PowerPoint Presentation
Research Paper
Abstract:
Climate change is effecting our Earth. Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, extreme weather is occurring, and temperatures are rising at a significantly high rate. One of the main causes is human lifestyle. Burning of fossil fuels has led to an increased carbon output into our atmosphere. This carbon will mix with water vapor along with other chemicals to form greenhouse gases such as Sulfur dioxide and Carbon Dioxide. These trap solar radiation which increases our temperatures. In order for us to combat this we need to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and find clean alternative energy sources. Geothermal energy is a source that is both clean and can provide heating, cooling, and electricity. There are many other alternative energy sources along with geothermal out there that we need demand to be used instead.
1ntroduction:
With sea levels rising, ice cap and glaciers melting, and temperatures rising at a rate that hasn’t been recorded in human history there is no doubt that global warming and climate change are real threats to not only humanity but the entire world as well. One of the biggest reasons for this is increased greenhouse gases from the burning of petroleum’s which include gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oils. This large amount of carbon rises into our atmosphere and combines with water vapor and other chemicals to form greenhouse gases such as sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. These gases stay in the atmosphere where they stay and trap incoming solar radiation, since the energy is trapped it heats up the surrounding molecules in turn warming up the earth. While we do need greenhouse gases in order to live, the rate of how much greenhouse gas is in our atmosphere is climbing too drastically causing the effects mentioned at the beginning of this introduction. We still have time to change this luckily, with the help of alternative energy sources we can cut down or eliminate the use of fossil fuels. This paper will focus on the energy source that I researched, that being geothermal energy. While there are many other forms of alternative energy such as biofuel and hydropower that my group talked about I decided to give an in-depth look into geothermal energy because I believe it to be a very good alternative energy source especially for the west coast where over 74,254,423 million people live. (Wikipedia, 2016)
Geothermal energy relies on using thermal energy that is readily available in the core-mantle boundary. The name geothermal alone can describe what this energy source is. Geothermal derives from the Greek words ge meaning Earth and thermos meaning hot. So essentially geothermal energy is drilling into the Earth to obtain energy from molten rock and steam. In order to get the hottest temperatures and in turn the most energy we have to take into account the geothermal gradient. According to Wikipedia the geothermal gradient is the “rate of increasing temperature with respect to increasing depth in the Earth's interior.” (Wikipedia, 2016) It is found that for every 70 ft. the temperature will rise 1 degree Fahrenheit. Keeping that in mind we can tap into heat that on average is from 1,200 to 2,200 °F.
So how do we harness this energy? The main way that we can harness the heat from the Earth is through direct geothermal contact. First a geothermal reservoir is located where water or earth is at a constant temperature of 50 to 60 degrees °F. (Renewable Energy World, 2016) Then a well will be drilled into the ground, pipes will then take the hot water to a building where a heat exchanger will transfer the heat over to a duct system which will warm the building. The water is then cooled down and piped back into the ground to be warmed up and used again. In summer the reverse happens where heat is moved into the heat exchanger where it will be lead to the Earth.
Since geothermal energy only produces heat naturally power plants have been built in order to turn this energy into electricity. There are three main types of power plants, the first being a dry steam power plant. Dry steam power plants are a very easy concept, first steam is shot up directly from the reservoir and used to turn turbines in a generator. The second power plant is a flash steam which pipes up very hot water into a flash tank. This tank is put under extreme pressure that turns the water into steam which again turns a turbine to generate electricity. The steam then cools and turns back into water which is piped down the well. Lastly a binary cycle plant can be used which pipes up hot water that transfers its heat through a heat exchanger to a liquid with a lower boiling point, typically isobutene. This liquid turns into a pressurized steam and spins a turbine as well. All the power plants use very hot steam around 300°F to 700°F in order to create electricity. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2016)
Geothermal is the cleanest alternative energy available. This is because it has no emissions and only uses energy that is already available from Earth. So unlike with gas and oil there is no price fluctuations because it is a renewable resource, this means that people will save a great amount of money. According to ComfortPro geothermal energy will save you “30%-60% savings on heating and 25%-50% savings on cooling.” (ComfortPros, 2015) And unlike wind or solar power geothermal energy is not weather dependent so you will have the same energy output all day long. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks from geothermal. The first being the cost according to ComfortPro the installation fee is around $10,000-20,000. (ComfortPros, 2015) It is also more suitable for newer homes since older home would need to be renovated. The biggest drawback is that it has been found that geothermal energy can increase the force and amount of earthquakes if they are located near fault lines. While costly if available geothermal is the cleanest and cheapest long-term.
