Geothermal Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bufe, Charles Glenn

1983-01-01

Major activities, programs, and conferences in geothermal energy during 1982 are highlighted. These include first comprehensive national assessment of U.S. low-temperature geothermal resources (conducted by U.S. Geological Survey and Department of Energy), map production by U.S. Geological Survey, geothermal plant production, and others. (JN)

Relevance of deep-subsurface microbiology for underground gas storage and geothermal energy production.

PubMed

Gniese, Claudia; Bombach, Petra; Rakoczy, Jana; Hoth, Nils; Schlömann, Michael; Richnow, Hans-Hermann; Krüger, Martin

2014-01-01

This chapter gives the reader an introduction into the microbiology of deep geological systems with a special focus on potential geobiotechnological applications and respective risk assessments. It has been known for decades that microbial activity is responsible for the degradation or conversion of hydrocarbons in oil, gas, and coal reservoirs. These processes occur in the absence of oxygen, a typical characteristic of such deep ecosystems. The understanding of the responsible microbial processes and their environmental regulation is not only of great scientific interest. It also has substantial economic and social relevance, inasmuch as these processes directly or indirectly affect the quantity and quality of the stored oil or gas. As outlined in the following chapter, in addition to the conventional hydrocarbons, new interest in such deep subsurface systems is rising for different technological developments. These are introduced together with related geomicrobiological topics. The capture and long-termed storage of large amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon capture and storage (CCS), for example, in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, is considered to be an important options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. On the other hand, the increasing contribution of energy from natural and renewable sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal energy, or biogas production leads to an increasing interest in underground storage of renewable energies. Energy carriers, that is, biogas, methane, or hydrogen, are often produced in a nonconstant manner and renewable energy may be produced at some distance from the place where it is needed. Therefore, storing the energy after its conversion to methane or hydrogen in porous reservoirs or salt caverns is extensively discussed. All these developments create new research fields and challenges for microbiologists and geobiotechnologists. As a basis for respective future work, we introduce the three major topics, that is

Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy via High Temperature Electrolysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James E. O'Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring

2006-04-01

This paper presents the technical case for high-temperature nuclear hydrogen production. A general thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production based on high-temperature thermal water splitting processes is presented. Specific details of hydrogen production based on high-temperature electrolysis are also provided, including results of recent experiments performed at the Idaho National Laboratory. Based on these results, high-temperature electrolysis appears to be a promising technology for efficient large-scale hydrogen production.

Numerical estimation of ultrasonic production of hydrogen: Effect of ideal and real gas based models.

PubMed

Kerboua, Kaouther; Hamdaoui, Oualid

2018-01-01

Based on two different assumptions regarding the equation describing the state of the gases within an acoustic cavitation bubble, this paper studies the sonochemical production of hydrogen, through two numerical models treating the evolution of a chemical mechanism within a single bubble saturated with oxygen during an oscillation cycle in water. The first approach is built on an ideal gas model, while the second one is founded on Van der Waals equation, and the main objective was to analyze the effect of the considered state equation on the ultrasonic hydrogen production retrieved by simulation under various operating conditions. The obtained results show that even when the second approach gives higher values of temperature, pressure and total free radicals production, yield of hydrogen does not follow the same trend. When comparing the results released by both models regarding hydrogen production, it was noticed that the ratio of the molar amount of hydrogen is frequency and acoustic amplitude dependent. The use of Van der Waals equation leads to higher quantities of hydrogen under low acoustic amplitude and high frequencies, while employing ideal gas law based model gains the upper hand regarding hydrogen production at low frequencies and high acoustic amplitudes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diffuse helium and hydrogen degassing to reveal hidden geothermal resources in oceanic volcanic islands: The Canarian archipelago case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, Fátima; Pérez, Nemesio M.; Padrón, Eleazar; Dionis, Samara; López, Gabriel; Melián, Gladys V.; Asensio-Ramos, María; Hernández, Pedro A.; Padilla, German; Barrancos, José; Marrero, Rayco; Hidalgo, Raúl

2015-04-01

During geothermal exploration, the geochemical methods are extensively used and play a major role in both exploration and exploitation phases. They are particularly useful to assess the subsurface temperatures in the reservoir, the origin of the fluid, and flow directions within the reservoir. The geochemical exploration is based on the assumption that fluids on the surface reflect physico-chemical and thermal conditions in the geothermal reservoir at depth. However, in many occasions there is not any evidence of endogenous fluids manifestations at surface, that traditionally evidence the presence of an active geothermal system. Discovery of new geothermal systems will therefore require exploration of areas where the resources are either hidden or lie at great depths. Geochemical methods for geothermal exploration at these areas must include soil gas surveys, based on the detection of anomalously high concentrations of some hydrothermal gases in the soil atmosphere, generally between 40 cm and 1 meter depth from the surface. Among soil gases, particularly interest has been addressed to non-reactive and/or highly mobile gases. They offer important advantages for the detection of vertical permeability structures, because their interaction with the surrounding rocks or fluids during the ascent toward the surface is minimum. This is the case of helium (He) and hydrogen (H2), that have unique characteristics as a geochemical tracer, owing to their chemical and physical characteristics. Enrichments of He and H2 observed in the soil atmosphere can be attributed almost exclusively to migration of deep-seated gas toward the surface. In this work we show the results of soil gas geochemistry studies, focused mainly in non-reactive and/or highly mobile gases as He and H2, in five minning grids at Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Canay Islands, Spain, during 2011-2014. The primary objective was to use different geochemical evidences of deep-seated gas emission to sort the possible

Heat Production as a Tool in Geothermal Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhodes, J. M.; Koteas, C.; Mabee, S. B.; Thomas, M.; Gagnon, T.

2012-12-01

Heat flow data (together with knowledge, or assumptions, of stratigraphy, thermal conductivity and heat production) provide the prime parameter for estimating the potential of geothermal resources. Unfortunately this information is expensive to obtain as it requires deep boreholes. Consequently it is sparse or lacking in areas not traditionally considered as having geothermal potential. New England (and most of the northeastern U.S.A.) is one such area. However, in the absence of volcano-derived hydrothermal activity with its attendant high heat flow, granitic plutons provide an alternative geothermal resource. Compared with other crustal rocks, granites contain higher concentrations of heat-producing elements (K, U, Th). Additionally, they are relatively homogeneous, compared to surrounding country rock, allowing for stimulation through hydro-fracking of large (>1 km3) geothermal reservoirs. Consequently we have adopted a different approach, obtaining heat production data rather then relying on the very sparse heat flow data. Birch and colleagues long since recognized the relationship between heat flow and heat production as an integral part of their concept of Heat Flow Provinces. Heat production is readily determined in the laboratory by measuring the density of a sample and the concentrations of its heat-producing elements potassium, uranium and thorium. We have determined the heat production for 570 samples from most of the major granitic and gneissic bodies in Massachusetts and Connecticut. We have also measured these parameters for 70 sedimentary rocks that cover granites and gneiss in the Connecticut and Narragansett Basins. This data is being used to calculate inferred heat flow data for these localities. Comparison of these inferred heat flow values with the sparse number of those measured directly in boreholes in the two States is encouraging, indicating that this approach has merit. We have also measured thermal conductivity on all of these samples

Co-Production of Electricity and Hydrogen Using a Novel Iron-based Catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hilaly, Ahmad; Georgas, Adam; Leboreiro, Jose

2011-09-30

The primary objective of this project was to develop a hydrogen production technology for gasification applications based on a circulating fluid-bed reactor and an attrition resistant iron catalyst. The work towards achieving this objective consisted of three key activities: Development of an iron-based catalyst suitable for a circulating fluid-bed reactor; Design, construction, and operation of a bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production; Techno-economic analysis of the steam-iron and the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production processes. This report describes the work completed in each of these activities during this project. The catalyst development and testing program prepared and iron-basedmore » catalysts using different support and promoters to identify catalysts that had sufficient activity for cyclic reduction with syngas and steam oxidation and attrition resistance to enable use in a circulating fluid-bed reactor system. The best performing catalyst from this catalyst development program was produced by a commercial catalyst toll manufacturer to support the bench-scale testing activities. The reactor testing systems used during material development evaluated catalysts in a single fluid-bed reactor by cycling between reduction with syngas and oxidation with steam. The prototype SIP reactor system (PSRS) consisted of two circulating fluid-bed reactors with the iron catalyst being transferred between the two reactors. This design enabled demonstration of the technical feasibility of the combination of the circulating fluid-bed reactor system and the iron-based catalyst for commercial hydrogen production. The specific activities associated with this bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor systems that were completed in this project included design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The experimental portion of this project focused on technical demonstration of the performance of an iron-based catalyst and a

Turkey's High Temperature Geothermal Energy Resources and Electricity Production Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilgin, Ö.

2012-04-01

Turkey is in the first 7 countries in the world in terms of potential and applications. Geothermal energy which is an alternative energy resource has advantages such as low-cost, clean, safe and natural resource. Geothermal energy is defined as hot water and steam which is formed by heat that accumulated in various depths of the Earth's crust; with more than 20oC temperature and which contain more than fused minerals, various salts and gases than normal underground and ground water. It is divided into three groups as low, medium and high temperature. High-temperature fluid is used in electricity generation, low and medium temperature fluids are used in greenhouses, houses, airport runways, animal farms and places such as swimming pools heating. In this study high temperature geothermal fields in Turkey which is suitable for electricity production, properties and electricity production potential was investigated.

Outstanding issues for new geothermal resource assessments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, C.F.; Reed, M.J.

2005-01-01

A critical question for the future energy policy of the United States is the extent to which geothermal resources can contribute to an ever-increasing demand for electricity. Electric power production from geothermal sources exceeds that from wind and solar combined, yet the installed capacity falls far short of the geothermal resource base characterized in past assessments, even though the estimated size of the resource in six assessments completed in the past 35 years varies by thousands of Megawatts-electrical (MWe). The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working closely with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Research Program and other geothermal organizations on a three-year effort to produce an updated assessment of available geothermal resources. The new assessment will introduce significant changes in the models for geothermal energy recovery factors, estimates of reservoir permeability, limits to temperatures and depths for electric power production, and include the potential impact of evolving Enhanced (or Engineered) Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology.

Biomass and Neutral Lipid Production in Geothermal Microalgal Consortia

PubMed Central

Bywaters, Kathryn F.; Fritsen, Christian H.

2015-01-01

Recently, technologies have been developed that offer the possibility of using algal biomass as feedstocks to energy producing systems – in addition to oil-derived fuels (Bird et al., 2011, 2012). Growing native mixed microalgal consortia for biomass in association with geothermal resources has the potential to mitigate negative impacts of seasonally low temperatures on biomass production systems as well as mitigate some of the challenges associated with growing unialgal strains. We assessed community composition, growth rates, biomass, and neutral lipid production of microalgal consortia obtained from geothermal hot springs in the Great Basin/Nevada area that were cultured under different thermal and light conditions. Biomass production rates ranged from 39.0 to 344.1 mg C L−1 day−1. The neutral lipid production in these consortia with and without shifts to lower temperatures and additions of bicarbonate (both environmental parameters that have been shown to enhance neutral lipid production) ranged from 0 to 38.74 mg free fatty acids (FFA) and triacylglycerols (TAG) L−1 day−1; the upper value was approximately 6% of the biomass produced. The higher lipid values were most likely due to the presence of Achnanthidium sp. Palmitic and stearic acids were the dominant free fatty acids. The S/U ratio (the saturated to unsaturated FA ratio) decreased for cultures shifted from their original temperature to 15°C. Biomass production was within the upper limits of those reported for individual strains, and production of neutral lipids was increased with secondary treatment. All results demonstrate a potential of culturing and manipulating resultant microalgal consortia for biomass-based energy production and perhaps even for biofuels. PMID:25763368

Hydrogen production by Cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Dutta, Debajyoti; De, Debojyoti; Chaudhuri, Surabhi; Bhattacharya, Sanjoy K

2005-12-21

The limited fossil fuel prompts the prospecting of various unconventional energy sources to take over the traditional fossil fuel energy source. In this respect the use of hydrogen gas is an attractive alternate source. Attributed by its numerous advantages including those of environmentally clean, efficiency and renew ability, hydrogen gas is considered to be one of the most desired alternate. Cyanobacteria are highly promising microorganism for hydrogen production. In comparison to the traditional ways of hydrogen production (chemical, photoelectrical), Cyanobacterial hydrogen production is commercially viable. This review highlights the basic biology of cynobacterial hydrogen production, strains involved, large-scale hydrogen production and its future prospects. While integrating the existing knowledge and technology, much future improvement and progress is to be done before hydrogen is accepted as a commercial primary energy source.

Hydrogen production by Cyanobacteria

PubMed Central

Dutta, Debajyoti; De, Debojyoti; Chaudhuri, Surabhi; Bhattacharya, Sanjoy K

2005-01-01

The limited fossil fuel prompts the prospecting of various unconventional energy sources to take over the traditional fossil fuel energy source. In this respect the use of hydrogen gas is an attractive alternate source. Attributed by its numerous advantages including those of environmentally clean, efficiency and renew ability, hydrogen gas is considered to be one of the most desired alternate. Cyanobacteria are highly promising microorganism for hydrogen production. In comparison to the traditional ways of hydrogen production (chemical, photoelectrical), Cyanobacterial hydrogen production is commercially viable. This review highlights the basic biology of cynobacterial hydrogen production, strains involved, large-scale hydrogen production and its future prospects. While integrating the existing knowledge and technology, much future improvement and progress is to be done before hydrogen is accepted as a commercial primary energy source. PMID:16371161

Absence of remote earthquake triggering within the Coso and Salton Sea geothermal production fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiong; Lin, Guoqing; Zhan, Zhongwen; Chen, Xiaowei; Qin, Yan; Wdowinski, Shimon

2017-01-01

Geothermal areas are long recognized to be susceptible to remote earthquake triggering, probably due to the high seismicity rates and presence of geothermal fluids. However, anthropogenic injection and extraction activity may alter the stress state and fluid flow within the geothermal fields. Here we examine the remote triggering phenomena in the Coso geothermal field and its surrounding areas to assess possible anthropogenic effects. We find that triggered earthquakes are absent within the geothermal field but occur in the surrounding areas. Similar observation is also found in the Salton Sea geothermal field. We hypothesize that continuous geothermal operation has eliminated any significant differential pore pressure between fractures inside the geothermal field through flushing geothermal precipitations and sediments out of clogged fractures. To test this hypothesis, we analyze the pore-pressure-driven earthquake swarms, and they are found to occur outside or on the periphery of the geothermal production field. Therefore, our results suggest that the geothermal operation has changed the subsurface fracture network, and differential pore pressure is the primary controlling factor of remote triggering in geothermal fields.

Geothermal reservoir simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, J. W., Jr.; Faust, C.; Pinder, G. F.

1974-01-01

The prediction of long-term geothermal reservoir performance and the environmental impact of exploiting this resource are two important problems associated with the utilization of geothermal energy for power production. Our research effort addresses these problems through numerical simulation. Computer codes based on the solution of partial-differential equations using finite-element techniques are being prepared to simulate multiphase energy transport, energy transport in fractured porous reservoirs, well bore phenomena, and subsidence.

Geothermal Energy Production from Oil/Gas Wells and Application for Building Cooling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Honggang; Liu, Xiaobing

One significant source of low-temperature geothermal energy is the coproduced hot water from oil/gas field production. In the United States, daily oil production has reached above 8 million barrels in recent years. Considering various conditions of wells, 5-10 times or more water can be coproduced in the range of temperature 120 F to 300 F. Like other geothermal resources, such energy source from oil/gas wells is under-utilized for its typical long distance from consumption sites. Many oil/gas fields, however, are relatively close (less than 10 miles) to consumers around cities. For instance, some petroleum fields in Pennsylvania are only amore » few miles away from the towns in Pittsburg area and some fields in Texas are quite close to Houston. In this paper, we evaluate geothermal potential from oil/gas wells by conducting numerical simulation and analysis of a fractured oil well in Hastings West field, Texas. The results suggest that hot water can be continuously coproduced from oil wells at a sufficient rate (about 4000 gallons/day from one well) for more than 100 years. Viable use of such geothermal source requires economical transportation of energy to consumers. The recently proposed two-step geothermal absorption (TSGA) system provides a promising energy transport technology that allows large-scale use of geothermal energy from thousands of oil/gas wells.« less

Quantitative Analysis of Existing Conditions and Production Strategies for the Baca Geothermal System, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faust, Charles R.; Mercer, James W.; Thomas, Stephen D.; Balleau, W. Pete

1984-05-01

The Baca geothermal reservoir and adjacent aquifers in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico comprise an integrated hydrogeologic system. Analysis of the geothermal reservoir either under natural conditions or subject to proposed development should account for the mass (water) and energy (heat) balances of adjacent aquifers as well as the reservoir itself. A three-dimensional model based on finite difference approximations is applied to this integrated system. The model simulates heat transport associated with the flow of steam and water through an equivalent porous medium. The Baca geothermal reservoir is dominated by flow in fractures and distinct strata, but at the scale of application the equivalent porous media concept is appropriate. The geothermal reservoir and adjacent aquifers are simulated under both natural conditions and proposed production strategies. Simulation of natural conditions compares favorably with observed pressure, temperature, and thermal discharge data. The history matching simulations show that the results used for comparison are most sensitive to vertical permeability and the area of an assumed high-permeability zone connecting the reservoir to a deep hydrothermal source. Simulations using proposed production strategies and optimistic estimates of certain hydrologic parameters and reservoir extent indicate that a 50-MW power plant could be maintained for a period greater than 30 years. This production, however, will result in significant decreases in the total water discharge to the Jemez River.

