1. Geothermal Energy By: Matthew A, Larry N, Garret S, Kevin D, Zachary S.

2. What IS Geothermal Energy?  Energy that comes from the natural heat of the Earth.  That heat comes from deep within the Earth, reaching all the way to the Earth’s core.  It can be used to create heat.  It can also be used to generate electricity.

3. Where Geothermal Energy Is Found  Mostly found around plate boundaries.  Types of geothermal energy:  Volcanoes  Hot Springs  Geysers  Fumaroles (openings in the planet’s crust)

5. Types Of Geothermal Power Plants  There are three types:  Dry Steam  Flash Steam  Binary Cycle

6. Dry Steam Plants  Were the first geothermal power generators built, which was at 1904 in Italy.  Generates energy by pushing steam into a vent and towards a turbine/generator to produce electricity.  The steam is then converted into water and injected into the ground.  Dry steam plants can produce 2,000 megawatts an hour if they are at peak production.

8. Flash Steam Plants  They are the most common kind of geothermal power plants.  They use water at high temperatures (182°C) that is pumped using high pressure towards a generator.  On reaching the generator, the pressure is reduced, making some of the water convert or “flash” into steam.  Like dry steam plants, the steam is used to power a turbine/generator to generate electricity.  The left over water and the cooled water are returned back to the surface.

10. Binary Cycle  Unlike the dry and flash steam plants, the steam from the geothermal reservoir does not come into contact with the turbine/generator  The water from the ground is sent into a heat exchanger, in which the heat is then absorbed by a liquid.  The steam from that liquid is then used to power the turbines/generators.  The liquid then condenses to it’s liquid state and repeats the process.

12. Geothermal Pollution  Geothermal plants don’t burn fuel of any kind, and does not emit pollution on a large scale.  Geothermal plants release less than 1% of the C02 emissions of a fossil fuel plant.  They also emit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfur that is emitted from fossil fuel plants.  The only kind of pollution geothermal energy makes is from some of the toxic gases that are in the steam from below ground.