Geothermal Energy

In its essence, geothermal energy is simply heat of the Earth. The heat in the interior of the Earth is due to the formation of planets from dust and gases. In the rocks, process of continuous radioactive decay of elements takes place, which as a result has regeneration of this heat. It is therefore correctly to say that geothermal energy is a renewable source of energy. The heat is from the interior to the surface transmitted by means of water or steam. This component is renewable given the fact that water from the rain penetrates deep into the crevices and there is then heated and circulated back to the surface, where it appears in the form of geysers and hot springs.

The outer crust of the Earth is 5 to 50 kilometers tick and is compiled from the rocks. Substances from the inner layer is constantly coming to the surface through volcanic vents and cracks in the ocean floor. Below the crust is the mantle, and it extends to a depth of 2900 kilometers, and is composed of compounds rich in iron and magnesium. Underneath it all, there are two core layer - liquid layer and solid layer at the core of the planet. 

Production of Electrical Energy

One way of exploitation of geothermal energy is production of electrical energy. Hot water and steam from the earth are used to run the generator. This way of energy production is clean because there is no burning fossil fuels, hence there are no harmful emissions released into the atmosphere; only water vapor is emitted. An additional advantage is that such power can be implemented in a variety of environments, from the farm, sensitive desert areas all the way to the forest and recreational areas.

There are three basic types of geothermal power plants:

 - Dry steam principle - extremely hot steam is used, typically above 230 °C (430 °F). This steam is used to directly drive a turbine generator. This is the simplest and by far the cheapest principle of generating electricity from geothermal sources.

 - Flash principle - hot water from geothermal reservoirs is used under great pressure and at temperatures above 180 °C (350 °F). By pumping water from the tank to the plant, pressure is reduced on the surface and the hot water is converted into steam in a turbine. Water that is not converted into steam is returned to the tank for reuse. Most modern geothermal power plant uses this principle.

 - Binary principle - Water that is used in binary code principles is colder than the water used by other principles of generating electricity from geothermal sources. In binary principles hot water is used for heating the fluid which has a much lower temperature than the boiling point of water, and the liquid evaporates at a temperature of hot water, and a turbine generator. The advantage of this principle is greater efficiency of the procedure and the availability of the necessary geothermal reservoirs is much higher than other methods. An additional advantage is a complete closed system, since the used water is returned back to the reservoir and the heat loss is reduced, and there is almost no loss of water. Most of the planned new geothermal power plants will use this principle.

Applications of Geothermal Energy

There is a wide range of applications of geothermal energy. One possible way of using geothermal energy is heating of households. Geothermal energy is also used in agriculture to increase yields. Water from geothermal reservoirs is used for heating greenhouses for the production of flowers and vegetables. Efficient way of using geothermal energy is by means of heat pumps. Heat pumps use electrical energy to circulate the geothermal fluid, later used for heating, cooking and hot water. Hence electical consumption is significantly reduced. Some of these use the cultivation of fish, various types of industrial use, for recreation purposses etc.

Conclusion

Since the estimated total amount of geothermal energy that could be used much larger than the total amount of energy sources based on fossil fuels, geothermal energy should certainly be given more importance. It is also important to note that this is an inexpensive renewable source of energy that is also environmentally friendly. However, geothermal energy is not easily available everywhere, so we should take advantage of the places with high potential and thus to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. This way, new strategies for prevention of pollution are directly addressed.