Review of Supported Pd-Based Membranes Preparation by Electroless Plating for Ultra-Pure Hydrogen Production

PubMed Central

Alique, David; Martinez-Diaz, David; Sanz, Raul

2018-01-01

In the last years, hydrogen has been considered as a promising energy vector for the oncoming modification of the current energy sector, mainly based on fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be produced from water with no significant pollutant emissions but in the nearest future its production from different hydrocarbon raw materials by thermochemical processes seems to be more feasible. In any case, a mixture of gaseous compounds containing hydrogen is produced, so a further purification step is needed to purify the hydrogen up to required levels accordingly to the final application, i.e., PEM fuel cells. In this mean, membrane technology is one of the available separation options, providing an efficient solution at reasonable cost. Particularly, dense palladium-based membranes have been proposed as an ideal chance in hydrogen purification due to the nearly complete hydrogen selectivity (ideally 100%), high thermal stability and mechanical resistance. Moreover, these membranes can be used in a membrane reactor, offering the possibility to combine both the chemical reaction for hydrogen production and the purification step in a unique device. There are many papers in the literature regarding the preparation of Pd-based membranes, trying to improve the properties of these materials in terms of permeability, thermal and mechanical resistance, poisoning and cost-efficiency. In this review, the most relevant advances in the preparation of supported Pd-based membranes for hydrogen production in recent years are presented. The work is mainly focused in the incorporation of the hydrogen selective layer (palladium or palladium-based alloy) by the electroless plating, since it is one of the most promising alternatives for a real industrial application of these membranes. The information is organized in different sections including: (i) a general introduction; (ii) raw commercial and modified membrane supports; (iii) metal deposition insights by electroless-plating; (iv) trends in

Hydrogenobacter subterraneus sp. nov., an extremely thermophilic, heterotrophic bacterium unable to grow on hydrogen gas, from deep subsurface geothermal water.

PubMed

Takai, K; Komatsu, T; Horikoshi, K

2001-07-01

A novel extreme thermophile was isolated from a water sample derived from a deep subsurface geothermal water pool at a depth of 1500 m in the Hacchoubaru geothermal plant in Oita Prefecture, Japan. The cells were found to be straight rods, each being motile by means of a polar flagellum. Growth was observed at temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees C (optimum 78 degrees C; 120 min doubling time) and between pH 5.5 and pH 9.0 (optimum 7.5). The isolate was a strictly aerobic heterotroph capable of utilizing a number of substrates such as yeast extract, peptone, tryptone, various carbohydrates, sugars, amino acids and organic acids. Elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, sulfide or cysteine-hydrochloride was required as an electron donor for growth. Hydrogen gas did not support growth. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 44.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences and DNA-DNA hybridization analysis indicated that the isolate was closely related to members of the hydrogen-oxidizing, autotrophic and thermophilic genera Hydrogenobacter and Calderobacterium. However this isolate was differentiated from the previously described species of these genera on the basis of the physiological and molecular properties of the new isolate. The name Hydrogenobacter subterraneus sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is HGP1T (= JCM 10560T = IFO 16485T).

Geothermal Coproduction and Hybrid Systems | Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

systems. Geothermal and Oil and Gas NREL experts are working to find ways to effectively use renewable resources in combination with fossil energy. Geothermal and oil and gas hybrid systems make use of wells already drilled by oil and gas developers. Using coproduced geothermal fluids for power production from

Hydrogen production from carbonaceous material

DOEpatents

Lackner, Klaus S.; Ziock, Hans J.; Harrison, Douglas P.

2004-09-14

Hydrogen is produced from solid or liquid carbon-containing fuels in a two-step process. The fuel is gasified with hydrogen in a hydrogenation reaction to produce a methane-rich gaseous reaction product, which is then reacted with water and calcium oxide in a hydrogen production and carbonation reaction to produce hydrogen and calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate may be continuously removed from the hydrogen production and carbonation reaction zone and calcined to regenerate calcium oxide, which may be reintroduced into the hydrogen production and carbonation reaction zone. Hydrogen produced in the hydrogen production and carbonation reaction is more than sufficient both to provide the energy necessary for the calcination reaction and also to sustain the hydrogenation of the coal in the gasification reaction. The excess hydrogen is available for energy production or other purposes. Substantially all of the carbon introduced as fuel ultimately emerges from the invention process in a stream of substantially pure carbon dioxide. The water necessary for the hydrogen production and carbonation reaction may be introduced into both the gasification and hydrogen production and carbonation reactions, and allocated so as transfer the exothermic heat of reaction of the gasification reaction to the endothermic hydrogen production and carbonation reaction.

Solar hydrogen production: renewable hydrogen production by dry fuel reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakos, Jamie; Miyamoto, Henry K.

2006-09-01

SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation constructed a pilot-plant to demonstrate a Dry Fuel Reforming (DFR) system that is heated primarily by sunlight focusing-mirrors. The pilot-plant consists of: 1) a solar mirror array and solar concentrator and shutter system; and 2) two thermo-catalytic reactors to convert Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Water into Hydrogen. Results from the pilot study show that solar Hydrogen generation is feasible and cost-competitive with traditional Hydrogen production. More than 95% of Hydrogen commercially produced today is by the Steam Methane Reformation (SMR) of natural gas, a process that liberates Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere. The SMR process provides a net energy loss of 30 to 35% when converting from Methane to Hydrogen. Solar Hydrogen production provides a 14% net energy gain when converting Methane into Hydrogen since the energy used to drive the process is from the sun. The environmental benefits of generating Hydrogen using renewable energy include significant greenhouse gas and criteria air contaminant reductions.

30 CFR 1206.352 - How do I calculate the royalty due on geothermal resources used for commercial production or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? 1206.352 Section 1206.352... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? (a) If you sold geothermal... electricity, then the royalty on the geothermal resources is the gross proceeds accruing to you from the sale...

Improvements in geothermal electric power and silica production

DOEpatents

Hill, J.H.; Fulk, M.M.

Electricity is generated from hot geothermal solution by extracting heat therefrom, mineral solids which form in a so cooled geothermal solution are separated to recover minerals and facilitate reinjection of the solution into the ground. The separated solids are treated to recover silica by addition of an acid (amorphous silica precipitates) or a base (other minerals precipitate and soulble silicates are formed which are subsequently precipitated by acid neutralization). If desired, after silica is separated, other minerals can be separated and recovered.

Geothermal Risk Reduction via Geothermal/Solar Hybrid Power Plants. Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wendt, Daniel; Mines, Greg; Turchi, Craig

There are numerous technical merits associated with a renewable geothermal-solar hybrid plant concept. The performance of air-cooled binary plants is lowest when ambient temperatures are high due to the decrease in air-cooled binary plant performance that occurs when the working fluid condensing temperature, and consequently the turbine exhaust pressure, increases. Electrical power demand is generally at peak levels during periods of elevated ambient temperature and it is therefore especially important to utilities to be able to provide electrical power during these periods. The time periods in which air-cooled binary geothermal power plant performance is lowest generally correspond to periods ofmore » high solar insolation. Use of solar heat to increase air-cooled geothermal power plant performance during these periods can improve the correlation between power plant output and utility load curves. While solar energy is a renewable energy source with long term performance that can be accurately characterized, on shorter time scales of hours or days it can be highly intermittent. Concentrating solar power (CSP), aka solar-thermal, plants often incorporate thermal energy storage to ensure continued operation during cloud events or after sunset. Hybridization with a geothermal power plant can eliminate the need for thermal storage due to the constant availability of geothermal heat. In addition to the elimination of the requirement for solar thermal storage, the ability of a geothermal/solar-thermal hybrid plant to share a common power block can reduce capital costs relative to separate, stand-alone geothermal and solar-thermal power plant installations. The common occurrence of long-term geothermal resource productivity decline provides additional motivation to consider the use of hybrid power plants in geothermal power production. Geothermal resource productivity decline is a source of significant risk in geothermal power generation. Many, if not all, geothermal

Groundwater chemistry in the vicinity of the Puna Geothermal Venture Power Plant, Hawai‘i, after two decades of production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evans, W.C.; Bergfeld, D.; Sutton, A.J.; Lee, R.C.; Lorenson, T.D.

2015-01-01

We report chemical data for selected shallow wells and coastal springs that were sampled in 2014 to determine whether geothermal power production in the Puna area over the past two decades has affected the characteristics of regional groundwater. The samples were analyzed for major and minor chemical species, trace metals of environmental concern, stable isotopes of water, and two organic compounds (pentane and isopropanol) that are injected into the deep geothermal reservoir at the power plant. Isopropanol was not detected in any of the groundwaters; confirmed detection of pentane was restricted to one monitoring well near the power plant at a low concentration not indicative of source. Thus, neither organic compound linked geothermal operations to groundwater contamination, though chemical stability and transport velocity questions exist for both tracers. Based on our chemical analysis of geothermal fluid at the power plant and on many similar results from commercially analyzed samples, we could not show that geothermal constituents in the groundwaters we sampled came from the commercially developed reservoir. Our data are consistent with a long-held view that heat moves by conduction from the geothermal reservoir into shallow groundwaters through a zone of low permeability rock that blocks passage of geothermal water. The data do not rule out all impacts of geothermal production on groundwater. Removal of heat during production, for example, may be responsible for minor changes that have occurred in some groundwater over time, such as the decline in temperature of one monitoring well near the power plant. Such indirect impacts are much harder to assess, but point out the need for an ongoing groundwater monitoring program that should include the coastal springs down-gradient from the power plant.

Geothermal Energy Summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. L. Renner

2007-08-01

Following is complete draft.Geothermal Summary for AAPG Explorer J. L. Renner, Idaho National Laboratory Geothermal energy is used to produce electricity in 24 countries. The United States has the largest capacity (2,544 MWe) followed by Philippines (1,931 MWe), Mexico (953 MWe), Indonesia (797 MWe), and Italy (791 MWe) (Bertani, 2005). When Chevron Corporation purchased Unocal Corporation they became the leading producer of geothermal energy worldwide with projects in Indonesia and the Philippines. The U. S. geothermal industry is booming thanks to increasing energy prices, renewable portfolio standards, and a production tax credit. California (2,244 MWe) is the leading producer, followedmore » by Nevada (243 MWe), Utah (26 MWe) and Hawaii (30 MWe) and Alaska (0.4 MWe) (Bertani, 2005). Alaska joined the producing states with two 0.4 KWe power plants placed on line at Chena Hot Springs during 2006. The plant uses 30 liters per second of 75°C water from shallow wells. Power production is assisted by the availability of gravity fed, 7°C cooling water (http://www.yourownpower.com/) A 13 MWe binary power plant is expected to begin production in the fall of 2007 at Raft River in southeastern Idaho. Idaho also is a leader in direct use of geothermal energy with the state capital building and several other state and Boise City buildings as well as commercial and residential space heated using fluids from several, interconnected geothermal systems. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 modified leasing provisions and royalty rates for both geothermal electrical production and direct use. Pursuant to the legislation the Bureau of Land management and Minerals Management Service published final regulations for continued geothermal leasing, operations and royalty collection in the Federal Register (Vol. 72, No. 84 Wednesday May 2, 2007, BLM p. 24358-24446, MMS p. 24448-24469). Existing U. S. plants focus on high-grade geothermal systems located in the west. However, interest in

Waste/By-Product Hydrogen

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-13

Waste /By product Hydrogen Waste H2 sources include: � Waste bio‐mass: biogas to high temp fuel cells to produce H2 – there are over two dozen sites...By‐product Hydrogen Fuel Flexibility Biogas : generated from organic waste �Wastewater treatment plants can provide multiple MW of renewable...13 Waste /By product Hydrogen ‐ Biogas

Geothermal Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steele, B.C.; Harman, G.; Pitsenbarger, J.

1996-02-01

Geothermal Energy Technology (GET) announces on a bimonthly basis the current worldwide information available on the technologies required for economic recovery of geothermal energy and its use as direct heat or for electric power production.

Biological hydrogen production by dark fermentation: challenges and prospects towards scaled-up production.

PubMed

RenNanqi; GuoWanqian; LiuBingfeng; CaoGuangli; DingJie

2011-06-01

Among different technologies of hydrogen production, bio-hydrogen production exhibits perhaps the greatest potential to replace fossil fuels. Based on recent research on dark fermentative hydrogen production, this article reviews the following aspects towards scaled-up application of this technology: bioreactor development and parameter optimization, process modeling and simulation, exploitation of cheaper raw materials and combining dark-fermentation with photo-fermentation. Bioreactors are necessary for dark-fermentation hydrogen production, so the design of reactor type and optimization of parameters are essential. Process modeling and simulation can help engineers design and optimize large-scale systems and operations. Use of cheaper raw materials will surely accelerate the pace of scaled-up production of biological hydrogen. And finally, combining dark-fermentation with photo-fermentation holds considerable promise, and has successfully achieved maximum overall hydrogen yield from a single substrate. Future development of bio-hydrogen production will also be discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical investigation of the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction in a sedimentary geothermal reservoir: a case study of the Daming geothermal field in China.

PubMed

Guo, Xuyang; Song, Hongqing; Killough, John; Du, Li; Sun, Pengguang

2018-02-01

The utilization of geothermal energy is clean and has great potential worldwide, and it is important to utilize geothermal energy in a sustainable manner. Mathematical modeling studies of geothermal reservoirs are important as they evaluate and quantify the complex multi-physical effects in geothermal reservoirs. However, previous modeling efforts lack the study focusing on the emission reduction efficiency and the deformation at geothermal wellbores caused by geothermal water extraction/circulation. Emission efficiency is rather relevant in geothermal projects introduced in areas characterized by elevated air pollution where the utilization of geothermal energy is as an alternative to burning fossil fuels. Deformation at geothermal wellbores is also relevant as significant deformation caused by water extraction can lead to geothermal wellbore instability and can consequently decrease the effectiveness of the heat extraction process in geothermal wells. In this study, the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction in a sedimentary geothermal reservoir in Daming County, China, are numerically investigated based on a coupled multi-physical model. Relationships between the efficiency of emission reduction and heat extraction, deformation at geothermal well locations, and geothermal field parameters including well spacing, heat production rate, re-injection temperature, rock stiffness, and geothermal well placement patterns are analyzed. Results show that, although large heat production rates and low re-injection temperatures can lead to decreased heat production in the last 8 years of heat extraction, they still improve the overall heat production capacity and emission reduction capacity. Also, the emission reduction capacity is positively correlated with the heat production capacity. Deformation at geothermal wellbore locations is alleviated by smaller well spacing, lower heat production rates, and smaller numbers of injectors in the well pattern, and by

Conversion of geothermal waste to commercial products including silica

DOEpatents

Premuzic, Eugene T.; Lin, Mow S.

2003-01-01

A process for the treatment of geothermal residue includes contacting the pigmented amorphous silica-containing component with a depigmenting reagent one or more times to depigment the silica and produce a mixture containing depigmented amorphous silica and depigmenting reagent containing pigment material; separating the depigmented amorphous silica and from the depigmenting reagent to yield depigmented amorphous silica. Before or after the depigmenting contacting, the geothermal residue or depigmented silica can be treated with a metal solubilizing agent to produce another mixture containing pigmented or unpigmented amorphous silica-containing component and a solubilized metal-containing component; separating these components from each other to produce an amorphous silica product substantially devoid of metals and at least partially devoid of pigment. The amorphous silica product can be neutralized and thereafter dried at a temperature from about 25.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. The morphology of the silica product can be varied through the process conditions including sequence contacting steps, pH of depigmenting reagent, neutralization and drying conditions to tailor the amorphous silica for commercial use in products including filler for paint, paper, rubber and polymers, and chromatographic material.

Basics of applied geothermal engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wehlage, E.F.

1976-01-01

The following chapters are included: (1) born of fire, (2) milestones with tectonics, (3) a world in geothermal review, (4) simple mechanical and electrical facts for geothermal, (5) elementary hydraulics and pumping, (6) elementary heat, (7) application of steam, (8) geothermal hydroponics, (9) designing for a geothermal diary, (10) review of geothermal prime movers for power production, (11) design procedures-geothermal house heating, (12) cooling with geothermal refrigeration, and (13) geothermal synthesis-new heat for the world. (MOW)

Geothermal Produced Fluids: Characteristics, Treatment Technologies, and Management Options

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finster, Molly; Clark, Corrie; Schroeder, Jenna

2015-10-01

Geothermal power plants use geothermal fluids as a resource and create waste residuals as part of the power generation process. Both the geofluid resource and the waste stream are considered produced fluids. The chemical and physical nature of produced fluids can have a major impact on the geothermal power industry and can influence the feasibility of geothermal power development, exploration approaches, power plant design, operating practices, and the reuse or disposal of residuals. In general, produced fluids include anything that comes out of a geothermal field and that subsequently must be managed on the surface. These fluids vary greatly dependingmore » on the geothermal reservoir being harnessed, power plant design, and the life cycle stage in which the fluid exists, but generally include water and fluids used to drill geothermal wells, fluids used to stimulate wells in enhanced geothermal systems, and makeup and/or cooling water used during operation of a geothermal power plant. Additional geothermal-related produced fluids include many substances that are similar to waste streams from the oil and gas industry, such as scale, flash tank solids, precipitated solids from brine treatment, hydrogen sulfide, and cooling-tower-related waste. This review paper aims to provide baseline knowledge on specific technologies and technology areas associated with geothermal power production. Specifically, this research focused on the management techniques related to fluids produced and used during the operational stage of a geothermal power plant; the vast majority of which are employed in the generation of electricity. The general characteristics of produced fluids are discussed. Constituents of interest that tend to drive the selection of treatment technologies are described, including total dissolved solids, noncondensable gases, scale and corrosion, silicon dioxide, metal sulfides, calcium carbonate, corrosion, metals, and naturally occurring radioactive material

Microalgal hydrogen production - A review.