So with that being said how practical is geothermal energy? It depends. If you are located on the west side of the United States, it can be very practical. The reason being is that the west coast lies on younger and hotter molten rock called “hot spots” from the Pacific Rim converging plate. (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016) If you are on the east coast, not so much because of the older and harder rock found there. Economically geothermal could actually benefit the United States according to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Nearly half of the U.S. annual trade deficit would be erased if domestic energy resources displaced imported oil.” (U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , 2016)It would also be beneficial for the government since most power plants are on federal land they can tax the power plants to raise money for the United States.
Ultimately the fate of the Earth is in our hands. We have a decision on our hands, do we fix the mess that we have made and clean up our Earth? Or do we become the demise and allow our Earth to become too damaged to be repaired? If we don’t change our ways we will become an extinct race. While it may feel impossible to make a change there are ways that you can start. First you can research alternative energy sources and make the change that will accommodate your life. Second you can vote for people who will make a conscious effort to eliminate fossil fuels. Lastly you can raise awareness yourself. Talk to those around you whether it be friends, family, or your neighbors raise awareness and give knowledge. In order for us to make a difference we need to start now.
Climate change is effecting our Earth. Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, extreme weather is occurring, and temperatures are rising at a significantly high rate. One of the main causes is human lifestyle. Burning of fossil fuels has led to an increased carbon output into our atmosphere. This carbon will mix with water vapor along with other chemicals to form greenhouse gases such as Sulfur dioxide and Carbon Dioxide. These trap solar radiation which increases our temperatures. In order for us to combat this we need to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and find clean alternative energy sources. Geothermal energy is a source that is both clean and can provide heating, cooling, and electricity. There are many other alternative energy sources along with geothermal out there that we need demand to be used instead.
1ntroduction:
With sea levels rising, ice cap and glaciers melting, and temperatures rising at a rate that hasn’t been recorded in human history there is no doubt that global warming and climate change are real threats to not only humanity but the entire world as well. One of the biggest reasons for this is increased greenhouse gases from the burning of petroleum’s which include gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oils. This large amount of carbon rises into our atmosphere and combines with water vapor and other chemicals to form greenhouse gases such as sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. These gases stay in the atmosphere where they stay and trap incoming solar radiation, since the energy is trapped it heats up the surrounding molecules in turn warming up the earth. While we do need greenhouse gases in order to live, the rate of how much greenhouse gas is in our atmosphere is climbing too drastically causing the effects mentioned at the beginning of this introduction. We still have time to change this luckily, with the help of alternative energy sources we can cut down or eliminate the use of fossil fuels. This paper will focus on the energy source that I researched, that being geothermal energy. While there are many other forms of alternative energy such as biofuel and hydropower that my group talked about I decided to give an in-depth look into geothermal energy because I believe it to be a very good alternative energy source especially for the west coast where over 74,254,423 million people live. (Wikipedia, 2016)
Geothermal energy relies on using thermal energy that is readily available in the core-mantle boundary. The name geothermal alone can describe what this energy source is. Geothermal derives from the Greek words ge meaning Earth and thermos meaning hot. So essentially geothermal energy is drilling into the Earth to obtain energy from molten rock and steam. In order to get the hottest temperatures and in turn the most energy we have to take into account the geothermal gradient. According to Wikipedia the geothermal gradient is the “rate of increasing temperature with respect to increasing depth in the Earth's interior.” (Wikipedia, 2016) It is found that for every 70 ft. the temperature will rise 1 degree Fahrenheit. Keeping that in mind we can tap into heat that on average is from 1,200 to 2,200 °F.
