Materials selection guidelines for geothermal energy utilization systems

Combining geothermal energy utilization with the extraction of metals in a single interlinked process offers a way to improve the economics of engineered geothermal systems. Here we describe laboratory experiments used to assess the effectiveness of a range of leaching fluids by quantifying metal release from various mineralised rocks. The main findings of this study include: enhanced mobilisation of metals typically found in sulphide minerals (Pb, Zn, Cu), lesser mobilisation of some critical elements (such as Co, Sr and W), and the efficacy of organic additives in mobilising metals.

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Research on a Coupled Total-Flow and Single-Flash (TF-SF) System for Power and Freshwater Generation from Geothermal Source

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10082689 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 2689 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Guopeng Yu ◽

Zhibin Yu

Keyword(s):

Power Generation ◽

Geothermal Energy ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Condensation Process ◽

Total Flow ◽

Combined System ◽

Geothermal Resources ◽

Single Flash ◽

System Output ◽

Efficiency Effects

In response to the twin development challenges of energy shortage and water-scarcity in worldwide arid to semi-arid regions with geothermal resources, a new combined power and freshwater generation system is proposed for geothermal energy utilization. In this system, a total-flow turbine (TF) is employed to be coupled with the traditional single-flash (SF) system and thereafter the coupled TF-SF system is investigated in this work. In addition to power generation, the exhaust steam from turbines are recovered to produce freshwater through condensation. Based on the novel designed system, the production of both power and water are studied under variable wellhead conditions, including variable wellhead pressures, temperatures, mass flowrates, and vapor qualities. The temperature of the separating point at which the total-flow expansion ends and the steam expansion starts is studied for optimal system output. In addition, the efficiency effects of the total-flow turbine on performance of the combined system is also investigated. The power generation comparison shows good power potential of the proposed TF-SF combined system. An effective total-flow turbine with an average efficiency of 65% can lead to an optimal power capacity, exceeding the traditional single-flash (SF) system by 23.7%. Moreover, more than 1/3 of total wellhead discharge can be recovered as desalinated freshwater by the naturally equipped condensation process of the power plant, showing extra benefit from geothermal energy utilization.

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Potential and Future Prospects of Geothermal Energy in Space Conditioning of Buildings: India and Worldwide Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12208428 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (20) ◽

pp. 8428

Author(s):

Vivek Aggarwal ◽

Chandan Swaroop Meena ◽

Ashok Kumar ◽

Tabish Alam ◽

Anuj Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Geothermal Energy ◽

Action Plan ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Future Prospects ◽

Heating And Cooling ◽

Ground Source ◽

Efficient Performance ◽

Occupant Comfort ◽

Generation Capacity ◽

Air Conditioning Systems

This paper presents modern trends in geothermal energy utilization, mainly focusing on ground source heat (GSH) pumps for space conditioning in buildings. This paper focuses on India along with a general review of studies around the world. Space conditioning of a building contributes to about 40–50% of the total energy consumed in buildings and has an adverse impact on the environment and human health. The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) estimates that the demand for electricity for heating and cooling of buildings will increase by over 700% in India at current levels by 2047 with an additional 800 GW of power generation capacity needed just to meet heating and cooling needs by 2050, of which about 70% is required for the residential sector only. It further intensifies as the demand for peak electric load sharply increases in summer because of the extensive use of building air conditioning systems. Researchers across the globe have tried different cooling systems and found that some systems can offer a certain amount of energy-efficient performance, and also occupant comfort. Therefore, this article examines the geothermal potential in buildings for space conditioning by critically reviewing experimental and numerical studies along with the future prospects of GSH pumps.

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Geothermal Energy Utilization

Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology ◽

10.1007/978-1-4939-2493-6_231-3 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

John W. Lund

Keyword(s):

Geothermal Energy ◽

Energy Utilization

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Parametric Optimization of Earth to Air Heat Exchanger Using Response Surface Method

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11113186 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 3186 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maoz Maoz ◽

Saddam Ali ◽

Noor Muhammad ◽

Ahmad Amin ◽

Mohammad Sohaib ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Exchanger ◽

Response Surface ◽

Response Surface Method ◽

Geothermal Energy ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Cooling Load ◽

Air Velocity ◽

Pipe Length ◽

Surface Method

The achievement of sustainable energy goals warrants keen interest in promoting efficient buildings and renewable energy resources. Prominent among the energy-efficient building technologies is geothermal energy, which has a significant margin for improving energy utilization related to Heat, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC). However, the efficient extraction of geothermal energy for HVAC applications requires stringent control of geometric parameters, boundary conditions, and environmental conditions. In this study a new approach has been devised to optimize the open loop Earth to Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) system using a statistical optimization technique i.e., Response Surface Method (RSM). The study was conducted in the soil and weather conditions of Peshawar city in Pakistan. Parametric analysis was conducted for the three influencing variables, i.e., the pipe length, diameter, and air velocity using the EAHE model. The soil model predicts temperature in the range 20–26 °C for Peshawar at a depth above 3 m. Response Surface method was used to optimize the pipe length, diameter, and air velocity of the EAHE system. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicates that all the three factors are significant. The EAHE system can effectively reduce the temperature by 15–18 °C and compensate the cooling load of single room for the parameters in the ranges of 50–70 m for the length, 0.18–0.25 m for the diameter, and 5–7 ms−1 for the air velocity. A regression equation is developed to predict the cooling load for any input values of the three influencing variables according to the weather and soil conditions.

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Geothermal energy utilization trends from a technological paradigm perspective

Renewable Energy ◽

10.1016/j.renene.2014.12.035 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 77 ◽

pp. 430-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Bobo Zheng ◽

Jiuping Xu ◽

Ting Ni ◽

Meihui Li

Keyword(s):

Geothermal Energy ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Technological Paradigm

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