PubMed

Khetkorn, Wanthanee; Rastogi, Rajesh P; Incharoensakdi, Aran; Lindblad, Peter; Madamwar, Datta; Pandey, Ashok; Larroche, Christian

2017-11-01

Bio-hydrogen from microalgae including cyanobacteria has attracted commercial awareness due to its potential as an alternative, reliable and renewable energy source. Photosynthetic hydrogen production from microalgae can be interesting and promising options for clean energy. Advances in hydrogen-fuel-cell technology may attest an eco-friendly way of biofuel production, since, the use of H 2 to generate electricity releases only water as a by-product. Progress in genetic/metabolic engineering may significantly enhance the photobiological hydrogen production from microalgae. Manipulation of competing metabolic pathways by modulating the certain key enzymes such as hydrogenase and nitrogenase may enhance the evolution of H 2 from photoautotrophic cells. Moreover, biological H 2 production at low operating costs is requisite for economic viability. Several photobioreactors have been developed for large-scale biomass and hydrogen production. This review highlights the recent technological progress, enzymes involved and genetic as well as metabolic engineering approaches towards sustainable hydrogen production from microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hawaii geothermal project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamins, R. M.

1974-01-01

Hawaii's Geothermal Project is investigating the occurrence of geothermal resources in the archipelago, initially on the Island of Hawaii. The state's interest in geothermal development is keen, since it is almost totally dependent on imported oil for energy. Geothermal development in Hawaii may require greater participation by the public sector than has been true in California. The initial exploration has been financed by the national, state, and county governments. Maximization of net benefits may call for multiple use of geothermal resources; the extraction of by-products and the application of treated effluents to agricultural and aquacultural uses.

Geothermal energy abstract sets. Special report No. 14

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stone, C.

1985-01-01

This bibliography contains annotated citations in the following areas: (1) case histories; (2) drilling; (3) reservoir engineering; (4) injection; (5) geothermal well logging; (6) environmental considerations in geothermal development; (7) geothermal well production; (8) geothermal materials; (9) electric power production; (10) direct utilization of geothermal energy; (11) economics of geothermal energy; and (12) legal, regulatory and institutional aspects. (ACR)

Aerated drilling cutting transport analysis in geothermal well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakhyudin, Aris; Setiawan, Deni; Dwi Marjuan, Oscar

2017-12-01

Aeratad drilling widely used for geothermal drilling especially when drilled into predicted production zone. Aerated drilling give better performance on preventing lost circulation problem, improving rate of penetration, and avoiding drilling fluid invasion to productive zone. While well is drilled, cutting is produced and should be carried to surface by drilling fluid. Hole problem, especially pipe sticking will occur while the cutting is not lifted properly to surface. The problem will effect on drilling schedule; non-productive time finally result more cost to be spent. Geothermal formation has different characteristic comparing oil and gas formation. Geothermal mainly has igneous rock while oil and gas mostly sedimentary rock. In same depth, formation pressure in geothermal well commonly lower than oil and gas well while formation temperature geothermal well is higher. While aerated drilling is applied in geothermal well, Igneous rock density has higher density than sedimentary rock and aerated drilling fluid is lighter than water based mud hence minimum velocity requirement to transport cutting is larger than in oil/gas well drilling. Temperature and pressure also has impact on drilling fluid (aerated) density. High temperature in geothermal well decrease drilling fluid density hence the effect of pressure and temperature also considered. In this paper, Aerated drilling cutting transport performance on geothermal well will be analysed due to different rock and drilling fluid density. Additionally, temperature and pressure effect on drilling fluid density also presented to merge.

Competition and Synergy of Different Technologies in the Subsurface: A Case Study for CCS vs. Geothermal Energy Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kissinger, Alexander; Juan-Lien Ramírez, Alina; Class, Holger

2013-04-01

Global climate change, shortage of resources and the resulting turn towards renewable sources of energy lead to a growing demand for the utilization of subsurface systems. Among these competing uses are Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), geothermal energy, nuclear waste disposal, "renewable" methane or hydrogen storage as well as the ongoing production of fossil resources like oil, gas, and coal. The different uses of the subsurface can result in competition for the limited subsurface space, but in some cases there may also be synergetic effects, if the technologies are combined in a clever way. The idea behind this case study is to investigate the effects of a CCS site on a geothermal power plant operated in its vicinity and present both positive and negative impacts. During CCS operations large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) are injected into a storage formation. This causes a pressure increase as the brine in the formation is displaced by CO2. These elevations in pressure can have an extent of several tens of kilometers from the injection well in contrast to the much smaller extent of the CO2 plume. If geothermal power plants operate in the range influenced by pressure evaluation, this may have an impact on their performance. For example: Increased discharge of "warm" brine could be favorable for geothermal power plants as the time until thermal depletion of the reservoir may also increase Early breakthrough of the cold water front between an injection and an extraction well due to a brine discharge "pushing" the cold water front towards the extraction well may lead to a decrease in performance of the power plant Of course, there is a huge number of possible hydrogeological settings and technical configurations for geothermal power production that may be combined to an even larger number of possible scenarios. In this work however we use a simple model setup in which we incorporate and vary the parameters that we think are crucial. Only porous (not fractured

Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

W. C. Maurer

2000-05-01

Approximately 50% of the cost of a new geothermal power plant is in the wells that must be drilled. Compared to the majority of oil and gas wells, geothermal wells are more difficult and costly to drill for several reasons. First, most U.S. geothermal resources consist of hot, hard crystalline rock formations which drill much slower than the relatively soft sedimentary formations associated with most oil and gas production. Second, high downhole temperatures can greatly shorten equipment life or preclude the use of some technologies altogether. Third, producing viable levels of electricity from geothermal fields requires the use of largemore » diameter bores and a high degree of fluid communication, both of which increase drilling and completion costs. Optimizing fluid communication often requires creation of a directional well to intersect the best and largest number of fracture capable of producing hot geothermal fluids. Moineau motor stators made with elastomers cannot operate at geothermal temperatures, so they are limited to the upper portion of the hole. To overcome these limitations, Maurer Engineering Inc. (MEI) has developed a turbodrill that does not use elastomers and therefore can operate at geothermal temperatures. This new turbodrill uses a special gear assembly to reduce the output speed, thus allowing a larger range of bit types, especially tri-cone roller bits, which are the bits of choice for drilling hard crystalline formations. The Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill (AGT) represents a significant improvement for drilling geothermal wells and has the potential to significantly reduce drilling costs while increasing production, thereby making geothermal energy less expensive and better able to compete with fossil fuels. The final field test of the AGT will prepare the tool for successful commercialization.« less

Geothermal studies at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riddle, L.; Grant, B.

Due to an effort by government installations to discontinue use of natural gas, alternative energy sources are being investigated at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Mexico has geologic characteristics favorable for geothermal energy utilization. Local heat flow and geochemical studies indicate a normal subsurface temperature regime. The alluvial deposits, however, extend to great depths where hot fluids, heated by the normal geothermal gradient, could be encountered. Two potential models for tapping geothermal energy are presented: the basin model and the fault model.

Method for low temperature catalytic production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Mahajan, Devinder

2003-07-22

The invention provides a process for the catalytic production of a hydrogen feed by exposing a hydrogen feed to a catalyst which promotes a base-catalyzed water-gas-shift reaction in a liquid phase. The hydrogen feed can be provided by any process known in the art of making hydrogen gas. It is preferably provided by a process that can produce a hydrogen feed for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The step of exposing the hydrogen feed takes place preferably from about 80.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C.

Hydrogen fuel - Universal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prince, A. G.; Burg, J. A.

The technology for the production, storage, transmission, and consumption of hydrogen as a fuel is surveyed, with the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen examined as they affect its use as a fuel. Sources of hydrogen production are described including synthesis from coal or natural gas, biomass conversion, thermochemical decomposition of water, and electrolysis of water, of these only electrolysis is considered economicially and technologically feasible in the near future. Methods of production of the large quantities of electricity required for the electrolysis of sea water are explored: fossil fuels, hydroelectric plants, nuclear fission, solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, tidal power, wave motion, electrochemical concentration cells, and finally ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). The wind power and OTEC are considered in detail as the most feasible approaches. Techniques for transmission (by railcar or pipeline), storage (as liquid in underwater or underground tanks, as granular metal hydride, or as cryogenic liquid), and consumption (in fuel cells in conventional power plants, for home usage, for industrial furnaces, and for cars and aircraft) are analyzed. The safety problems of hydrogen as a universal fuel are discussed, noting that they are no greater than those for conventional fuels.

Thermal Properties of Cement-Based Composites for Geothermal Energy Applications.

PubMed

Bao, Xiaohua; Memon, Shazim Ali; Yang, Haibin; Dong, Zhijun; Cui, Hongzhi

2017-04-27

Geothermal energy piles are a quite recent renewable energy technique where geothermal energy in the foundation of a building is used to transport and store geothermal energy. In this paper, a structural-functional integrated cement-based composite, which can be used for energy piles, was developed using expanded graphite and graphite nanoplatelet-based composite phase change materials (CPCMs). Its mechanical properties, thermal-regulatory performance, and heat of hydration were evaluated. Test results showed that the compressive strength of GNP-Paraffin cement-based composites at 28 days was more than 25 MPa. The flexural strength and density of thermal energy storage cement paste composite decreased with increases in the percentage of CPCM in the cement paste. The infrared thermal image analysis results showed superior thermal control capability of cement based materials with CPCMs. Hence, the carbon-based CPCMs are promising thermal energy storage materials and can be used to improve the durability of energy piles.

Thermal Properties of Cement-Based Composites for Geothermal Energy Applications

PubMed Central

Bao, Xiaohua; Memon, Shazim Ali; Yang, Haibin; Dong, Zhijun; Cui, Hongzhi

2017-01-01

Geothermal energy piles are a quite recent renewable energy technique where geothermal energy in the foundation of a building is used to transport and store geothermal energy. In this paper, a structural–functional integrated cement-based composite, which can be used for energy piles, was developed using expanded graphite and graphite nanoplatelet-based composite phase change materials (CPCMs). Its mechanical properties, thermal-regulatory performance, and heat of hydration were evaluated. Test results showed that the compressive strength of GNP-Paraffin cement-based composites at 28 days was more than 25 MPa. The flexural strength and density of thermal energy storage cement paste composite decreased with increases in the percentage of CPCM in the cement paste. The infrared thermal image analysis results showed superior thermal control capability of cement based materials with CPCMs. Hence, the carbon-based CPCMs are promising thermal energy storage materials and can be used to improve the durability of energy piles. PMID:28772823

Classification of public lands valuable for geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Godwin, Larry H.; Haigler, L.B.; Rioux, R.L.; White, D.E.; Muffler, L.J.; Wayland, R.G.

1971-01-01

The Organic Act of 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31) that established the U.S. Geological Survey provided, among other things, for the classification of the public lands and for the examination of the geological structure, mineral sources, and products of the national domain. In order to provide uniform executive action in classifying public lands, standards for determining which lands are valuable for mineral resources, for example, leasable mineral lands, or for other products are prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. This report presents the classification standards for determining which Federal lands are classifiable as geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources lands under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (84 Star. 1566). The concept of a geothermal resources province is established for classification of lands for the purpose of retention in Federal ownership of rights to geothermal resources upon disposal of Federal lands. A geothermal resources province is defined as an area in which higher than normal temperatures are likely to occur with depth and in which there is a reasonable possibility of finding reservoir rocks that will yield steam or heated fluids to wells. The determination of a 'known geothermal resources area' is made after careful evaluation of the available geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data and any evidence derived from nearby discoveries, competitive interests, and other indicia. The initial classification required by the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 is presented.

Classification of public lands valuable for geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goodwin, L.H.; Haigler, L.B.; Rioux, R.L.

1973-01-01

The Organic Act of 1879 (43 USC 31) that established the US Geological Survey provided, among other things, for the classification of the public lands and for the examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain. In order to provide uniform executive action in classifying public lands, standards for determining which lands are valuable for mineral resources, for example, leasable mineral lands, or for other products are prepared by the US Geological Survey. This report presents the classification standards for determining which Federal lands are classifiable as geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources lands undermore » the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1566). The concept of a geothermal resouces province is established for classification of lands for the purpose of retention in Federal ownership of rights to geothermal resources upon disposal of Federal lands. A geothermal resources province is defined as an area in which higher than normal temperatures are likely to occur with depth and in which there is a resonable possiblity of finding reservoir rocks that will yield steam or heated fluids to wells. The determination of a known geothermal resources area is made after careful evaluation of the available geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data and any evidence derived from nearby discoveries, competitive interests, and other indicia. The initial classification required by the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 is presented.« less

Efficient whole cell biocatalyst for formate-based hydrogen production.

PubMed

Kottenhahn, Patrick; Schuchmann, Kai; Müller, Volker

2018-01-01

Molecular hydrogen (H 2 ) is an attractive future energy carrier to replace fossil fuels. Biologically and sustainably produced H 2 could contribute significantly to the future energy mix. However, biological H 2 production methods are faced with multiple barriers including substrate cost, low production rates, and low yields. The C1 compound formate is a promising substrate for biological H 2 production, as it can be produced itself from various sources including electrochemical reduction of CO 2 or from synthesis gas. Many microbes that can produce H 2 from formate have been isolated; however, in most cases H 2 production rates cannot compete with other H 2 production methods. We established a formate-based H 2 production method utilizing the acetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium woodii . This organism can use formate as sole energy and carbon source and possesses a novel enzyme complex, the hydrogen-dependent CO 2 reductase that catalyzes oxidation of formate to H 2 and CO 2 . Cell suspensions reached specific formate-dependent H 2 production rates of 71 mmol g protein -1 h -1 (30.5 mmol g CDW -1 h -1 ) and maximum volumetric H 2 evolution rates of 79 mmol L -1 h -1 . Using growing cells in a two-step closed batch fermentation, specific H 2 production rates reached 66 mmol g CDW -1 h -1 with a volumetric H 2 evolution rate of 7.9 mmol L -1  h -1 . Acetate was the major side product that decreased the H 2 yield. We demonstrate that inhibition of the energy metabolism by addition of a sodium ionophore is suitable to completely abolish acetate formation. Under these conditions, yields up to 1 mol H 2 per mol formate were achieved. The same ionophore can be used in cultures utilizing formate as specific switch from a growing phase to a H 2 production phase. Acetobacterium woodii reached one of the highest formate-dependent specific H 2 productivity rates at ambient temperatures reported so far for an organism without genetic modification and converted the

Health and environmental effects document on geothermal energy: 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Layton, D.W.; Anspaugh, L.R.; O'Banion, K.D.

Several of the important health and environmental risks associated with a reference geothermal industry that produces 21,000 MW/sub e/ for 30 y (equivalent to 20 x 10/sup 18/ J) are assessed. The analyses of health effects focus on the risks associated with exposure to hydrogen sulfide, particulate sulfate, benzene, mercury, and radon in air and arsenic in water. Results indicate that emissions of hydrogen sulfide are likely to cause odor-related problems in geothermal resources areas, assuming that no pollution controls are employed. For individuals living within an 80 km radius of the geothermal resources, chronic exposure to particulate sulfate couldmore » result in between 0 to 95 premature deaths per 10/sup 18/ J of electricity generated. The mean population risk of leukemia from the inhalation of benzene was calculated to be 3 x 10/sup -2/ cases per 10/sup 18/ J. Exposure to elemental mercury in the atmosphere could produce between 0 and 8.2 cases of tremors per 10/sup 18/ J of electricity. Inhalation of radon and its short-lived daughters poses a mean population risk of 4.2 x 10/sup -1/ lung cancers per 10/sup 18/ J. Analysis of skin cancer risk from the ingestion of surface water contaminated with geothermally derived arsenic suggests that a dose-response model is inconsistent with data showing that arsenic is an essential element and that excessive body burdens do not appear even when arsenic reaches 100 ..mu..g/liter in drinking water. Estimates of occupational health effects were based on rates of accidental deaths and occupational diseases in surrogate industries. According to calculations, there would be 14 accidental deaths per 10/sup 18/ J of electricity and 340 cases of occupational diseases per 10/sup 18/ J. The analysis of the effects of noncondensing gases on vegetation showed that ambient concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are more likely to enhance rather than inhibit the growth of plants.« less

Hydrogen-based power generation from bioethanol steam reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasnadi-Asztalos, Zs.; Cormos, C. C.; Agachi, P. S.

2015-12-01

This paper is evaluating two power generation concepts based on hydrogen produced from bioethanol steam reforming at industrial scale without and with carbon capture. The power generation from bioethanol conversion is based on two important steps: hydrogen production from bioethanol catalytic steam reforming and electricity generation using a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine. As carbon capture method to be assessed in hydrogen-based power generation from bioethanol steam reforming, the gas-liquid absorption using methyl-di-ethanol-amine (MDEA) was used. Bioethanol is a renewable energy carrier mainly produced from biomass fermentation. Steam reforming of bioethanol (SRE) provides a promising method for hydrogen and power production from renewable resources. SRE is performed at high temperatures (e.g. 800-900°C) to reduce the reforming by-products (e.g. ethane, ethene). The power generation from hydrogen was done with M701G2 gas turbine (334 MW net power output). Hydrogen was obtained through catalytic steam reforming of bioethanol without and with carbon capture. For the evaluated plant concepts the following key performance indicators were assessed: fuel consumption, gross and net power outputs, net electrical efficiency, ancillary consumptions, carbon capture rate, specific CO2 emission etc. As the results show, the power generation based on bioethanol conversion has high energy efficiency and low carbon footprint.

