Print this page New Advances in Geothermal Technology
Jeffrey Havelin, P.E.
Course Outline
This course will
review the geothermal principles, present and future applications, and various
design criteria. The geothermal energy potential beneath our feet is vast. This
tremendous resource amounts to 50,000 times the energy of all oil and gas resources
in the world, and geothermal energy is clean; it represents a promising solution
for the nation and the world as they become ever more concerned about global
warming, pollution, and rising fossil energy prices.
Increased development of geothermal energy gives people the potential to gain
better control of their own local energy resources and use a secure, safe, domestic
source of energy. Today's U.S. geothermal industry is a $1.5-billion-per-year
enterprise involving over 2800 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation, about
2000 MW of thermal energy in direct-use applications such as indoor heating,
greenhouses, food drying, and aquaculture, and over 3,700 MW of thermal energy
from geothermal heat pumps. The potential for growth is substantial.
This course is based entirely on Geothermal Energy Today- Publication DOE/GO-102005-2189
September 2005 published by the U.S. Department of Energy. This course includes
a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding
of course materials. You will be quizzed on the attached document in its entirety.
Learning Objective
This course will review the geothermal principles, present and future applications, and various design criteria.
- Comparison between ThermaLock ® and Portland cement concrete;
- Comparison of life cycle costs for various materials and coatings;
- Review of Enhanced geothermal systems - EGS design concepts;
- Review of subsurface temperature potentials;
- Review of Binary- cycle geothermal power plant design concepts;
- Review of flash or dry steam geothermal plants design concepts;
- Review of Extreme Acoustic Telemetry (XAcT) systems;
- Review of Mud Pulse Telemetry systems; and
- Review of the
Low Emissions Atmospheric Metering Separator (LEAMS) system.
Intended
Audience
This course is an introductory that would be very informative for engineers or architects who are interested in learning about geothermal energy concepts.
Course
Introduction
This course will review the geothermal principles, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), Binary- cycle geothermal power plant design concepts, present and future applications, and various advances in this technology.
The course will
also review the various types of telemetry systems, which are available today
to assist in drilling operations.
Course Content
This course is based entirely on the Geothermal Energy Today-
Publication DOE/GO-102005-2189, September 2005 published by the U.S. Department
of Energy.
The link to the course materials is as follows:
Geothermal Energy Today- Publication DOE/GO-102005-2189
Please
click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document
for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first
save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save
Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Course Summary
At the completion of this class the design professional should understand the principles, construction, and operation of enhanced geothermal systems, and the basic theory and methods used to capture energy from geothermal sources.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
