Unlimited free energy right below your feet

That´s right, there´s enough free energy right under your feet to power humanity for millions of years.

Only 2 miles (3 km) below the surface the temperature is thousands of degrees, pumping down water and converting the resulting steam to electricity is low tech in our modern era; in fact, this was first experimented on way back in 1904, and even the ancient Romans harnessed geothermal energies for their baths. But in 2020, harnessing this free and abundant energy source is still not done, and I´m wondering why? What are your thoughts?

-MM

Right? Let me check my DeWalt drill set...

Seriously though, the sweden condition? Or whatever, is not the same throughout the earth.
There's only a few places it's possible..reachable, stable enough etc..
Not a practical solution.

Having said that, geothermal on houses is awesome. I've messed around with it made some custom geo radiant flooring setups.
The ground is around 50 degrees F in most places at 15' deep, so using pex loops through the ground, the coolant returns to system around 50 degrees. You then have a 50 degree starting point, meaning a tiny heater can bring it up to the 70s.
$14/month heating bill at one prop I built.
Ac has no compressor, just a radiator type setup pushing coolant through at 50.
The system is slow to change temps, so needs longer ramp up times.
Absolutely best heat there is...no air movement, doesn't dry skin out like forced air furnaces.
Great for pollen and dust problem people.
Deep earth geo using the cores heat is a much different thing and ridiculously difficult

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation
these ones dont count? 2019 stats (30 second google search)
Top 10 geothermal countries year-end 2019.

United States – 3,676 MW – with an additional 23 MW just added before the year-end
Indonesia – 2,133 MW – 185 MW added this year
Philippines – 1,918 MW – change of 50 MW is not quite clear, but might depend on work by EDC on existing plants
Turkey – 1,526 MW – 179 MW added in 2019, with still existing uncertainties regarding the FIT
New Zealand – 1,005 MW – no additions in 2019
Mexico – 962.7 MW – one addition of 27 MW, but net only a growth of 11.7 MW due to non-operational capacity.
Italy – 944 MW – with the current political climate, this number might not change much soon
Kenya – 861 MW – addition of 193.3 MW the largest expansion by country this year
Iceland – 755 MW – one addition of 5 MW replacing an old 3 MW plant
Japan – 601 MW – continued small-scale development and one larger addition, total 51.6 MW added

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation

Steam is very corrosive. Until you can coat the inside with a hydrophobic material like ceramic or graphene you will always have an issue.

You may consider supercritical CO2. Or, even a molten salt (FLiBe). Heck, just the heat differential alone could be used in the right material! It would be a variety of Sterling engine in that respect.

The logistics must be huge or this would be done everywhere!

Great question!!

S+F

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation

My thoughts? You should learn more about this topic.

Only 2 miles (3 km) below the surface the temperature is thousands of degrees

Wrong. You just have to know that the deepest mines are deeper than 3 km to see that's not true.

But in 2020, harnessing this free and abundant energy source is still not done, and I´m wondering why

In the places where they don't have to spend lots of energy pumping water to great depths (in locations with volcanic activity), they do use geothermal energy.
For example, in Iceland, 30% of all the electricity produced comes from geothermal energy.
The US is the country with the highest production of electricity from geothermal sources.

Electricity production from geothermal energy

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation

I recall in America that was done to power a world fair in 1894? With my Dementia i cannot recall exactly which city or year this was in but i think it might be SF www.pinterest.com... And the website Stolen history has vanished to get the details again



Edit it may have been 1893 Chicago now i think of it en.wikipedia.org...'s_Columbian_Exposition

originally posted by: MerkabaMeditation
That´s right, there´s enough free energy right under your feet to power humanity for millions of years.

Only 2 miles (3 km) below the surface the temperature is thousands of degrees, pumping down water and converting the resulting steam to electricity is low tech in our modern era; in fact, this was first experimented on way back in 1904, and even the ancient Romans harnessed geothermal energies for their baths. But in 2020, harnessing this free and abundant energy source is still not done, and I´m wondering why? What are your thoughts?