Methane and Hydrogen Production from Anaerobic Fermentation of Municipal Solid Wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Takuro; Lee, Dong-Yeol; Xu, Kaiqin; Li, Yu-You; Inamori, Yuhei

Methane and hydrogen production was investigated in batch experiments of thermophilic methane and hydrogen fermentation, using domestic garbage and food processing waste classified by fat/carbohydrate balance as a base material. Methane production per unit of VS added was significantly positively correlated with fat content and negatively correlated with carbohydrate content in the substrate, and the average value of the methane production per unit of VS added from fat-rich materials was twice as large as that from carbohydrate-rich materials. By contrast, hydrogen production per unit of VS added was significantly positively correlated with carbohydrate content and negatively correlated with fat content. Principal component analysis using the results obtained in this study enable an evaluation of substrates for methane and hydrogen fermentation based on nutrient composition.

Process for purifying geothermal steam

DOEpatents

Li, Charles T.

1980-01-01

Steam containing hydrogen sulfide is purified and sulfur recovered by passing the steam through a reactor packed with activated carbon in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of oxygen which oxidizes the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur which is adsorbed on the bed. The carbon can be recycled after the sulfur has been recovered by vacuum distillation, inert gas entrainment or solvent extraction. The process is suitable for the purification of steam from geothermal sources which may also contain other noncondensable gases.

Process for purifying geothermal steam

DOEpatents

Li, C.T.

Steam containing hydrogen sulfide is purified and sulfur recovered by passing the steam through a reactor packed with activated carbon in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of oxygen which oxidizes the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur which is adsorbed on the bed. The carbon can be recycled after the sulfur has been recovered by vacuum distillation, inert gas entrainment or solvent extraction. The process is suitable for the purification of steam from geothermal sources which may also contain other noncondensable gases.

Engineering and economic analysis for the utilization of geothermal fluids in a cane sugar processing plant. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Humme, J.T.; Tanaka, M.T.; Yokota, M.H.

1979-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of geothermal resource utilization at the Puna Sugar Company cane sugar processing plant, located in Keaau, Hawaii. A proposed well site area was selected based on data from surface exploratory surveys. The liquid dominated well flow enters a binary thermal arrangement, which results in an acceptable quality steam for process use. Hydrogen sulfide in the well gases is incinerated, leaving sulfur dioxide in the waste gases. The sulfur dioxide in turn is recovered and used in the cane juice processing at the sugar factory. The clean geothermal steam from themore » binary system can be used directly for process requirements. It replaces steam generated by the firing of the waste fibrous product from cane sugar processing. The waste product, called bagasse, has a number of alternative uses, but an evaluation clearly indicated it should continue to be employed for steam generation. This steam, no longer required for process demands, can be directed to increased electric power generation. Revenues gained by the sale of this power to the utility, in addition to other savings developed through the utilization of geothermal energy, can offset the costs associated with hydrothermal utilization.« less

The hydrogen sulfide emissions abatement program at the Geysers Geothermal Power Plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, G. W.; Mccluer, H. K.

1974-01-01

The scope of the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) abatement program at The Geysers Geothermal Power Plant and the measures currently under way to reduce these emissions are discussed. The Geysers steam averages 223 ppm H2S by weight and after passing through the turbines leaves the plant both through the gas ejector system and by air-stripping in the cooling towers. The sulfide dissolved in the cooling water is controlled by the use of an oxidation catalyst such as an iron salt. The H2S in the low Btu ejector off gases may be burned to sulfur dioxide and scrubbed directly into the circulating water and reinjected into the steam field with the excess condensate. Details are included concerning the disposal of the impure sulfur, design requirements for retrofitting existing plants and modified plant operating procedures. Discussion of future research aimed at improving the H2S abatement system is also included.

Bio-Prospecting for Improved Hydrogen-Producing Organisms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

including soil, sediment, seawater, thermophilic compost, and geothermal sites. Cyanobacterial production of hydrogen and oxygen in natural habitats...Berelson and Corsetti at USC-, experiments were conducted to analyze the hydrogenase enzymes and microbial community of a novel cyanobacterially...another. Future work should involve rate and flux experiments, further investigation of the hydrogenase enzymes involved and follow up work with D:H ratio

Geothermal Economics Calculator (GEC) - additional modifications to final report as per GTP's request.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gowda, Varun; Hogue, Michael

This report will discuss the methods and the results from economic impact analysis applied to the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), conventional hydrothermal, low temperature geothermal and coproduced fluid technologies resulting in electric power production. As part of this work, the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) has developed a web-based Geothermal Economics Calculator (Geothermal Economics Calculator (GEC)) tool that is aimed at helping the industry perform geothermal systems analysis and study the associated impacts of specific geothermal investments or technological improvements on employment, energy and environment. It is well-known in the industry that geothermal power projects will generate positivemore » economic impacts for their host regions. Our aim in the assessment of these impacts includes quantification of the increase in overall economic output due to geothermal projects and of the job creation associated with this increase. Such an estimate of economic impacts of geothermal investments on employment, energy and the environment will also help us understand the contributions that the geothermal industry will have in achieving a sustainable path towards energy production.« less

Factors controlling reservoir quality in tertiary sandstones and their significance to geopressured geothermal production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loucks, R.G.; Richmann, D.L.; Milliken, K.L.

1981-01-01

Variable intensity of diagenesis is the factor primarily responsible for contrasting regional reservoir quality of Tertiary sandstones from the upper and lower Texas coast. Detailed comparison of Frio sandstone from the Chocolate Bayou/Danbury Dome area, Brazoria County, and Vicksburg sandstones from the McAllen Ranch Field area, Hidalgo County, reveals that extent of diagenetic modification is most strongly influenced by (1) detrital mineralogy and (2) regional geothermal gradients. The regional reservoir quality of Frio sandstones from Brazoria County is far better than that characterizing Vicksburg sandstones from Hidalgo County, especially at depths suitable for geopressured geothermal energy production. However, in predictingmore » reservoir quality on a site-specific basis, locally variable factors such as relative proportions for porosity types, pore geometry as related to permeability, and local depositional environment must also be considered. Even in an area of regionally favorable reservoir quality, such local factors can significantly affect reservoir quality and, hence, the geothermal production potential of a specific sandstone unit.« less

A Technical and Economic Review of Solar Hydrogen Production Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelm, Erik; Fowler, Michael

2006-01-01

Hydrogen energy systems are being developed to replace fossil fuels-based systems for transportation and stationary application. One of the challenges facing the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy vector is the lack of an efficient, economical, and sustainable method of hydrogen production. In the short term, hydrogen produced from…

30 CFR 1206.352 - How do I calculate the royalty due on geothermal resources used for commercial production or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? 1206.352 Section 1206.352... resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? (a) If you sold geothermal resources produced from a Class I, II, or III lease at arm's length that the purchaser uses to generate electricity...

30 CFR 206.352 - How do I calculate the royalty due on geothermal resources used for commercial production or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? 206.352 Section 206.352... resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? (a) If you sold geothermal resources produced from a Class I, II, or III lease at arm's length that the purchaser uses to generate electricity...

30 CFR 1206.352 - How do I calculate the royalty due on geothermal resources used for commercial production or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? 1206.352 Section 1206.352... resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? (a) If you sold geothermal resources produced from a Class I, II, or III lease at arm's length that the purchaser uses to generate electricity...

30 CFR 1206.352 - How do I calculate the royalty due on geothermal resources used for commercial production or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... geothermal resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? 1206.352 Section 1206.352... resources used for commercial production or generation of electricity? (a) If you sold geothermal resources produced from a Class I, II, or III lease at arm's length that the purchaser uses to generate electricity...

Environmental Assessment Lakeview Geothermal Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Treis, Tania

2012-04-30

The Town of Lakeview is proposing to construct and operate a geothermal direct use district heating system in Lakeview, Oregon. The proposed project would be in Lake County, Oregon, within the Lakeview Known Geothermal Resources Area (KGRA). The proposed project includes the following elements: Drilling, testing, and completion of a new production well and geothermal water injection well; construction and operation of a geothermal production fluid pipeline from the well pad to various Town buildings (i.e., local schools, hospital, and Lake County Industrial Park) and back to a geothermal water injection well. This EA describes the proposed project, the alternativesmore » considered, and presents the environmental analysis pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. The project would not result in adverse effects to the environment with the implementation of environmental protection measures.« less

Health and Environmental Effects Document on Geothermal Energy -- 1982 update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Layton, David W.; Daniels, Jeffrey I.; Anspaugh, Lynn R.

We assess several of the important health and environmental risks associated with a reference geothermal industry that produces 21,000 MWe for 30 y (equivalent to 20 x 10{sup 18} J). The analyses of health effects focus on the risks associated with exposure to hydrogen sulfide, particulate sulfate, benzene, mercury, and radon in air and arsenic in food. Results indicate that emissions of hydrogen sulfide are likely to cause odor-related problems in 29 of 51 geothermal resources areas, assuming that no pollution controls are employed. Our best estimates and ranges of uncertainty for the health risks of chronic population exposures tomore » atmospheric pollutants are as follows (risks expressed per 10{sup 18} J of electricity): particulate sulfate, 44 premature deaths (uncertainty range of 0 to 360); benzene, 0.15 leukemias (range of 0 to 0.51); elemental mercury, 14 muscle tremors (range of 0 to 39); and radon, 0.68 lung cancers (range of 0 to 1.8). The ultimate risk of fatal skin cancers as the result of the transfer of waste arsenic to the general population over geologic time ({approx} 100,000 y) was calculated as 41 per 10{sup 18} J. We based our estimates of occupational health effects on rates of accidental deaths together with data on occupational diseases and injuries in surrogate industries. According to our best estimates, there would be 8 accidental deaths per 10{sup 18} J of electricity, 300 cases of occupational diseases per 10{sup 18} J, and 3400 occupational injuries per 10{sup 18}J. The analysis of the effects of noncondensing gases on vegetation showed that ambient concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are more likely to enhance rather than inhibit the growth of plants. We also studied the possible consequences of accidental releases of geothermal fluids and concluded that probably less than 5 ha of land would be affected by such releases during the production of 20 x 10{sup 18} J of electricity. Boron emitted from cooling towers

Hydrogen-based power generation from bioethanol steam reforming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tasnadi-Asztalos, Zs., E-mail: tazsolt@chem.ubbcluj.ro; Cormos, C. C., E-mail: cormos@chem.ubbcluj.ro; Agachi, P. S.

This paper is evaluating two power generation concepts based on hydrogen produced from bioethanol steam reforming at industrial scale without and with carbon capture. The power generation from bioethanol conversion is based on two important steps: hydrogen production from bioethanol catalytic steam reforming and electricity generation using a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine. As carbon capture method to be assessed in hydrogen-based power generation from bioethanol steam reforming, the gas-liquid absorption using methyl-di-ethanol-amine (MDEA) was used. Bioethanol is a renewable energy carrier mainly produced from biomass fermentation. Steam reforming of bioethanol (SRE) provides a promising method for hydrogen and power production frommore » renewable resources. SRE is performed at high temperatures (e.g. 800-900°C) to reduce the reforming by-products (e.g. ethane, ethene). The power generation from hydrogen was done with M701G2 gas turbine (334 MW net power output). Hydrogen was obtained through catalytic steam reforming of bioethanol without and with carbon capture. For the evaluated plant concepts the following key performance indicators were assessed: fuel consumption, gross and net power outputs, net electrical efficiency, ancillary consumptions, carbon capture rate, specific CO{sub 2} emission etc. As the results show, the power generation based on bioethanol conversion has high energy efficiency and low carbon footprint.« less

Advances of zeolite based membrane for hydrogen production via water gas shift reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makertihartha, I. G. B. N.; Zunita, M.; Rizki, Z.; Dharmawijaya, P. T.

2017-07-01

Hydrogen is considered as a promising energy vector which can be obtained from various renewable sources. However, an efficient hydrogen production technology is still challenging. One technology to produce hydrogen with very high capacity with low cost is through water gas shift (WGS) reaction. Water gas shift reaction is an equilibrium reaction that produces hydrogen from syngas mixture by the introduction of steam. Conventional WGS reaction employs two or more reactors in series with inter-cooling to maximize conversion for a given volume of catalyst. Membrane reactor as new technology can cope several drawbacks of conventional reactor by removing reaction product and the reaction will favour towards product formation. Zeolite has properties namely high temperature, chemical resistant, and low price makes it suitable for membrane reactor applications. Moreover, it has been employed for years as hydrogen selective layer. This review paper is focusing on the development of membrane reactor for efficient water gas shift reaction to produce high purity hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Development of membrane reactor is discussed further related to its modification towards efficient reaction and separation from WGS reaction mixture. Moreover, zeolite framework suitable for WGS membrane reactor will be discussed more deeply.

Effective and Durable Co Single Atomic Cocatalysts for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

PubMed

Zhao, Qi; Yao, Weifeng; Huang, Cunping; Wu, Qiang; Xu, Qunjie

2017-12-13

This research reports for the first time that single cobalt atoms anchored in nitrogen-doped graphene (Co-NG) can serve as a highly effective and durable cocatalyst for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production from water. Results show that, under identical conditions, the hydrogen production rate (1382 μmol/h) for 0.25 wt % Co-NG-loaded CdS photocatalyst (0.25 wt % Co-NG/CdS) is 3.42 times greater than that of nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) loaded CdS photocatalyst (NG/CdS) and about 1.3 times greater than the greatest hydrogen production rate (1077 μmol/h) for 1.5 wt % Pt nanoparticle loaded CdS photocatalyst (1.5 wt % Pt-NPs/CdS). At 420 nm irradiation, the quantum efficiency of the 0.25 wt % Co-NG/CdS photocatalyst is 50.5%, the highest efficiency among those literature-reported non-noble metal cocatalysts. The Co-NG/CdS nanocomposite-based photocatalyst also has an extended durability. No activity decline was detected during three cyclic photocatalytic life span tests. The very low cocatalyst loading, along with the facile preparation technology for this non-noble metal cocatalyst, will significantly reduce the hydrogen production costs and finally lead to the commercialization of the solar catalytic hydrogen production process. Based on experimental results, we conclude that Co-NG can successfully replace noble metal cocatalysts as a highly effective and durable cocatalyst for renewable solar hydrogen production. This finding will point to a new way for the development of highly effective, long life span, non-noble metal-based cocatalysts for renewable and cost-effective hydrogen production.

Geothermal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzella, A.

2017-07-01

Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Geothermal energy is the thermal energy stored in the underground, including any contained fluid, which is available for extraction and conversion into energy products. Electricity generation, which nowadays produces 73.7 TWh (12.7 GW of capacity) worldwide, usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100 °C. For heating, geothermal resources spanning a wider range of temperatures can be used in applications such as space and district heating (and cooling, with proper technology), spa and swimming pool heating, greenhouse and soil heating, aquaculture pond heating, industrial process heating and snow melting. Produced geothermal heat in the world accounts to 164.6 TWh, with a capacity of 70.9 GW. Geothermal technology, which has focused for decades on extracting naturally heated steam or hot water from natural hydrothermal reservoirs, is developing to more advanced techniques to exploit the heat also where underground fluids are scarce and to use the Earth as a potential energy battery, by storing heat. The success of the research will enable energy recovery and utilization from a much larger fraction of the accessible thermal energy in the Earth's crust.

Liquid hydrogen production via hydrogen sulfide methane reformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) methane (CH 4) reformation (H 2SMR) (2H 2S + CH 4 = CS 2 + 4H 2) is a potentially viable process for the removal of H 2S from sour natural gas resources or other methane containing gases. Unlike steam methane reformation that generates carbon dioxide as a by-product, H 2SMR produces carbon disulfide (CS 2), a liquid under ambient temperature and pressure-a commodity chemical that is also a feedstock for the synthesis of sulfuric acid. Pinch point analyses for H 2SMR were conducted to determine the reaction conditions necessary for no carbon lay down to occur. Calculations showed that to prevent solid carbon formation, low inlet CH 4 to H 2S ratios are needed. In this paper, we analyze H 2SMR with either a cryogenic process or a membrane separation operation for production of either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Of the three H 2SMR hydrogen production flowsheets analyzed, direct liquid hydrogen generation has higher first and second law efficiencies of exceeding 80% and 50%, respectively.

