explain the four steps how geothermal works
Answer (1)
Here are the four key steps in a typical geothermal power plant:Drilling Wells to Access Geothermal Reservoir: Deep wells are drilled into the Earth's crust to reach underground reservoirs of hot water and/or steam. These reservoirs are naturally heated by the Earth's molten core and radioactive decay within the crust. The depth of these wells can vary significantly depending on the location and the temperature of the resource.Bringing Hot Fluid to the Surface: The superheated water or steam from the geothermal reservoir is pumped or naturally rises through the production wells to the surface. Depending on the temperature and pressure of the fluid, it might be in the form of hot water, steam, or a mixture of both. Harnessing Energy to Spin a Turbine: At the surface, the hot fluid's energy is used to spin a turbine.Dry Steam Plants: If the fluid is primarily steam, it's directly piped to the turbine.Flash Steam Plants: If it's very hot water under high pressure, the pressure is reduced, causing some of the water to "flash" (instantly turn) into steam, which then drives the turbine.Binary Cycle Plants: For lower-temperature geothermal water, the heat is transferred to a secondary fluid (with a lower boiling point than water) in a heat exchanger. This secondary fluid then vaporizes and spins the turbine. Generating Electricity and Re-injection: The spinning turbine is connected to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy into electricity. After passing through the turbine, the cooled geothermal fluid (or condensed steam) is then injected back into the underground reservoir through injection wells. This re-injection helps to replenish the reservoir, making geothermal energy a sustainable and renewable resource.
