Geothermal, Wave, and Hydroelectric Energy

1. Geothermal, Wave, and Hydroelectric Energy Katie Lalla Calvin Mendel

2. How do they all work? • Geothermal: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_334575&feature=iv&src_vid=-ajqiPe_9Ko&v=h1LMFyCgs14 • Wave Power: (just one of the systems) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0mzrbfzUpM • Hydroelectric Power: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k • Geothermal: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_334575&feature=iv&src_vid=-ajqiPe_9Ko&v=h1LMFyCgs14 • Wave Power: (just one of the systems) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0mzrbfzUpM • Hydroelectric Power: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEL7yc8R42k

3. History of Geothermal Energy • Paleolithic times- hot springs used for bathing • Roman times- space heating in homes • Qin Dynasty 3rd century BC- stone pool fed by hot spring, oldest spa • First century AD- Romans conquered Bath, Somerset, England, and used hot springs to feed public baths and make under-floor heating. Admission paid for these public baths most likely represents the first commercial use of geothermal power.

4. History Continued • 14th century- World’s oldest geothermal district heating system in France is still in operation • 1892, Boise, Idaho- USA’s first district heating system powered entirely by geothermal energy • 1900, Oregon- copied Idaho’s heating plan • 1926ish- geysers used to heat greenhouses in Tuscany • 1930- Charlie Lieb developed first down hole heat exchanger to heat his house • July 4, 1904- Prince Piero Conti tested first geothermal power generator…it successfully lit FOUR light bulbs! • 1911- world’s first geothermal power plant built in Laderello, Italy • 1946-Kroeker developed first commercial heat pump to heat the Commonwealth Building in Oregon.

5. Heat Pump

6. History Continued (part 3!) • 1960- Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) began first geothermal electrical power plant, the original turbine lasted 30 years and produced 11 MW of net power. • 1979- Development of polybutylene pipe helped make heat pump economically viable. • 1981- binary cycle power plant introduced to the US • 2006- binary cycle power plant in Alaska

7. Binary Cycle Power Plant

8. Advantages! • Cost per kWh ranges from $0.05 to $0.08 • Minimal environmental impacts and emissions. • Generate economic development opportunities, creating jobs in more rural areas • Can provide power at all times if necessary (unlike solar, wind, etc), can operate approximately 98% of the time • Can help protect against volatile electricity prices • Recent advances allow for maximum resource use and minimal drilling

9. MORE Advantages! • Very small amount of air emissions: low amounts of CO2, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and most often, no nitrogen oxides • Geothermal plants are the largest taxpayers in nearly every country they exist • Can be used directly in aquaculture, greenhouses, and industrial and agricultural processes, resorts and spas, heating, and cooling. • Can be used to “cascade”, meaning to use the same source for two or more needs simultaneously, saving energy in the process

10. Disadvantages… • Best potential resources located on rural or remote areas • The process of developing government or state owned lands can be cumbersome and discouraging • The process of exploration and drilling can be expensive • The success rate for finding new, untapped areas is about 20% • If managed ineffectively, geothermal resources will decline in productivity over time

11. Some Graphs… • Nitrogen Oxide Emission for US Power Plants

12. Carbon Dioxide Emissions for US Power Plants

13. Sulfur Dioxide Emissions for US Power Plants

14. Just How Much? Some Numbers • About 70 countries made use of around 270 petajoules (A little over 50 tons of TNT) of geothermal heating in 2004 • Residential heating, with a capability of around 10 kW, can cost around $1000-$3000 to install

15. Land Use? More Numbers

16. Geothermal Home Systems • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVDBRQvBVso • If this sounds like an advertisement, that’s because it is. But it makes geothermal energy sound awesome!

17. How does a geothermal plant work?

18. These guys explain it far better than I ever will. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpp2MQffnw

19. CASE STUDY: The Geysers • Comprised of 45 sq. miles of steam field reservoirs, about 22 power plants • Net power of 725 MW, enough to power around 725,000 homes (or a city the size of San Francisco) • The largest possible (although not probable) seismic event is M5.0

21. Where is geothermal energy most viable?

22. Map of Seismic Plates

23. Iceland and Geothermal Energy • Benefits from location along fault line • Many volcanoes • 26.2% of the nation’s energy comes from geothermal sources • In Iceland, 93% of the homes are geothermally heated, saving approximately $100 Million annually in avoided oil imports • Compare with the U.S.

24. A lesson in Icelandic • Everyone’s favorite volcano: Eyjafjallajökull • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRnnJ45sCIw • Everyone’s favorite volcano: Eyjafjallajökull • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRnnJ45sCIw

25. The volcano with the ridiculous name

27. Volcanic activity in Iceland

28. Random Factoids • Any heat withdrawn from the earth is infinitesimally small compared to the heat of the earth’s core, making geothermal energy a viable renewable resource. • 122 kg of CO2 is produced per megawatt-hour, a nearly negligible amount compared to most fossil fuels. • By maintaining the resource, environmental risk is decreased to a trifling amount.

29. Random Factoids! • Heat pumps are the fastest growing way to harness geothermal energy, growing at around 30% each year around the world • Reykjavik, Iceland used to be thought of as one of the most polluted cities in the world, and is now considered one of the cleanest. • The largest seismic event related to geothermal activities was M3.7 in Australia.