Multi variate regression model of the water level and production rate time series of the geothermal reservoir Waiwera (New Zealand)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühn, Michael; Schöne, Tim

2017-04-01

Water management tools are essential to ensure the conservation of natural resources. The geothermal hot water reservoir below the village of Waiwera, on the Northern Island of New Zealand is used commercially since 1863. The continuous production of 50 °C hot geothermal water, to supply hotels and spas, has a negative impact on the reservoir. Until the year 1969 from all wells drilled the warm water flow was artesian. Due to overproduction the water needs to be pumped up nowadays. Further, within the years 1975 to 1976 the warm water seeps on the beach of Waiwera ran dry. In order to protect the reservoir and the historical and tourist site in the early 1980s a water management plan was deployed. The "Auckland Council" established guidelines to enable a sustainable management of the resource [1]. The management plan demands that the water level in the official and appropriate observation well of the council is 0.5 m above sea level throughout the year in average. Almost four decades of data (since 1978 until today) are now available [2]. For a sustainable water management, it is necessary to be able to forecast the water level as a function of the production rates in the production wells. The best predictions are provided by a multivariate regression model of the water level and production rate time series, which takes into account the production rates of individual wells. It is based on the inversely proportional relationship between the independent variable (production rate) and the dependent variable (measured water level). In production scenarios, a maximum total production rate of approx. 1,100 m3 / day is determined in order to comply with the guidelines of the "Auckland Council". [1] Kühn M., Stöfen H. (2005) A reactive flow model of the geothermal reservoir Waiwera, New Zealand. Hydrogeology Journal 13, 606-626, doi: 10.1007/s10040-004-0377-6 [2] Kühn M., Altmannsberger C. (2016) Assessment of data driven and process based water management tools for

Carbon dioxide from geothermal gas converted to biomass by cultivating coccoid cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Svavarsson, Halldor G; Valberg, Johannes E; Arnardottir, Hronn; Brynjolfsdottir, Asa

2017-07-11

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal aquifer with a diverse ecosystem located within the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula. Blue Lagoon Ltd., which exploits the aquifer, isolated a strain of coccoid cyanobacteria Cyanobacterium aponinum (C. aponinum) from the geothermal fluid of the Blue Lagoon more than two decades ago. Since then Blue Lagoon Ltd. has cultivated it in a photobioreactor, for use as an active ingredient in its skin care products. Until recently, the cultivation of C. aponinum was achieved by feeding it on 99.99% (4N) bottled carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). In this investigation, C. aponinum was cultivated using unmodified, non-condensable geothermal gas (geogas) emitted from a nearby geothermal powerplant as the feed-gas instead of the 4N-gas. The geogas contains roughly 90% vol CO 2 and 2% vol hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). A comparison of both CO 2 sources was made. It was observed that the use of geogas did enhance the conversion efficiency. A 13 weeks' average CO 2 conversion efficiency of C. aponinum was 43% and 31% when fed on geogas and 4N-gas, respectively. Despite the high H 2 S concentration in the geogas, sulfur accumulation in the cultivated biomass was similar for both gas sources. Our results provide a model of a CO 2 sequestration by photosynthetic conversion of otherwise unused geothermal emission gas into biomass.

Neutron imaging for geothermal energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingham, Philip; Polsky, Yarom; Anovitz, Lawrence

2013-03-01

Geothermal systems extract heat energy from the interior of the earth using a working fluid, typically water. Three components are required for a commercially viable geothermal system: heat, fluid, and permeability. Current commercial electricity production using geothermal energy occurs where the three main components exist naturally. These are called hydrothermal systems. In the US, there is an estimated 30 GW of base load electrical power potential for hydrothermal sites. Next generation geothermal systems, named Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), have an estimated potential of 4500 GW. EGSs lack in-situ fluid, permeability or both. As such, the heat exchange system must be developed or "engineered" within the rock. The envisioned method for producing permeability in the EGS reservoir is hydraulic fracturing, which is rarely practiced in the geothermal industry, and not well understood for the rocks typically present in geothermal reservoirs. High costs associated with trial and error learning in the field have led to an effort to characterize fluid flow and fracturing mechanisms in the laboratory to better understand how to design and manage EGS reservoirs. Neutron radiography has been investigated for potential use in this characterization. An environmental chamber has been developed that is suitable for reproduction of EGS pressures and temperatures and has been tested for both flow and precipitations studies with success for air/liquid interface imaging and 3D reconstruction of precipitation within the core.

A hybrid geothermal energy conversion technology: Auxiliary heating of geothermally preheated water or CO2 - a potential solution for low-temperature resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saar, Martin; Garapati, Nagasree; Adams, Benjamin; Randolph, Jimmy; Kuehn, Thomas

2016-04-01

Safe, sustainable, and economic development of deep geothermal resources, particularly in less favourable regions, often requires employment of unconventional geothermal energy extraction and utilization methods. Often "unconventional geothermal methods" is synonymously and solely used as meaning enhanced geothermal systems, where the permeability of hot, dry rock with naturally low permeability at greater depths (4-6 km), is enhanced. Here we present an alternative unconventional geothermal energy utilization approach that uses low-temperature regions that are shallower, thereby drastically reducing drilling costs. While not a pure geothermal energy system, this hybrid approach may enable utilization of geothermal energy in many regions worldwide that can otherwise not be used for geothermal electricity generation, thereby increasing the global geothermal resource base. Moreover, in some realizations of this hybrid approach that generate carbon dioxide (CO2), the technology may be combined with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) and CO2-based geothermal energy utilization, resulting in a high-efficiency (hybrid) geothermal power plant with a negative carbon footprint. Typically, low- to moderate-temperature geothermal resources are more effectively used for direct heat energy applications. However, due to high thermal losses during transport, direct use requires that the heat resource is located near the user. Alternatively, we show here that if such a low-temperature geothermal resource is combined with an additional or secondary energy resource, the power production is increased compared to the sum from two separate (geothermal and secondary fuel) power plants (DiPippo et al. 1978) and the thermal losses are minimized because the thermal energy is utilized where it is produced. Since Adams et al. (2015) found that using CO2 as a subsurface working fluid produces more net power than brine at low- to moderate-temperature geothermal resource conditions, we

The National Geothermal Energy Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, R. J.

1974-01-01

The continuous demand for energy and the concern for shortages of conventional energy resources have spurred the nation to consider alternate energy resources, such as geothermal. Although significant growth in the one natural steam field located in the United States has occurred, a major effort is now needed if geothermal energy, in its several forms, is to contribute to the nation's energy supplies. From the early informal efforts of an Interagency Panel for Geothermal Energy Research, a 5-year Federal program has evolved whose objective is the rapid development of a commercial industry for the utilization of geothermal resources for electric power production and other products. The Federal program seeks to evaluate the realistic potential of geothermal energy, to support the necessary research and technology needed to demonstrate the economic and environmental feasibility of the several types of geothermal resources, and to address the legal and institutional problems concerned in the stimulation and regulation of this new industry.

Hydrogen production from coal using a nuclear heat source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quade, R. N.

1976-01-01

A strong candidate for hydrogen production in the intermediate time frame of 1985 to 1995 is a coal-based process using a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) as a heat source. Expected process efficiencies in the range of 60 to 70% are considerably higher than all other hydrogen production processes except steam reforming of a natural gas. The process involves the preparation of a coal liquid, hydrogasification of that liquid, and steam reforming of the resulting gaseous or light liquid product. A study showing process efficiency and cost of hydrogen vs nuclear reactor core outlet temperature has been completed, and shows diminishing returns at process temperatures above about 1500 F. A possible scenario combining the relatively abundant and low-cost Western coal deposits with the Gulf Coast hydrogen users is presented which provides high-energy density transportation utilizing coal liquids and uranium.

Geothermal Frontier: Penetrate a boundary between hydrothermal convection and heat conduction zones to create 'Beyond Brittle Geothermal Reservoir'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, N.; Asanuma, H.; Sakaguchi, K.; Okamoto, A.; Hirano, N.; Watanabe, N.; Kizaki, A.

2013-12-01

EGS has been highlightened as a most promising method of geothermal development recently because of applicability to sites which have been considered to be unsuitable for geothermal development. Meanwhile, some critical problems have been experimentally identified, such as low recovery of injected water, difficulties to establish universal design/development methodology, and occurrence of large induced seismicity. Future geothermal target is supercritical and superheated geothermal fluids in and around ductile rock bodies under high temperatures. Ductile regime which is estimated beyond brittle zone is target region for future geothermal development due to high enthalpy fluids and relatively weak water-rock interaction. It is very difficult to determine exact depth of Brittle-Ductile boundary due to strong dependence of temperature (geotherm) and strain rate, however, ductile zone is considered to be developed above 400C and below 3 km in geothermal fields in Tohoku District. Hydrothermal experiments associated with additional advanced technology will be conducting to understand ';Beyond brittle World' and to develop deeper and hotter geothermal reservoir. We propose a new concept of the engineered geothermal development where reservoirs are created in ductile basement, expecting the following advantages: (a)simpler design and control the reservoir, (b)nearly full recovery of injected water, (c)sustainable production, (d)cost reduction by development of relatively shallower ductile zone in compression tectonic zones, (e)large quantity of energy extraction from widely distributed ductile zones, (f)establishment of universal and conceptual design/development methodology, and (g) suppression of felt earthquakes from/around the reservoirs. In ductile regime, Mesh-like fracture cloud has great potential for heat extraction between injection and production wells in spite of single and simple mega-fracture. Based on field observation and high performance hydrothermal

43 CFR 3275.18 - May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production? 3275.18 Section 3275.18 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE...

43 CFR 3275.18 - May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production? 3275.18 Section 3275.18 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE...

43 CFR 3275.18 - May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production? 3275.18 Section 3275.18 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE...

43 CFR 3275.18 - May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false May BLM require me to test for byproducts associated with geothermal resource production? 3275.18 Section 3275.18 Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE...

Constraints on geothermal reservoir volume change calculations from InSAR surface displacements and injection and production data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaven, J. Ole; Barbour, Andrew J.; Ali, Tabrez

2017-04-01

Continual production of geothermal energy at times leads to significant surface displacement that can be observed in high spatial resolution using InSAR imagery. The surface displacement can be analyzed to resolve volume change within the reservoir revealing the often-complicated patterns of reservoir deformation. Simple point source models of reservoir deformation in a homogeneous elastic or poro-elastic medium can be superimposed to provide spatially varying, kinematic representations of reservoir deformation. In many cases, injection and production data are known in insufficient detail; but, when these are available, the same Green functions can be used to constrain the reservoir deformation. Here we outline how the injection and production data can be used to constrain bounds on the solution by posing the inversion as a quadratic programming with inequality constraints and regularization rather than a conventional least squares solution with regularization. We apply this method to InSAR-derived surface displacements at the Coso and Salton Sea Geothermal Fields in California, using publically available injection and production data. At both geothermal fields the available surface deformation in conjunction with the injection and production data permit robust solutions for the spatially varying reservoir deformation. The reservoir deformation pattern resulting from the constrained quadratic programming solution is more heterogeneous when compared to a conventional least squares solution. The increased heterogeneity is consistent with the known structural controls on heat and fluid transport in each geothermal reservoir.

Compact hydrogen production systems for solid polymer fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledjeff-Hey, K.; Formanski, V.; Kalk, Th.; Roes, J.

Generally there are several ways to produce hydrogen gas from carbonaceous fuels like natural gas, oil or alcohols. Most of these processes are designed for large-scale industrial production and are not suitable for a compact hydrogen production system (CHYPS) in the power range of 1 kW. In order to supply solid polymer fuel cells (SPFC) with hydrogen, a compact fuel processor is required for mobile applications. The produced hydrogen-rich gas has to have a low level of harmful impurities; in particular the carbon monoxide content has to be lower than 20 ppmv. Integrating the reaction step, the gas purification and the heat supply leads to small-scale hydrogen production systems. The steam reforming of methanol is feasible at copper catalysts in a low temperature range of 200-350°C. The combination of a small-scale methanol reformer and a metal membrane as purification step forms a compact system producing high-purity hydrogen. The generation of a SPFC hydrogen fuel gas can also be performed by thermal or catalytic cracking of liquid hydrocarbons such as propane. At a temperature of 900°C the decomposition of propane into carbon and hydrogen takes place. A fuel processor based on this simple concept produces a gas stream with a hydrogen content of more than 90 vol.% and without CO and CO2.

Decoupling Hydrogen and Oxygen Production in Acidic Water Electrolysis Using a Polytriphenylamine-Based Battery Electrode.

PubMed

Ma, Yuanyuan; Dong, Xiaoli; Wang, Yonggang; Xia, Yongyao

2018-03-05

Hydrogen production through water splitting is considered a promising approach for solar energy harvesting. However, the variable and intermittent nature of solar energy and the co-production of H 2 and O 2 significantly reduce the flexibility of this approach, increasing the costs of its use in practical applications. Herein, using the reversible n-type doping/de-doping reaction of the solid-state polytriphenylamine-based battery electrode, we decouple the H 2 and O 2 production in acid water electrolysis. In this architecture, the H 2 and O 2 production occur at different times, which eliminates the issue of gas mixing and adapts to the variable and intermittent nature of solar energy, facilitating the conversion of solar energy to hydrogen (STH). Furthermore, for the first time, we demonstrate a membrane-free solar water splitting through commercial photovoltaics and the decoupled acid water electrolysis, which potentially paves the way for a new approach for solar water splitting. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The USGS national geothermal resource assessment: An update

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, C.F.; Reed, M.J.; Galanis, S.P.; DeAngelo, J.

2007-01-01

The U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with the Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program and other geothermal organizations on a three-year effort to produce an updated assessment of available geothermal resources. The new assessment will introduce significant changes in the models for geothermal energy recovery factors, estimates of reservoir volumes, and limits to temperatures and depths for electric power production. It will also include the potential impact of evolving Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology. An important focus in the assessment project is on the development of geothermal resource models consistent with the production histories and observed characteristics of exploited geothermal fields. New models for the recovery of heat from heterogeneous, fractured reservoirs provide a physically realistic basis for evaluating the production potential of both natural geothermal reservoirs and reservoirs that may be created through the application of EGS technology. Project investigators have also made substantial progress studying geothermal systems and the factors responsible for their formation through studies in the Great Basin-Modoc Plateau region, Coso, Long Valley, the Imperial Valley and central Alaska, Project personnel are also entering the supporting data and resulting analyses into geospatial databases that will be produced as part of the resource assessment.

Downhole geothermal well sensors comprising a hydrogen-resistant optical fiber

DOEpatents

Weiss, Jonathan D.

2005-02-08

A new class of optical fiber based thermal sensors has been invented. The new sensors comprise hydrogen-resistant optical fibers which are able to withstand a hot, hydrogen-containing environment as is often found in the downhole well environment.

Play-fairway analysis for geothermal exploration: Examples from the Great Basin, western USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siler, Drew L; Faulds, James E

2013-10-27

Elevated permeability within fault systems provides pathways for circulation of geothermal fluids. Future geothermal development depends on precise and accurate location of such fluid flow pathways in order to both accurately assess geothermal resource potential and increase drilling success rates. The collocation of geologic characteristics that promote permeability in a given geothermal system define the geothermal ‘fairway’, the location(s) where upflow zones are probable and where exploration efforts including drilling should be focused. We define the geothermal fairway as the collocation of 1) fault zones that are ideally oriented for slip or dilation under ambient stress conditions, 2) areas withmore » a high spatial density of fault intersections, and 3) lithologies capable of supporting dense interconnected fracture networks. Areas in which these characteristics are concomitant with both elevated temperature and fluids are probable upflow zones where economic-scale, sustainable temperatures and flow rates are most likely to occur. Employing a variety of surface and subsurface data sets, we test this ‘play-fairway’ exploration methodology on two Great Basin geothermal systems, the actively producing Brady’s geothermal system and a ‘greenfield’ geothermal prospect at Astor Pass, NV. These analyses, based on 3D structural and stratigraphic framework models, reveal subsurface characteristics about each system, well beyond the scope of standard exploration methods. At Brady’s, the geothermal fairways we define correlate well with successful production wells and pinpoint several drilling targets for maintaining or expanding production in the field. In addition, hot-dry wells within the Brady’s geothermal field lie outside our defined geothermal fairways. At Astor Pass, our play-fairway analysis provides for a data-based conceptual model of fluid flow within the geothermal system and indicates several targets for exploration drilling.« less

Biomimetic Production of Hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gust, Devens

2004-03-01

The basic reaction for hydrogen generation is formation of molecular hydrogen from two electrons and two protons. Although there are many possible sources for the protons and electrons, and a variety of mechanisms for providing the requisite energy for hydrogen synthesis, the most abundant and readily available source of protons and electrons is water, and the most attractive source of energy for powering the process is sunlight. Not surprisingly, living systems have evolved to take advantage of these sources for materials and energy. Thus, biology provides paradigms for carrying out the reactions necessary for hydrogen production. Photosynthesis in green plants uses sunlight as the source of energy for the oxidation of water to give molecular oxygen, protons, and reduction potential. Some photosynthetic organisms are capable of using this reduction potential, in the form of the reduced redox protein ferredoxin, to reduce protons and produce molecular hydrogen via the action of an hydrogenase enzyme. A variety of other organisms metabolize the reduced carbon compounds that are ultimately the major products of photosynthesis to produce molecular hydrogen. These facts suggest that it might be possible to use light energy to make molecular hydrogen via biomimetic constructs that employ principles similar to those used by natural organisms, or perhaps with hybrid "bionic" systems that combine biomimetic materials with natural enzymes. It is now possible to construct artificial photosynthetic systems that mimic some of the major steps in the natural process.(1) Artificial antennas based on porphyrins, carotenoids and other chromophores absorb light at various wavelengths in the solar spectrum and transfer the harvested excitation energy to artificial photosynthetic reaction centers.(2) In these centers, photoinduced electron transfer uses the energy from light to move an electron from a donor to an acceptor moiety, generating a high-energy charge-separated state

Prediction and discovery of new geothermal resources in the Great Basin: Multiple evidence of a large undiscovered resource base

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coolbaugh, M.F.; Raines, G.L.; Zehner, R.E.; Shevenell, L.; Williams, C.F.