So how do we harness this energy? The main way that we can harness the heat from the Earth is through direct geothermal contact. First a geothermal reservoir is located where water or earth is at a constant temperature of 50 to 60 degrees °F. (Renewable Energy World, 2016) Then a well will be drilled into the ground, pipes will then take the hot water to a building where a heat exchanger will transfer the heat over to a duct system which will warm the building. The water is then cooled down and piped back into the ground to be warmed up and used again. In summer the reverse happens where heat is moved into the heat exchanger where it will be lead to the Earth.
Since geothermal energy only produces heat naturally power plants have been built in order to turn this energy into electricity. There are three main types of power plants, the first being a dry steam power plant. Dry steam power plants are a very easy concept, first steam is shot up directly from the reservoir and used to turn turbines in a generator. The second power plant is a flash steam which pipes up very hot water into a flash tank. This tank is put under extreme pressure that turns the water into steam which again turns a turbine to generate electricity. The steam then cools and turns back into water which is piped down the well. Lastly a binary cycle plant can be used which pipes up hot water that transfers its heat through a heat exchanger to a liquid with a lower boiling point, typically isobutene. This liquid turns into a pressurized steam and spins a turbine as well. All the power plants use very hot steam around 300°F to 700°F in order to create electricity. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2016)
Geothermal is the cleanest alternative energy available. This is because it has no emissions and only uses energy that is already available from Earth. So unlike with gas and oil there is no price fluctuations because it is a renewable resource, this means that people will save a great amount of money. According to ComfortPro geothermal energy will save you “30%-60% savings on heating and 25%-50% savings on cooling.” (ComfortPros, 2015) And unlike wind or solar power geothermal energy is not weather dependent so you will have the same energy output all day long. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks from geothermal. The first being the cost according to ComfortPro the installation fee is around $10,000-20,000. (ComfortPros, 2015) It is also more suitable for newer homes since older home would need to be renovated. The biggest drawback is that it has been found that geothermal energy can increase the force and amount of earthquakes if they are located near fault lines. While costly if available geothermal is the cleanest and cheapest long-term.
So with that being said how practical is geothermal energy? It depends. If you are located on the west side of the United States, it can be very practical. The reason being is that the west coast lies on younger and hotter molten rock called “hot spots” from the Pacific Rim converging plate. (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016) If you are on the east coast, not so much because of the older and harder rock found there. Economically geothermal could actually benefit the United States according to the U.S. Department of Energy, “Nearly half of the U.S. annual trade deficit would be erased if domestic energy resources displaced imported oil.” (U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy , 2016)It would also be beneficial for the government since most power plants are on federal land they can tax the power plants to raise money for the United States.
Ultimately the fate of the Earth is in our hands. We have a decision on our hands, do we fix the mess that we have made and clean up our Earth? Or do we become the demise and allow our Earth to become too damaged to be repaired? If we don’t change our ways we will become an extinct race. While it may feel impossible to make a change there are ways that you can start. First you can research alternative energy sources and make the change that will accommodate your life. Second you can vote for people who will make a conscious effort to eliminate fossil fuels. Lastly you can raise awareness yourself. Talk to those around you whether it be friends, family, or your neighbors raise awareness and give knowledge. In order for us to make a difference we need to start now.
Reflection Paper
Luckily for this project I didn't run into any major problems. Some problems I did encounter was finding credible sights and what information I wanted to provide people with. I evetually decided that I was going to inform the audience what my energy source was, how it works, the pros and cons of my energy source, and the practicality of the energy. The next bump in the road would have to be putting the information into the powerpoint. I didn't want it to be information overload but at the same time I wanted people who didn't hear me present to get a basic understanding of what it was that I was talking about. Another difficiculty was keeping up with my group mates and making sure they were doing their work. I would send out emails and keep tabs just to see if they needed any help. I am pretty thankful that I had a good group with people who have good time management skills.