Sunday, March 27, 2011

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is the energy is the energy which lies embedded within the earth.It is believed that the earth has a molten core.Temperature gradience exists as we move deeper the earth surface.The fact that volcanic eruption takes place in various parts of the earth prove that belief. This heat inside the earth is used as a source of energy and is known as Geothermal Energy.
Since the molten core of the earth will never cool down, this energy source is considered to be renewable.
In some cases the steam and hot water inside the earth comes naturally to the surface in some locations of the earth. Such locations are known as hot spots.The hot steam is used to drive turbine which generates electricity. Similarly the heat can also be used in other heating and lighting applications. Generally such usage is for small scale energy production. For large scale production bore holes are sunk inside the earth surface as deep as 1000 meters, releasing steam and water at higher temperature and pressure.
Present Geothermal energy usage rate is not significantly high, but it is expected to rise with the global energy crises due to the shortage of fossil fuel.The usage of such energy sources is expected to go up in different parts of the world in the coming years.




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