2006-01-01

Geothermal potential maps by themselves cannot directly be used to estimate undiscovered resources. To address the undiscovered resource base in the Great Basin, a new and relatively quantitative methodology is presented. The methodology involves three steps, the first being the construction of a data-driven probabilistic model of the location of known geothermal systems using weights of evidence. The second step is the construction of a degree-of-exploration model. This degree-of-exploration model uses expert judgment in a fuzzy logic context to estimate how well each spot in the state has been explored, using as constraints digital maps of the depth to the water table, presence of the carbonate aquifer, and the location, depth, and type of drill-holes. Finally, the exploration model and the data-driven occurrence model are combined together quantitatively using area-weighted modifications to the weights-of-evidence equations. Using this methodology in the state of Nevada, the number of undiscovered geothermal systems with reservoir temperatures ???100??C is estimated at 157, which is 3.2 times greater than the 69 known systems. Currently, nine of the 69 known systems are producing electricity. If it is conservatively assumed that an additional nine for a total of 18 of the known systems will eventually produce electricity, then the model predicts 59 known and undiscovered geothermal systems are capable of producing electricity under current economic conditions in the state, a figure that is more than six times higher than the current number. Many additional geothermal systems could potentially become economic under improved economic conditions or with improved methods of reservoir stimulation (Enhanced Geothermal Systems).This large predicted geothermal resource base appears corroborated by recent grass-roots geothermal discoveries in the state of Nevada. At least two and possibly three newly recognized geothermal systems with estimated reservoir temperatures

Liquid hydrogen production and economics for NASA Kennedy Space Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Block, D. L.

1985-12-01

Detailed economic analyses for the production of liquid hydrogen used to power the Space Shuttle are presented. The hydrogen production and energy needs of the NASA Kennedy Space Center are reviewed, and steam reformation, polygeneration, and electrolysis for liquid hydrogen production are examined on an equal economic basis. The use of photovoltaics as an electrolysis power source is considered. The 1985 present worth is calculated based on life cycle costs over a 21-year period beginning with full operation in 1990. Two different sets of escalation, inflation, and discount rates are used, with revenue credit being given for energy or other products of the hydrogen production process. The results show that the economic analyses are very dependent on the escalation rates used. The least net present value is found for steam reformation of natural gas, while the best net present value is found for the electrolysis process which includes the phasing of photovoltaics.

Idaho Geothermal Commercialization Program. Idaho geothermal handbook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hammer, G.D.; Esposito, L.; Montgomery, M.

The following topics are covered: geothermal resources in Idaho, market assessment, community needs assessment, geothermal leasing procedures for private lands, Idaho state geothermal leasing procedures - state lands, federal geothermal leasing procedures - federal lands, environmental and regulatory processes, local government regulations, geothermal exploration, geothermal drilling, government funding, private funding, state and federal government assistance programs, and geothermal legislation. (MHR)

Geothermal Project Consulting | Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Geothermal Project Consulting Geothermal Project Consulting When consulting on projects, NREL focuses on identifying specific barriers or challenges that are likely to impact geothermal project , validation, and deployment of geothermal technologies Assess and evaluate geothermal R&D projects

GeothermalLCOE_NoExclusionsforAtlas

Science.gov Websites

a qualitative assessment of geothermal potential (Enhanced Geothermal System EGS) for the US based from 3 to 10 km provided by Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory (Blackwell & ;http://www.nrel.gov/gis/cfm/data/GIS_Data_Technology_Specific/United_States/Geothermal

Optimization of Well Configuration for a Sedimentary Enhanced Geothermal Reservoir

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Mengnan; Cho, JaeKyoung; Zerpa, Luis E.

The extraction of geothermal energy in the form of hot water from sedimentary rock formations could expand the current geothermal energy resources toward new regions. From previous work, we observed that sedimentary geothermal reservoirs with relatively low permeability would require the application of enhancement techniques (e.g., well hydraulic stimulation) to achieve commercial production/injection rates. In this paper we extend our previous work to develop a methodology to determine the optimum well configuration that maximizes the hydraulic performance of the geothermal system. The geothermal systems considered consist of one vertical well doublet system with hydraulic fractures, and three horizontal well configurationsmore » with open-hole completion, longitudinal fractures and transverse fractures, respectively. A commercial thermal reservoir simulation is used to evaluate the geothermal reservoir performance using as design parameters the well spacing and the length of the horizontal wells. The results obtained from the numerical simulations are used to build a response surface model based on the multiple linear regression method. The optimum configuration of the sedimentary geothermal systems is obtained from the analysis of the response surface model. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study based on a reservoir model of the Lyons sandstone formation, located in the Wattenberg field, Denver-Julesburg basin, Colorado.« less

Cooperative geochemical investigation of geothermal resources in the Imperial Valley and Yuma areas. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coplen, T.B.

1973-10-01

Preliminary studies indicate that the Imperial Valley has a large geothermal potential. In order to delineate additional geothermal systems a chemical and isotopic investigation of samples from water wells, springs, and geothermal wells in the Imperial Valley and Yuma areas was conducted. Na, K, and Ca concentrations of nearly 200 well water, spring water, hot spring, and geothermal fluid samples from the Imperial Valley area were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fournier and Truesdell's function was determined for each water sample. Suspected geothermal areas are identified. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope abundances were determined in order to determine and to identifymore » the source of the water in the Mesa geothermal system. (JGB)« less

Preliminary determination of geothermal working area based on Thermal Infrared and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agoes Nugroho, Indra; Kurniawahidayati, Beta; Syahputra Mulyana, Reza; Saepuloh, Asep

2017-12-01

Remote sensing is one of the methods for geothermal exploration. This method can be used to map the geological structures, manifestations, and predict the geothermal potential area. The results from remote sensing were used as guidance for the next step exploration. Analysis of target in remote sensing is an efficient method to delineate geothermal surface manifestation without direct contact to the object. The study took a place in District Merangin, Jambi Province, Indonesia. The area was selected due to existing of Merangin volcanic complex composed by Mounts Sumbing and Hulunilo with surface geothermal manifestations presented by hot springs and hot pools. The location of surface manifestations could be related with local and regional structures of Great Sumatra Fault. The methods used in this study were included identification of volcanic products, lineament extraction, and lineament density quantification. The objective of this study is to delineate the potential zones for sitting the geothermal working site based on Thermal Infrared and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors. The lineament-related to geological structures, was aimed for high lineament density, is using ALOS - PALSAR (Advanced Land Observing Satellite - The Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) level 1.1. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis was used to predict the vegetation condition using Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS (The Operational Land Imager - Thermal Infrared Sensor). The brightness temperature was extracted from TIR band to estimate the surface temperature. Geothermal working area identified based on index overlay method from extracted parameter of remote sensing data was located at the western part of study area (Graho Nyabu area). This location was identified because of the existence of high surface temperature about 30°C, high lineament density about 4 - 4.5 km/km2 and low NDVI values less than 0.3.

Hydrogen production by recombinant Escherichia coli strains

PubMed Central

Maeda, Toshinari; Sanchez‐Torres, Viviana; Wood, Thomas K.

2012-01-01

Summary The production of hydrogen via microbial biotechnology is an active field of research. Given its ease of manipulation, the best‐studied bacterium Escherichia coli has become a workhorse for enhanced hydrogen production through metabolic engineering, heterologous gene expression, adaptive evolution, and protein engineering. Herein, the utility of E. coli strains to produce hydrogen, via native hydrogenases or heterologous ones, is reviewed. In addition, potential strategies for increasing hydrogen production are outlined and whole‐cell systems and cell‐free systems are compared. PMID:21895995

Temperature distribution in the Cerro Prieto geothermal field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castillo B, F.; Bermejo M, F.J.; Domiguez A, B.

1981-01-01

A series of temperature and pressure logs and flow rate measurements was compiled for each of the geothermal wells drilled to different reservoir depths between October 1979 and December 1980. Based on the valuable information obtained, a series of graphs showing the thermal characteristics of the reservoir were prepared. These graphs clearly show the temperature distribution resulting from the movement of fluids from the deep regions toward the higher zones of the reservoir, thus establishing more reliable parameters for locating new wells with better production zones. Updated information based on data from new deep wells drilled in the geothermal fieldmore » is presented here. This new information does not differ much from earlier estimates and theories. However, the influence of faulting and fracturing on the hydrothermal recharge of the geothermal reservoir is seen more clearly.« less

National Geothermal Data System: Transforming the Discovery, Access, and Analytics of Data for Geothermal Exploration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patten, Kim

Compendium of Papers from the 38th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California February 11-13, 2013 The National Geothermal Data System (NGDS) is a distributed, interoperable network of data collected from state geological surveys across all fifty states and the nation’s leading academic geothermal centers. The system serves as a platform for sharing consistent, reliable, geothermal-relevant technical data with users of all types, while supplying tools relevant for their work. As aggregated data supports new scientific findings, this content-rich linked data ultimately broadens the pool of knowledge available to promote discovery and development of commercial-scale geothermal energy production.more » Most of the up-front risks associated with geothermal development stem from exploration and characterization of subsurface resources. Wider access to distributed data will, therefore, result in lower costs for geothermal development. NGDS is on track to become fully operational by 2014 and will provide a platform for custom applications for accessing geothermal relevant data in the U.S. and abroad. It is being built on the U.S. Geoscience Information Network (USGIN) data integration framework to promote interoperability across the Earth sciences community. The basic structure of the NGDS employs state-of-the art informatics to advance geothermal knowledge. The following four papers comprising this Open-File Report are a compendium of presentations, from the 38th Annual Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, taking place February 11-13, 2013 at Stanford University, Stanford, California. “NGDS Geothermal Data Domain: Assessment of Geothermal Community Data Needs,” outlines the efforts of a set of nationwide data providers to supply data for the NGDS. In particular, data acquisition, delivery, and methodology are discussed. The paper addresses the various types of data and metadata required and why simple links to

Drying of seaweeds by geothermal heat in Iceland

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hallsson, S.V.

For over a thousand years seaweeds have been sundered in Iceland for various uses, but geothermal heat was utilized for the first time for drying of seaweed in Hveragerdi 1939. During the sixties various experiments were carried on the drying of several types of seaweeds, grass, capeline and mussell in various sizes and types of experimental through-circulation dryers. On the bases of these experiments, a 5-belt through-circulation dryer was selected for the drying of seaweeds and possibly the mentioned marine and agricultural products in the commercial drying station built at Teykholar, W-Iceland, where seaweed meal has been produced since 1975.more » Results of drying experiments are compared with drying parameters in the commercial drying station at Teykholar, and the available data on drying of seaweeds using geothermal energy is summarized and compared with data from Scotland and Canada. The author looks to the future for the drying and possibly cultivation and extraction of chemicals by geothermal heat from seaweeds and various other heat sensitive products available in Iceland. Without geothermal energy seaweed industry would not exist in Iceland nor would this paper.« less

Geothermal energy in Alaska: site data base and development status

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Markle, D.R.

1979-04-01

The various factors affecting geothermal resource development are summarized for Alaska including: resource data base, geological description, reservoir characteristics, environmental character, base and development status, institutional factors, economics, population and market, and development potential. (MHR)

Geothermal System Extensions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gunnerson, Jon; Pardy, James J.

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Number DE-EE0000318. The City of Boise operates and maintains the nation’s largest geothermal heating district. Today, 91 buildings are connected, providing space heating to over 5.5 million square feet, domestic water heating, laundry and pool heating, sidewalk snowmelt and other related uses. Approximately 300 million gallons of 177°F geothermal water is pumped annually to buildings and institutions located in downtown Boise. The closed loop system returns all used geothermal water back into the aquifer after heat has been removed via an Injection Well. Water injected backmore » into the aquifer has an average temperature of 115°F. This project expanded the Boise Geothermal Heating District (Geothermal System) to bring geothermal energy to the campus of Boise State University and to the Central Addition Eco-District. In addition, this project also improved the overall system’s reliability and increased the hydraulic capacity.« less

Ambient geothermal hydrogen sulfide exposure and peripheral neuropathy

PubMed Central

Pope, Karl; So, Yuen T.; Crane, Julian; Bates, Michael N.

2017-01-01

The mechanism of toxicity of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is thought mainly to operate through effects on the nervous system. The gas has high acute toxicity, but whether chronic exposure causes effects, including peripheral neuropathy, is yet unclear. The city of Rotorua, New Zealand, sits on an active geothermal field and the population has some of the highest measured ambient H2S exposures. A previous study in Rotorua provided evidence that H2S is associated with peripheral neuropathy. Using clinical methods, the present study sought to investigate and possibly confirm this association in the Rotorua population. The study population comprised 1,635 adult residents of Rotorua, aged 18–65. Collected data relevant to the peripheral neuropathy investigation included symptoms, ankle stretch reflex, vibration sensitivity, as measured by the timed-tuning fork test and a Bio-Thesiometer (Bio-Medical Instrument Co., Ohio), and light touch sensitivity measured by monofilaments. An exposure metric, estimating time-weighted H2S exposure across the last 30 years was used. Principal components analysis was used to combine data across the various indicators of possible peripheral neuropathy. The main data analysis used linear regression to examine associations between the peripheral nerve function indicators and H2S exposure. None of the peripheral nerve function indicators were associated with H2S exposure, providing no evidence that H2S exposure at levels found in Rotorua is a cause of peripheral neuropathy. The earlier association between H2S exposure and peripheral neuropathy diagnoses may be attributable to the ecological study design used. The possibility that H2S exposure misclassification could account for the lack of association found cannot be entirely excluded. PMID:28223159

Ambient geothermal hydrogen sulfide exposure and peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Pope, Karl; So, Yuen T; Crane, Julian; Bates, Michael N

2017-05-01

The mechanism of toxicity of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) gas is thought mainly to operate through effects on the nervous system. The gas has high acute toxicity, but whether chronic exposure causes effects, including peripheral neuropathy, is yet unclear. The city of Rotorua, New Zealand, sits on an active geothermal field and the population has some of the highest measured ambient H 2 S exposures. A previous study in Rotorua provided evidence that H 2 S is associated with peripheral neuropathy. Using clinical methods, the present study sought to investigate and possibly confirm this association in the Rotorua population. The study population comprised 1635 adult residents of Rotorua, aged 18-65. Collected data relevant to the peripheral neuropathy investigation included symptoms, ankle stretch reflex, vibration sensitivity, as measured by the timed-tuning fork test and a Bio-Thesiometer (Bio-Medical Instrument Co., Ohio), and light touch sensitivity measured by monofilaments. An exposure metric, estimating time-weighted H 2 S exposure across the last 30 years was used. Principal components analysis was used to combine data across the various indicators of possible peripheral neuropathy. The main data analysis used linear regression to examine associations between the peripheral nerve function indicators and H 2 S exposure. None of the peripheral nerve function indicators were associated with H 2 S exposure, providing no evidence that H 2 S exposure at levels found in Rotorua is a cause of peripheral neuropathy. The earlier association between H 2 S exposure and peripheral neuropathy diagnoses may be attributable to the ecological study design used. The possibility that H 2 S exposure misclassification could account for the lack of association found cannot be entirely excluded. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

LARGE-SCALE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM NUCLEAR ENERGY USING HIGH TEMPERATURE ELECTROLYSIS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James E. O'Brien

2010-08-01

Hydrogen can be produced from water splitting with relatively high efficiency using high-temperature electrolysis. This technology makes use of solid-oxide cells, running in the electrolysis mode to produce hydrogen from steam, while consuming electricity and high-temperature process heat. When coupled to an advanced high temperature nuclear reactor, the overall thermal-to-hydrogen efficiency for high-temperature electrolysis can be as high as 50%, which is about double the overall efficiency of conventional low-temperature electrolysis. Current large-scale hydrogen production is based almost exclusively on steam reforming of methane, a method that consumes a precious fossil fuel while emitting carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Demandmore » for hydrogen is increasing rapidly for refining of increasingly low-grade petroleum resources, such as the Athabasca oil sands and for ammonia-based fertilizer production. Large quantities of hydrogen are also required for carbon-efficient conversion of biomass to liquid fuels. With supplemental nuclear hydrogen, almost all of the carbon in the biomass can be converted to liquid fuels in a nearly carbon-neutral fashion. Ultimately, hydrogen may be employed as a direct transportation fuel in a “hydrogen economy.” The large quantity of hydrogen that would be required for this concept should be produced without consuming fossil fuels or emitting greenhouse gases. An overview of the high-temperature electrolysis technology will be presented, including basic theory, modeling, and experimental activities. Modeling activities include both computational fluid dynamics and large-scale systems analysis. We have also demonstrated high-temperature electrolysis in our laboratory at the 15 kW scale, achieving a hydrogen production rate in excess of 5500 L/hr.« less

Hydrogen Production and Delivery | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | Hydrogen and

Science.gov Websites

degrees Celsius. Ultra-high temperatures are required for thermochemical reaction cycles to produce for the environmentally benign production of hydrogen. Very high reaction rates at these elevated temperatures give rise to very fast reaction rates, which significantly enhance production rates and more than

Production of Plant Phthalate and its Hydrogenated Derivative from Bio-Based Platform Chemicals.