-MM

Pumping water down into the Earth's crust is essentially what fracking is. If the water you're pumping picks up contaminants, and ends up in the water table, you got big problems. Not to mention fracking can and has created localized instability and ground shifts in the crust, i.e. Earthquakes.

IMO we ought to just leave Terra Firma alone; lots of safer and cleaner options for pursuing modern energy sources.

originally posted by: MerkabaMeditation
That´s right, there´s enough free energy right under your feet to power humanity for millions of years.

Only 2 miles (3 km) below the surface the temperature is thousands of degrees, pumping down water and converting the resulting steam to electricity is low tech in our modern era; in fact, this was first experimented on way back in 1904, and even the ancient Romans harnessedl geothermal energies for their baths. But in 2020, harnessing this free and abundant energy source is still not done, and I´m wondering why? What are your thoughts?

-MM

You have no idea how geothermal power really works.

I worked at Coso Geothermal Power plants for over 2 years.
www.energyrefuge.com...
en.wikipedia.org...

It currently produces 270 MW from four geothermal power plants.

The Coso geothermal project was the brainchild of Dr. Carl Austin
i knew DR Carl Austin for over 30 years.

Each well cost $6+ million production depths from 2,000 to 12,000 feet deep wells and each power plant cost over $230+ million to build and this was a live steam field.

And this is a wet field with live steam in it.

A dry field like you are talking about needs at least 2 wells to get steam, an injection well and a steam well with the rock between them fracked between the wells.

How long do fracked geothermal wells last? about 10 to 20 years then they need refracked again.

With just one well you might get power from it in the KW range at best.

TNSTAAFL "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch"

a reply to: stonerwilliam
www.teslasociety.com...

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Steam is very corrosive.

Steam from pure water treated to have oxygen removed is not corrosive. As in a power plant.

Steam from a thermal vent is different.

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation



Hmm... What about Nicola Tesla's Tech that Harnessed the Earth's Magnetic Field to Produce AC Current ? Way More Efficient than Geothermal .....

There is good reason its not as easy as you seem to think. First The average geothermal gradient is around 25°C/km. You need to go at least 4 km to just get boiling water. You actually want it significantly higher than that because 1 a 4 + km pipe is going to lose heat. So your unlimited source of energy is now over 4 km and the expense for drilling is huge . Your not driling through shale like you do with oil wells. You also use a ton of bits as the deeper you drill the hotter the bits will get in use because it has a hard time getting rid of the heat from friction. The heat wreaks havoc on equipment. And, the higher the heat, the more liquid the environment, and the harder to maintain the bore. And to make it usefu your talking at least three bore holes. your actually going to have to fracture the rock between 2 of them.

So bottom line in most places to drill deep enough is not practacle. This is why you want to find geothermal vents that were already done. You wont have to drill as deep unfortunately theres not alot of those around.

originally posted by: skybandit
a reply to: stonerwilliam
www.teslasociety.com...

Thank you i was off looking for the info but it appears hard to find now

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit
a reply to: MerkabaMeditation



Hmm... What about Nicola Tesla's Tech that Harnessed the Earth's Magnetic Field to Produce AC Current ? Way More Efficient than Geothermal .....

The biggest problem is that with steam you have to be careful that you aren't growing micro-organisms and molds. They love that sort of environment.

So the system has to be monitored for excess moisture.

Wrong, being a power engineer myself ALL steam boilers are supposed to use treatments for the steam. It’s a standard practice.

Lost of steam boilers use soften water to start then as a treatment to increase ph but not enough to be scale forming.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Industries aside, only two words are required:

Deepwater Horizon.

The technology is not really there yet unfortunately.

MR

a reply to: ketsuko

They will even grow on the outside of the space station

There is no such thing as "free energy"
Think about it.

a reply to: MerkabaMeditation

Did you know that you can get free energy to keep yourself warm even in arctic environmental conditions?

All you have to do is set yourself on fire. What a saving!

LOL