30. Geothermal energy for the future • Relatively low environmental impact? Check. • Massive amounts of untapped resources? Check. • Like other forms of renewable energy in that • It is expensive now • Technology will gradually but inevitably be upgraded

32. Wave Energy History (yeah there’s history) • 1799- first patent in Paris to Girard and his son • 1910- Bochaux-Praceique near Bordeaux to light and power his house, it seems that this was the first oscillating water-column type of wave-energy device • 1940’s and 50’s- Yoshio Masuda researched how to draw power from ocean waves • 1973- oil spill caused many university researchers to rethink wave energy as a power source • 1974- Salter invented Salter’s duck or nodding duck that can stop 90% wave motion and convert 90% of it to energy, making it 81% efficient

33. Modern Technologies • PowerBuoy • Offshore Location • Captured via Buoy • Originated in US • Built in 1997 • A rack and pinion in the buoy spins a generator, then electricity is transmitted through a submerged power line • Installed only 5 miles offshore, in 100-200 feet of water • Generates around 150kW

34. Pelamis Wave Energy Converter • Offshore Location • Captured by surface following attenuator • Originated in UK (Scotland) • Built in 1998 • First tested in 2004 • P2 tested in 2010

35. Wave Dragon (yeah, for real!) • Offshore Location • Captured via surface following attenuator • Originated in Denmark • Created in 2003 • Large wing reflectors focus waves up a ramp into an offshore reservoir. Water returns to the ocean via gravity through hydroelectric generators

36. Anaconda Wave Energy Converter • Offshore Location • Captured via surface following attenuator • Originated in the UK • Created in 2008 • 200m long tube that, as waves run through it, waves are created inside the tube propelling turbines at the end of the tube

37. FlanSea • Offshore Location • Captured via buoy • Originated in Belgium • Created in 2010 • Developed for use in southern North Sea conditions, bobs and generates electricity that way

38. SeaRaser • Nearshore Location • Captured by buoy • Originated in UK • Created in 2008 • Pistons attached to sea floor and to a buoy, as buoy rises, pressurized water is pumped off to drive hydraulic generators

39. CETO Wave Power • Offshore Location • Captured by buoy • Originated in Australia • Created in 1999 • Buoy floats in the water, attached to a piston. Piston pumps as buoys rise and fall due to water rising and falling.

40. Great News! • The current usability of this resource is estimated to be greater than 2 TW (that’s a lot) • Waves AREN’T GOING AWAY! As long as we have the moon and wind, we’re good to go!

41. However… • Noise pollution, if not monitored carefully, may cause damage to surrounding marine life (other possible impacts are being studied) • Current technologies can only catch about 18.5% of the current energy produced by a wave (but 500 gigawatts is still a decent amount!) • Wave farms may cause displacement of local fisherman as well as contribute to unsafe navigation in areas with these farms nearby

42. How do they herd the waves?... • Nearly 15 different wave farms exist around the world, a surprising majority of which are in the United States • Ocean Power Technologies, a company based out of Pennsylvania, is involved in all five of the US wave farms

43. Where are good wave farm areas? • Western seaboard of Europe • Northern UK coast • Pacific coastlines of North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand • North and South temperate zones (prevailing westerlies blow the strongest in winter)

45. Wave Farm Fun Facts! • Aguacadoura Wave Farm in Portugal was the world’s first wave farm, but went out of business two months later due to the owners going bankrupt. They created 2.25 MW • Cornwall, a future wave hub in England, plans to generate between 20 and 40 MW of power, which would power approximately 7,500 homes. The savings are seen to be around 300,000 tons of CO2 in the next 25 years

46. The Big Kahuna… • Coors Bay, Oregon: future home of the largest wave power generator (100 MW) • Will have 200 PowerBuoys, 20 undersea sub-stations, and an undersea cable to deliver the power to the power plant

47. Approximate Monthly Wave Energy at project site

48. More Kahuna… • The power generated annually (approximately 275,000 KW/h) will be enough to power 24,900 homes • 140,250 tons of carbon dioxide will be displaced every year the plant is in production (like removing 29,000 cars from the road each year!)

49. But what drawbacks could there possibly be?? • For starters, waves are unpredictable. May be consistently providing power, may not be, thus cannot (obviously) be relied upon as a sole source of energy • Although generators cause no pollution once constructed, hydraulic fluid may leak into the ocean water and cause environmental issues • Can not only cause problems to marine life, but anyone living too nearby may be annoyed by the noise and sight of these bulky, ugly machines • The harnessing of the energy is only as effective as the cables it is carried through, making transportation fairly ineffective, although possible since we are very well versed as a world in transporting electrical energy

50. MORE WATER AHEAD!History • Has been used since ancient times to grind flour (or steal years of life? Princess Bride reference?) • Mid 1770’s- Bernard Forest de Belidor published Architecture Hydraulique describing vertical and horizontal axis hydraulics • 1878- first scheme for hydraulic power plant by William George Armstrong in England. It powered a single lamp in his gallery. • 1881- Schoelkopf Power Station #1 near Niagra Falls (on the US side) began producing electricity • 1882- First Edison power plant in Wisconsin had an output of 12.5 kilowatts (not a lot…)