PubMed

Lu, Rui; Lu, Fang; Si, Xiaoqin; Jiang, Huifang; Huang, Qianqian; Yu, Weiqiang; Kong, Xiangtao; Xu, Jie

2018-04-06

Direct transformation of bio-based platform chemicals into aromatic dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives, which are widely used for the manufacture of polymers, is of significant importance for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. However, limited successful chemical processes have been reported. This study concerns a sustainable route for the production of phthalate and its hydrogenated derivative from bio-based malic acid and erythritol. The key Diels-Alder reaction is applied to build a substituted cyclohexene structure. The dehydration reaction of malic acid affords fumaric acid with 96.6 % yield, which could be used as the dienophile, and 1,3-butadiene generated in situ through erythritol deoxydehydration serves as the diene. Starting from erythritol and dibutyl fumarate, a 74.3 % yield of dibutyl trans-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylate is obtained. The palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation of the cycloadduct gives a 77.8 % yield of dibutyl phthalate. Dibutyl trans-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate could be formed in nearly 100 % yield under mild conditions by hydrogenation of the cycloadduct. Furthermore, fumaric acid and fumarate, with trans configurations, were found to be better dienophiles for this Diels-Alder reaction than maleic acid and maleate, with cis configuration, based on the experimental and computational results. This new route will pave the way for the production of environmental friendly plastic materials from plants. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Geothermal Resource Verification for Air Force Bases,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

phase of reservoir - ... geothermal techniques will begin to focus on the deeer, iso ’i fined reservoirs that will have little or no definitive surfa...1976. ;L-ison, D. L., PROGRAM REVIEW, GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION AND ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM, U. S. Department of Energy, DOE/ET/ 27002 -6, December 1979

Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems | Geothermal Technologies |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems Sedimentary and Enhanced Geothermal Systems To innovative technologies, such as sedimentary and enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Photo of a geothermal power plant in Imperial California. Capabilities To advance EGS and sedimentary geothermal systems, NREL

Extremophile mediated hydrogen production for hydrogenation of substrates in aqueous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anjom, Mouzhgun

Catalytic hydrogenation reactions are pervasive throughout our economy, from production of margarine as food, liquid fuels for transportation and chiral drugs such as L-DOPA. H2 production from non-fossil fuel feedstocks is highly desirable for transition to the "Hydrogen Economy". Also, the rates of hydrogenation reactions that involve a substrate, H 2 gas and a catalyst are often limited by the solubility of H2 in solvent. The present research thus envisioned designing water-soluble catalysts that could effectively utilize biologically produced H2 in a coupled system to hydrogenate substrates in homogeneous mode (two-phase system). Biological production of H2 as an end product or byproduct of the metabolism of organisms that operate under strict anaerobic conditions has been proposed. However, contrary to what was previously observed, Thermotoga neapolitana, belonging to the order of Thermotogales efficiently produces H2 gas under microaerobic conditions (Van Ooteghem et al. 2004). For H2 production by T. neapolitana in the bacterial growth medium (DSM 5068) at an optimum temperature of 70 C, our results in batch mode show that: (1) H2 was produced from glucose though with 16% efficiency, the rest goes to biomass production, (2) H2 gas was produced even when the cultures were inoculated under microaerobic conditions (up to 8% (v/v) O2) suggesting a protective mechanism for one or more [Fe-Fe] hydrogenases in T. neapolitana, (3) H2 production was pH dependent but addition of simple, non-toxic physiological buffering additives such as Methylene succinic acid increased H2 production and (4) H2 production rate varied linearly in the 100--6800 kPa pressure range. We then screened various water-soluble metal catalysts in batch mode and selected the RhCl3.3H2O/TPPTS (TPPTS is a water-soluble ligand) system that achieved 86% hydrogenation of Methylene succinic acid (an olefin) in an aqueous medium pressurized with preformed H2. When water was replaced with the DSM 5068

Compilation of geothermal information: exploration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1978-01-01

The Database for Geothermal Energy Exploration and Evaluation is a printout of selected references to publications covering the development of geothermal resources from the identification of an area to the production of elecric power. This annotated bibliography contains four sections: references, author index, author affiliation index, and descriptor index.

Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho Geothermal Resource Assessment and Future Recommendations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joseph C. Armstrong; Robert P. Breckenridge; Dennis L. Nielson

2013-03-01

The U.S. Air Force is facing a number of challenges as it moves into the future, one of the biggest being how to provide safe and secure energy to support base operations. A team of scientists and engineers met at Mountain Home Air Force Base in early 2011 near Boise, Idaho, to discuss the possibility of exploring for geothermal resources under the base. The team identified that there was a reasonable potential for geothermal resources based on data from an existing well. In addition, a regional gravity map helped identify several possible locations for drilling a new well. The teammore » identified several possible sources of funding for this well—the most logical being to use U.S. Department of Energy funds to drill the upper half of the well and U.S. Air Force funds to drill the bottom half of the well. The well was designed as a slimhole well in accordance with State of Idaho Department of Water Resources rules and regulations. Drilling operations commenced at the Mountain Home site in July of 2011 and were completed in January of 2012. Temperatures increased gradually, especially below a depth of 2000 ft. Temperatures increased more rapidly below a depth of 5500 ft. The bottom of the well is at 5976 ft, where a temperature of about 140°C was recorded. The well flowed artesian from a depth below 5600 ft, until it was plugged off with drilling mud. Core samples were collected from the well and are being analyzed to help understand permeability at depth. Additional tests using a televiewer system will be run to evaluate orientation and directions at fractures, especially in the production zone. A final report on the well exploitation will be forthcoming later this year. The Air Force will use it to evaluate the geothermal resource potential for future private development options at Mountain Home Air Force Base. In conclusion, Recommendation for follow-up efforts include the following:« less

Methods and systems for the production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Oh, Chang H [Idaho Falls, ID; Kim, Eung S [Ammon, ID; Sherman, Steven R [Augusta, GA

2012-03-13

Methods and systems are disclosed for the production of hydrogen and the use of high-temperature heat sources in energy conversion. In one embodiment, a primary loop may include a nuclear reactor utilizing a molten salt or helium as a coolant. The nuclear reactor may provide heat energy to a power generation loop for production of electrical energy. For example, a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid may be heated by the nuclear reactor via the molten salt and then expanded in a turbine to drive a generator. An intermediate heat exchange loop may also be thermally coupled with the primary loop and provide heat energy to one or more hydrogen production facilities. A portion of the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production facility may be diverted to a combustor to elevate the temperature of water being split into hydrogen and oxygen by the hydrogen production facility.

Geothermal pilot study final report: creating an international geothermal energy community

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bresee, J.C.; Yen, W.W.S.; Metzler, J.E.

The Geothermal Pilot Study under the auspices of the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) was established in 1973 to apply an action-oriented approach to international geothermal research and development, taking advantage of the established channels of governmental communication provided by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Pilot Study was composed of five substudies. They included: computer-based information systems; direct application of geothermal energy; reservoir assessment; small geothermal power plants; and hot dry rock concepts. The most significant overall result of the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study, which is now complete, is the establishment of an identifiable communitymore » of geothermal experts in a dozen or more countries active in development programs. Specific accomplishments include the creation of an international computer file of technical information on geothermal wells and fields, the development of studies and reports on direct applications, geothermal fluid injection and small power plants, and the operation of the visiting scientist program. In the United States, the computer file has aready proven useful in the development of reservoir models and of chemical geothermometers. The state-of-the-art report on direct uses of geothermal energy is proving to be a valuable resource document for laypersons and experts in an area of increasing interest to many countries. Geothermal fluid injection studies in El Salvador, New Zealand, and the United States have been assisted by the Reservoir Assessment Substudy and have led to long-range reservoir engineering studies in Mexico. At least seven small geothermal power plants are in use or have been planned for construction around the world since the Small Power Plant Substudy was instituted--at least partial credit for this increased application can be assigned to the CCMS Geothermal Pilot Study. (JGB)« less

Hydrogen production and purification for fuel cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, Soo Yin

The increased utilization of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells as an alternative to internal combustion engines is expected to increase the demand for hydrogen, which is used as the energy source in these systems. Currently, production of hydrogen for fuel cells is primarily achieved via steam reforming, partial oxidation or autothermal reforming of natural gas, or steam reforming of methanol. However, in all of these processes CO is a by-product that must be subsequently removed due to its adverse effects on the Pt-based electrocatalysts of the PEM fuel cell. Our efforts have focused on production of CO-free hydrogen via catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons and purification of H2 via the preferential oxidation of CO. The catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons is an attractive alternative for the production of H2. Previous studies utilizing methane have shown that this approach can indeed produce CO-free hydrogen, with filamentous carbon formed as the by-product and deposited on the catalyst. We have further extended this approach to the decomposition of ethane. In addition to hydrogen and filamentous carbon however, methane is also formed in this case as a by-product. Studies conducted at different temperatures and space velocities suggest that hydrogen is the primary product while methane is formed in a secondary step. Ni/SiO2 catalysts are active for ethane decomposition at temperatures above 500°C. Although the yield of hydrogen increases with temperature, the catalyst deactivation rate also accelerates at higher temperatures. The preferential oxidation of CO is currently used for the purification of CO-contaminated hydrogen streams due to its efficiency and simplicity. Conventional Pt catalysts used for this reaction have been shown to effectively remove CO, but have limited selectivity (i.e., substantial amounts of H 2 also react with O2). Our work focused on alternative catalytic materials, such as Ru and bimetallic Ru-based catalysts (Pt-Ru, Ru

Downwell pump reliability: Geothermal experience update: Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellis, P.F.

1988-01-01

Geothermal resources with temperatures between 250/sup 0/ and 360/sup 0/F (121/sup 0/C and 182/sup 0/C) are prime candidates for binary-cycle power generation, and constitute about 80% of the power-capable resources in the United States. The successful exploitation of these resources requires reliable high-capacity downwell brine production pumps, but earlier experience showed that high-capacity, high-temperature geothermal production pumps had many problems which resulted in a mean time-to-failure (MTTF) of less than 1000 h. However, steady progress has been made since 1981, and a large body of experience has been acquired by three geothermal binary plants. This survey of high-temperature geothermal downwellmore » pump users and manufacturers updates a prior survey (AP-3572) completed in early 1983. This survey traces the development of lineshaft pump technology from the late 1970s to the present (mid-1987), detailing the advances in design, materials selection, and operating practices. Case histories of 72 lineshaft pumps installed at three geothermal binary plants since late 1981 are documented, including some detailed cause of failure reports. In the recent past, pump lives in excess of 7000 h have become common, but a high continuing rate of premature failures resulted in a mean time-to-failure (MTTF) of about 5000 h. Based on recent advances which appear likely to eliminate most premature failures, the estimated near-term MTTF will be on the order of 8000 h. The survey found almost no development of high-temperature geothermal electric submersible pumps (ESP's) or close-coupled downwell hydraulic turbopumps, and concluded that considerable development and demonstration will be needed before these technologies are able to compete with existing high-temperature geothermal lineshaft pump technology. 36 refs., 10 figs., 25 tabs.« less

Lens Opacity and Hydrogen Sulfide in a New Zealand Geothermal Area.

PubMed

Bates, Michael N; Bailey, Ian L; DiMartino, Robert B; Pope, Karl; Crane, Julian; Garrett, Nick

2017-04-01

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly toxic gas with well-established, acute irritation effects on the eye. The population of Rotorua, New Zealand, sited on an active geothermal field, has some of the highest ambient H2S exposures in the world. Evidence from ecological studies in Rotorua has suggested that H2S is associated with cataract. The purpose of the present study was, using more detailed exposure characterization, clinical examinations, and anterior eye photography, to more directly investigate this previously reported association. Enrolled were 1637 adults, ages 18 to 65, from a comprehensive Rotorua primary care medical register. Patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including pupillary dilation and lens photography to capture evidence of any nuclear opacity, nuclear color, and cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity. Photographs were scored for all four outcomes on the LOCS III scale with decimalized interpolation between the exemplars. H2S exposure for up to the last 30 years was estimated based on networks of passive samplers set out across Rotorua and knowledge of residential, workplace, and school locations over the 30 years. Data analysis using linear and logistic regression examined associations between the degree of opacification and nuclear color or cataract (defined as a LOCS III score ≥2.0) in relation to H2S exposure. No associations were found between estimated H2S exposures and any of the four ophthalmic outcome measures. Overall, results were generally reassuring. They provided no evidence that H2S exposure at the levels found in Rotorua is associated with cataract. The previously found association between cataract and H2S exposure in the Rotorua population seems likely to be attributable to the limitations of the ecological study design. These results cannot rule out the possibility of an association with cataract at higher levels of H2S exposure.

Thermal-hydrodynamic-chemical (THC) modeling based on geothermal field data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kiryukhin, Alexey; Xu, Tianfu; Pruess, Karsten

Data on fluid chemistry and rock mineralogy are evaluated for a number of geothermal fields located in the volcanic arc of Japan and Kamchatka, Russia, Common chemical characteristics are identified and used to define scenarios for detailed numerical modeling of coupled thermal hydrodynamic chemical (THC) processes. The following scenarios of parental geothermal fluid upflow were studied: (1) single-phase conditions, 260 C at the bottom ( Ogiri type); (2) two-phase conditions, 300 C at the bottom ( Hatchobaru type); and (3) heat pipe conditions, 260 C at the bottom ( Matsukawa type). THC modeling for the single-phase upflow scenario shows wairakite,more » quartz, K-feld spar and chlorite formed as the principal secondary minerals in the production zone, and illite-smectite formed below 230 C. THC modeling of the two-phase upflow shows that quartz, K-feldspar (microcline), wairakite and calcite precipitate in the model as principal secondary minerals in the production zone. THC modeling of heat pipe conditions shows no significant secondary deposition of minerals (quartz, K-feldspar, zeolites) in the production zone. The influence of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of chemical interaction, and of mass fluxes on mineral phase changes, was found to be significant, depending on the upflow regime. It was found that no parental geothermal fluid inflow is needed for zeolite precipitation, which occurs above 140 C in saturated andesite, provided that the porosity is greater than 0.001. In contrast, quartz and K-feldspar precipitation may result in a significant porosity reduction over a hundred-year time scale under mass flux conditions, and complete fracture sealing will occur given sufficient time under either single-phase or two-phase upflow scenarios. A heat pipe scenario shows no significant porosity reduction due to lack of secondary mineral phase deposition.« less

NANA Geothermal Assessment Program Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jay Hermanson

2010-06-22

In 2008, NANA Regional Corporation (NRC) assessed geothermal energy potential in the NANA region for both heat and/or electricity production. The Geothermal Assessment Project (GAP) was a systematic process that looked at community resources and the community's capacity and desire to develop these resources. In October 2007, the US Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program awarded grant DE-FG36-07GO17075 to NRC for the GAP studies. Two moderately remote sites in the NANA region were judged to have the most potential for geothermal development: (1) Granite Mountain, about 40 miles south of Buckland, and (2) the Division Hot Springs area in themore » Purcell Mountains, about 40 miles south of Shungnak and Kobuk. Data were collected on-site at Granite Mountain Hot Springs in September 2009, and at Division Hot Springs in April 2010. Although both target geothermal areas could be further investigated with a variety of exploration techniques such as a remote sensing study, a soil geochemical study, or ground-based geophysical surveys, it was recommended that on-site or direct heat use development options are more attractive at this time, rather than investigations aimed more at electric power generation.« less

Perspectives on geopressured resources within the geothermal program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dibona, B.

1980-06-01

This work reviews the potential of geothermal energy in the U.S. Current sources of and uses for geothermal energy are described. The study outlines how geopressured resources fit into the geothermal program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Description of the program status includes progress in drilling and assessing geopressured resources. The Division of Geothermal Energy within DOE is responsible for geothermal resources comprising point heat sources (igneous); high heat flow regions such as those between the Sierras and the Rockies; radiogenic heat sources of moderate temperatures of the eastern U.S. coast; geopressured zones; and hot dry rock systems.more » Interest in these resources focuses on electric power production, direct heat application, and methane production from the geopressured aquifers.« less

Low-Cost Hydrogen Distributed Production System Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C.E.

2011-03-10

H{sub 2}Gen, with the support of the Department of Energy, successfully designed, built and field-tested two steam methane reformers with 578 kg/day capacity, which has now become a standard commercial product serving customers in the specialty metals and PV manufacturing businesses. We demonstrated that this reformer/PSA system, when combined with compression, storage and dispensing (CSD) equipment could produce hydrogen that is already cost-competitive with gasoline per mile driven in a conventional (non-hybrid) vehicle. We further showed that mass producing this 578 kg/day system in quantities of just 100 units would reduce hydrogen cost per mile approximately 13% below the cost of untaxed gasoline per mile used in a hybrid electric vehicle. If mass produced in quantities of 500 units, hydrogen cost per mile in a FCEV would be 20% below the cost of untaxed gasoline in an HEV in the 2015-2020 time period using EIA fuel cost projections for natural gas and untaxed gasoline, and 45% below the cost of untaxed gasoline in a conventional car. This 20% to 45% reduction in fuel cost per mile would accrue even though hydrogen from this 578 kg/day system would cost approximatelymore » $4.14/kg, well above the DOE hydrogen cost targets of $2.50/kg by 2010 and $$2.00/kg by 2015. We also estimated the cost of a larger, 1,500 kg/day SMR/PSA fueling system based on engineering cost scaling factors derived from the two H{sub 2}Gen products, a commercial 115 kg/day system and the 578 kg/day system developed under this DOE contract. This proposed system could support 200 to 250 cars per day, similar to a medium gasoline station. We estimate that the cost per mile from this larger 1,500 kg/day hydrogen fueling system would be 26% to 40% below the cost per mile of untaxed gasoline in an HEV and ICV respectively, even without any mass production cost reductions. In quantities of 500 units, we are projecting per mile cost reductions between 45% (vs. HEVs) and 62% (vs ICVs), with

Hydrogen Production from Liquid Hydrocarbons Demonstration Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

The results of a 17 hour run indicate that the DP can produce hydrogen-containing product gas with less than 1 ppmv hydrogen sulfide . (4) Product...promotes the hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide (COS) by the reaction: COS + H20 = H2 S + CO2 (2) Feed inlet temperature is 550*F. The water gas reaction is...feed stream to less than 10 ppmw. This is achieved by contacting the product gas stream with a zinc oxide bed where the hydrogen sulfide will react with

Geothermal Potential Based on Physical Characteristics of the Region (Case Study: Mount Karang, Pandeglang Regency and Banten Province)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russel, Fhillipo; Damayanti, Astrid; Pin, Tjiong Giok

2018-02-01

This research is about geothermal potential of Mount Karang, Banten Province which is based on the characteristics of the region. This research method used is geochemistry sample of hot springs and integrated with GIS method for spatial of geothermal potential. Based on the geothermal potential, Mount Karang is divided into three regions, ie high potential, normal potential, and low potential. The high geothermal potential region covers an area of 24.16 Km2 and which there are Cisolong and Banjar 2 hot springs. The normal potential covers Kawah hot spring. Index of the fault of Mount Karang region is one of the significant physical characteristics to determine geothermal potential.

