to the surface. It uses high pressure to pump water from underground by using geothermal wells. It transfers all of it into the tank at a minimal temperature, causing the fluid to turn into steam. After this, the steam power turbines and the rest of the procedure remain the same.
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Binary Cycle Plant
It is the latest invention in geothermal energy. All the water from the well never comes in direct contact with the turbines. The water from geothermal wells is pumped through a heat exchanger, heating the second liquid-like isobutene. This liquid turns into steam that powers the turbines.
Heat Pumps
Geothermal wells also do wonders for homeowners. Alongside heating and cooling homes, they can also change the temperature of the water. They transfer heat by pumping water through pipes. It absorbs warmth from the earth, bringing the heat to the building above. Likewise, heat pumps work in reverse during summers to cool the buildings. There are two ways to harness temperature, have a look below.
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Closed-Loop Systems
Residential areas suffer from water shortages and extreme weather conditions. Closed-loop systems use water mixture through a loop of pipes in the geothermal wells. In winters, the temperature underground is warmer than air, transferring hot water in the houses. At the same time, the electric compressors move the heat through ducts in the building. The pipes extract heat away from the building in summer, and the geothermal wells absorb it. The fluid is cool, transferring cold air through compressors.
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Open Loop Systems
These systems take water from geothermal wells into the heat pump to enable recycling. It goes back in the same well or into another water source. The only difference is the slight change in temperature with water going in and out. Alongside being cheaper, they require a steady flow of water. As the population of buildings is higher, these pumps are quicker and come in handy.
Final Thoughts:
Geothermal energy is a renewable natural resource, more like a gift from the earth. With the increasing population and rising scarcity of resources, investing in geothermal wells & systems can be a perfect choice. Despite the high upfront costs, it is a long-term investment that provides overwhelming outcomes. After all, digging these wells is a way to maintain energy production levels to keep up with the staggering demand.
