As concerns are being raised around the world about the future of non-renewable fossil fuels, alternative energy sources are continually being researched. One alternative renewable energy source is geothermal energy, which is essentially converting the heat from the earth's core into energy. This resource is harvested in few different ways and converted for use around the planet for a wide variety of consumer and industrial applications.

1. Geothermal
Energy
MEASURING GEOTHERMAL ACTIVITY
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Geothermal energy is used in industrial applications, office buildings and homes, in over 20
different countries including Iceland, the United States and China to generate electricity or to
heat and cool buildings.
Thermal energy is a renewable resource derived from the earth’s internal heat, contained in the
rocks and fluids beneath the earth’s crust.
For the most part, geothermal energy is a clean, widely available, resource. Geothermal power
plants involve no combustion and emit very low levels of greenhouse gases.
HOW?
WHO?
WHAT?
W H Y?
Geothermal energy is cultivated and converted for use by power plants. The three types of
commercial power plants are, Flash Steam, Dry Steam and Binary Power Plants.
Geothermal energy is a renewable energy resource that is constantly being generated by
the earth, around the clock, every day. This energy is harvested from the heat produced
within the earth that rises to the earth’s surface in the form of hot springs, volcanoes,
geysers and underground reservoirs.
• Residential and Industrial heating
• Balneology (Hot Spring & Spas)
• Agriculture (Greenhouse, Milk Pasteurizing & Soil Warming)
• Aquaculture (Farming of Fish, Prawn & Alligators)
• Industrial Uses (Product Drying & Warming)
the energy from the earth.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL OF
THIS ENERGY?
Temperature, pressure and flow rate are just some of the types of data that can be monitored at a geothermal facility.
Temperature levels need to be monitored when entering or exiting a system to ensure temperatures
are cool enough or hot enough for the next phase.
Temperature:
Pressure is essential when it comes to flash steam power plants. To produce flash steam, the
pressure keeps the water in a liquid state as it travels through the steam separator, even though
the water temperature is well above the boiling point. Once it reaches the surface, the pressure is
relieved and the water flashes into steam.
Pressure:
Monitoring flow rate is important to regulate the water flow volume and speed in each type of plant.
Flow Rate:
FUN FACTS ABOUT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
is a famous hot
spring area near
Nagano, Japan. Well known for the large
population of wild Snow Monkeys that go to
the hot springs during the winter to stay warm.
Jigokudani
Monkey Park
Collect
the energy into a type of power source,
electricity as an example.
Convert
theenergytopoweroffice
buildings and homes.
Use
1
2
3
were the most well known for
utilizinghotspringsprimarilyfor
bathing and spas, but they also
used them for food preparation, agriculture, greenhouses & more.
3rd
century BCE (300 BCE)
The oldestknown use of geothermal energy, is a hot
water spa located in China dating back to the
Adjective | The word geothermal comes from two Greek words, Geo meaning “earth” and
Therme meaning “heat”. Geothermal energy rises to the earth’s surface in many forms like
volcanoes, geysers, hot springs & even in underground reservoirs.
Since 20 BCE
the Roman Civilization
How do we measure that data?
To grow and maintain efficiency, this industry needs
to collect data, analyze it and use it to validate and
optimize each system’s performance.
Data Loggers and data logging software
are essential tools for this task. Durable and
reliable data loggers used for geothermal
applications are designed to withstand harsh
environments. Data logging software helps
by storing electronic records and making
data easy to analyze and share in reports.
PR2000
PRESSURERECORDER
F1 F2 F3 F4
The Earth’s soil stays at a constant
50°Fto 60°Fand the
Earth’s core
is hotter than the surface of
the Sun!
In colder places like Oregon, USA,
pipes of geothermal water are
installed under sidewalks
and roads to keep them from
icing over during the harsh winter
months.
Yellowstone National Park
was the world’s first national park, established in
1872.The park alone contains half of all
the world’s known geothermal
features like geysers, hot springs
and other thermal areas. The last
full-scale eruption at Yellow-
stone occurred almost
640,000 thousand years ago.
In the United States, it is projected
that geothermal energy use will
increase and cover 10% of
the country’s ELECTRICAL
demands by year 2050.
Sources:
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• “Introduction to Geothermal Energy.” Introduction to Geothermal Energy - East Mesa, CA, Flash Plant. Geothermal Education Office, 2000. Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://geothermal.marin.org/geopresentation/sld055.htm>.
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• Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2015. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal>.
• Stober, Ingrid, and Kurt Bucher. “Chapter 2.” Geothermal Energy: From Theoretical Models to Exploration and Development. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 15-24. Print.