Geothermal Electricity Production Basics | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. Photo of a California. Dry Steam Dry steam power plants draw from underground resources of steam. The steam is piped . Since Yellowstone is protected from development, the only dry steam plants in the country are at The

Hydrogen Research for Spaceport and Space-Based Applications: Hydrogen Sensors and Systems. Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Tim; Balaban, Canan

2008-01-01

The activities presented are a broad based approach to advancing key hydrogen related technologies in areas such as fuel cells, hydrogen production, and distributed sensors for hydrogen-leak detection, laser instrumentation for hydrogen-leak detection, and cryogenic transport and storage. Presented are the results from research projects, education and outreach activities, system and trade studies. The work will aid in advancing the state-of-the-art for several critical technologies related to the implementation of a hydrogen infrastructure. Activities conducted are relevant to a number of propulsion and power systems for terrestrial, aeronautics and aerospace applications. Sensor systems research was focused on hydrogen leak detection and smart sensors with adaptive feedback control for fuel cells. The goal was to integrate multifunction smart sensors, low-power high-efficiency wireless circuits, energy harvesting devices, and power management circuits in one module. Activities were focused on testing and demonstrating sensors in a realistic environment while also bringing them closer to production and commercial viability for eventual use in the actual operating environment.

75 FR 4062 - Cosa Geothermal Power Holdings, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-26

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER10-566-000] Cosa Geothermal Power Holdings, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request...-referenced proceeding of Cosa Geothermal Power Holdings, LLC's application for market-based rate authority...

78 FR 28836 - Vulcan/BN Geothermal Power Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-16

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-1273-000] Vulcan/BN Geothermal Power Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for... Vulcan/BN Geothermal Power Company's application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying...

PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATES OF POLLUTION CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES FOR GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

This report provides preliminary cost estimates of air and water pollution control technologies for geothermal energy conversion facilities. Costs for solid waste disposal are also estimated. The technologies examined include those for control of hydrogen sulfide emissions and fo...

Solar Metal Sulfate-Ammonia Based Thermochemical Water Splitting Cycle for Hydrogen Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

T-Raissi, Ali (Inventor); Muradov, Nazim (Inventor); Huang, Cunping (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Two classes of hybrid/thermochemical water splitting processes for the production of hydrogen and oxygen have been proposed based on (1) metal sulfate-ammonia cycles (2) metal pyrosulfate-ammonia cycles. Methods and systems for a metal sulfate MSO.sub.4--NH3 cycle for producing H2 and O2 from a closed system including feeding an aqueous (NH3)(4)SO3 solution into a photoctalytic reactor to oxidize the aqueous (NH3)(4)SO3 into aqueous (NH3)(2)SO4 and reduce water to hydrogen, mixing the resulting aqueous (NH3)(2)SO4 with metal oxide (e.g. ZnO) to form a slurry, heating the slurry of aqueous (NH4)(2)SO4 and ZnO(s) in the low temperature reactor to produce a gaseous mixture of NH3 and H2O and solid ZnSO4(s), heating solid ZnSO4 at a high temperature reactor to produce a gaseous mixture of SO2 and O2 and solid product ZnO, mixing the gaseous mixture of SO2 and O2 with an NH3 and H2O stream in an absorber to form aqueous (NH4)(2)SO3 solution and separate O2 for aqueous solution, recycling the resultant solution back to the photoreactor and sending ZnO to mix with aqueous (NH4)(2)SO4 solution to close the water splitting cycle wherein gaseous H2 and O2 are the only products output from the closed ZnSO4--NH3 cycle.

Comparison of Iron and Tungsten Based Oxygen Carriers for Hydrogen Production Using Chemical Looping Reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, M. N.; Shamim, T.

2017-08-01

Hydrogen production by using a three reactor chemical looping reforming (TRCLR) technology is an innovative and attractive process. Fossil fuels such as methane are the feedstocks used. This process is similar to a conventional steam-methane reforming but occurs in three steps utilizing an oxygen carrier. As the oxygen carrier plays an important role, its selection should be done carefully. In this study, two oxygen carrier materials of base metal iron (Fe) and tungsten (W) are analysed using a thermodynamic model of a three reactor chemical looping reforming plant in Aspen plus. The results indicate that iron oxide has moderate oxygen carrying capacity and is cheaper since it is abundantly available. In terms of hydrogen production efficiency, tungsten oxide gives 4% better efficiency than iron oxide. While in terms of electrical power efficiency, iron oxide gives 4.6% better results than tungsten oxide. Overall, a TRCLR system with iron oxide is 2.6% more efficient and is cost effective than the TRCLR system with tungsten oxide.

Microbiological Monitoring in Geothermal Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alawi, M.; Lerm, S.; Linder, R.; Vetter, A.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Miethling-Graff, R.; Seibt, A.; Wolfgramm, M.; Wuerdemann, H.

2010-12-01

In the scope of the research projects “AquiScreen” and “MiProTherm” we investigated geothermally used groundwater systems under microbial, geochemical, mineralogical and petrological aspects. On one side an enhanced process understanding of engineered geothermal systems is mandatory to optimize plant reliability and economy, on the other side this study provides insights into the microbiology of terrestrial thermal systems. Geothermal systems located in the North German Basin and the Molasse Basin were analyzed by sampling of fluids and solid phases. The investigated sites were characterized by different temperatures, salinities and potential microbial substrates. The microbial population was monitored by the use of genetic fingerprinting techniques and PCR-cloning based on PCR-amplified 16S rRNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase (DSR) genes. DNA-sequences of fingerprints and cloned PCR-products were compared to public databases and correlated with metabolic classes to provide information about the biogeochemical processes. In all investigated geothermal plants, covering a temperature range from 5° to 120°C, microorganisms were found. Phylogenetic gene analyses indicate a broad diversity of microorganisms adapted to the specific conditions in the engineered system. Beside characterized bacteria like Thermus scotoductus, Siderooxidans lithoautotrophicus and the archaeon Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus a high number of so far uncultivated microorganisms was detected. As it is known that - in addition to abiotic factors - microbes like sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are involved in the processes of corrosion and scaling in plant components, we identified SRB by specific analyses of DSR genes. The SRB detected are closely related to thermotolerant and thermophilic species of Desulfotomaculum, Thermodesulfovibrio, Desulfohalobium and Thermodesulfobacterium, respectively. Overall, the detection of microbes known to be involved in biocorrosion and the

Multidisciplinary research of geothermal modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

-Ing. Ulvi Arslan, Univ., ., Dr. _., Prof.; Heiko Huber, Dipl.-Ing.

2010-05-01

KEYWORDS Geothermal sciences, geothermics, research, theory and application, numerical calculation, geothermal modeling, Technical University Darmstadt, Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) INTRODUCTION In times of global warming renewable, green energies are getting more and more important. The development of application of geothermal energy as a part of renewable energies in Germany is a multidisciplinary process of fast growing research and improvements. Geothermal energy is the energy, which is stored below earth's surface. The word geothermal derives from the Greek words geo (earth) and thermos (heat), so geothermal is a synonym to earth heat. Geothermal energy is one of the auspicious renewable energies. In average the temperature increases 3°C every 100 m of depth, which is termed as geothermal gradient. Therefore 99 percent of our planet is hotter than 1.000°C, while 99 percent of that last percent is even hotter than 100°C. Already in a depth of about 1 kilometer temperatures of 35 - 40°C can be achieved. While other renewable energies arise less or more from the sun, geothermal energy sources its heat from the earth's interior, which is caused mostly by radioactive decay of persistent isotopes. This means a possibility of a base-loadable form of energy supply. Especially efficient is the use of deep geothermal energy of high-enthalpie reservoirs, which means a high energy potential in low depths. In Germany no high-enthalpie reservoirs are given. To use the given low-enthalpie potential and to generate geothermal power efficiently inventions and improvements need to be performed. An important part of geothermal progresses is performed by universities with multidisciplinary research of geothermal modeling. Especially in deep geothermal systems numerical calculations are essential for a correct dimensioning of the geothermal system. Therefore German universities and state aided organizations are developing numerical programs for a detailed use of

Analysis of Low-Temperature Utilization of Geothermal Resources

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Brian

Full realization of the potential of what might be considered “low-grade” geothermal resources will require that we examine many more uses for the heat than traditional electricity generation. To demonstrate that geothermal energy truly has the potential to be a national energy source we will be designing, assessing, and evaluating innovative uses for geothermal-produced water such as hybrid biomass-geothermal cogeneration of electricity and district heating and efficiency improvements to the use of cellulosic biomass in addition to utilization of geothermal in district heating for community redevelopment projects. The objectives of this project were: 1) to perform a techno-economic analysis ofmore » the integration and utilization potential of low-temperature geothermal sources. Innovative uses of low-enthalpy geothermal water were designed and examined for their ability to offset fossil fuels and decrease CO2 emissions. 2) To perform process optimizations and economic analyses of processes that can utilize low-temperature geothermal fluids. These processes included electricity generation using biomass and district heating systems. 3) To scale up and generalize the results of three case study locations to develop a regionalized model of the utilization of low-temperature geothermal resources. A national-level, GIS-based, low-temperature geothermal resource supply model was developed and used to develop a series of national supply curves. We performed an in-depth analysis of the low-temperature geothermal resources that dominate the eastern half of the United States. The final products of this study include 17 publications, an updated version of the cost estimation software GEOPHIRES, and direct-use supply curves for low-temperature utilization of geothermal resources. The supply curves for direct use geothermal include utilization from known hydrothermal, undiscovered hydrothermal, and near-hydrothermal EGS resources and presented these results at the

Potential Application of Anaerobic Extremophiles for Hydrogen Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.

2004-01-01

During substrate fermentation many anaerobes produce the hydrogen as a waste product, which often regulates the growth of the cultures as an inhibitor. In nature the hydrogen is usually removed from the ecosystem due to its physical properties or by consumption of hydrogen by secondary anaerobes, which sometimes behave as competitors for electron donors as is seen in the classical example in anaerobic microbial communities via the interaction between methanogens and sulfate- or sulfur- reducers. It was demonstrated previously on mixed cultures of anaerobes at neutral pH that bacterial hydrogen production could provide an alternative energy source. But at neutral pH the original cultures can easily be contaminated by methanogens, a most unpleasant side effect of these conditions is the development of pathogenic bacteria. In both cases the rate of hydrogen production was dramatically decreased since some part of the hydrogen was transformed to methane, and the cultivation of human pathogens on a global scale is very dangerous. In our laboratory, experiments with obligately alkaliphilic bacteria that excrete hydrogen as the end metabolic product were performed at different temperature regimes. Mesophilic and moderately thermophilic bacterial cultures have been studied and compared for the most effective hydrogen production. For high-mineralized media with pH 9.5-10.0 not many methanogens are known to exist. Furthermore, the development of pathogenic contaminant microorganisms is virtually impossible: carbonate-saturated solutions are used as antiseptics in medicine. Therefore the cultivation of alkaliphilic hydrogen producing bacteria could be considered as most safe process for global Scale industry in future. Here we present experimental data on the rates of hydrogen productivity for mesophilic, alkaliphilic, obligately anaerobic bacterium Spirocheta americana ASpG1 and moderately thermophilic, alkaliphilic, facultative anaerobe Anoxybacillus pushchinoensis K1 and

Studies of the use of heat from high temperature nuclear sources for hydrogen production processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farbman, G. H.

1976-01-01

Future uses of hydrogen and hydrogen production processes that can meet the demand for hydrogen in the coming decades were considered. To do this, a projection was made of the market for hydrogen through the year 2000. Four hydrogen production processes were selected, from among water electrolysis, fossil based and thermochemical water decomposition systems, and evaluated, using a consistent set of ground rules, in terms of relative performance, economics, resource requirements, and technology status.

Geothermal and volcanism in west Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, I.; Indarto, S.; Sudarsono; Fauzi I, A.; Yuliyanti, A.; Lintjewas, L.; Alkausar, A.; Jakah

2018-02-01

Indonesian active volcanoes extend from Sumatra, Jawa, Bali, Lombok, Flores, North Sulawesi, and Halmahera. The volcanic arc hosts 276 volcanoes with 29 GWe of geothermal resources. Considering a wide distribution of geothermal potency, geothermal research is very important to be carried out especially to tackle high energy demand in Indonesia as an alternative energy sources aside from fossil fuel. Geothermal potency associated with volcanoes-hosted in West Java can be found in the West Java segment of Sunda Arc that is parallel with the subduction. The subduction of Indo-Australian oceanic plate beneath the Eurasian continental plate results in various volcanic products in a wide range of geochemical and mineralogical characteristics. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of volcanic and magmatic rocks associated with geothermal systems are ill-defined. Comprehensive study of geochemical signatures, mineralogical properties, and isotopes analysis might lead to the understanding of how large geothermal fields are found in West Java compared to ones in Central and East Java. The result can also provoke some valuable impacts on Java tectonic evolution and can suggest the key information for geothermal exploration enhancement.

Photobiological hydrogen production and carbon dioxide sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berberoglu, Halil

irradiance and CO2 concentration. Kinetic models were successfully developed based on the Monod model and on a novel scaling analysis employing the CO2 consumption half-time as the time scale. Finally, the growth and hydrogen production of Anabaena variabilis have been compared in a flat panel photobioreactor using three different nutrient media under otherwise similar conditions. Light to hydrogen energy conversion efficiency for Allen-Arnon medium was superior by a factor of 5.5 to both BG-11 and BG-11o media. This was attributed to the presence of vanadium and larger heterocyst frequency observed in the Allen-Arnon medium.

Quantum cascade laser-based analyzer for hydrogen sulfide detection at sub-parts-per-million levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikodem, Michal; Krzempek, Karol; Stachowiak, Dorota; Wysocki, Gerard

2018-01-01

Due to its high toxicity, monitoring of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentration is essential in many industrial sites (such as natural gas extraction sites, petroleum refineries, geothermal power plants, or waste water treatment facilities), which require sub-parts-per-million sensitivities. We report on a quantum cascade laser-based spectroscopic system for detection of H2S in the midinfrared at ˜7.2 μm. We present a sensor design utilizing Herriott multipass cell and a wavelength modulation spectroscopy to achieve a detection limit of 140 parts per billion for 1-s integration time.

Solar hydrogen production with cerium oxides thermochemical cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binotti, Marco; Di Marcoberardino, Gioele; Biassoni, Mauro; Manzolini, Giampaolo

2017-06-01

This paper discusses the hydrogen production using a solar driven thermochemical cycle. The thermochemical cycle is based on nonstoichiometric cerium oxides redox and the solar concentration system is a solar dish. Detailed optical and redox models were developed to optimize the hydrogen production performance as function of several design parameters (i.e. concentration ratio, reactor pressures and temperatures) The efficiency of the considered technology is compared against two commercially available technologies namely PV + electrolyzer and Dish Stirling + electrolyzer. Results show that solar-to-fuel efficiency of 21.2% can be achieved at design condition assuming a concentration ratio around 5000, reduction and oxidation temperatures of 1500°C and 1275 °C. When moving to annual performance, the annual yield of the considered approach can be as high as 16.7% which is about 43% higher than the best competitive technology. The higher performance implies that higher installation costs around 40% can be accepted for the innovative concept to achieve the same cost of hydrogen.

Nickel-Based Superalloy Resists Embrittlement by Hydrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan; Chen, PoShou

2008-01-01

A nickel-based superalloy that resists embrittlement by hydrogen more strongly than does nickel alloy 718 has been developed. Nickel alloy 718 is the most widely used superalloy. It has excellent strength and resistance to corrosion as well as acceptably high ductility, and is recognized as the best alloy for many high-temperature applications. However, nickel alloy 718 is susceptible to embrittlement by hydrogen and to delayed failure and reduced tensile properties in gaseous hydrogen. The greater resistance of the present nickel-based superalloy to adverse effects of hydrogen makes this alloy a superior alternative to nickel alloy 718 for applications that involve production, transfer, and storage of hydrogen, thereby potentially contributing to the commercial viability of hydrogen as a clean-burning fuel. The table shows the composition of the present improved nickel-based superalloy in comparison with that of nickel alloy 718. This composition was chosen to obtain high resistance to embrittlement by hydrogen while maintaining high strength and exceptional resistance to oxidation and corrosion. The most novel property of this alloy is that it resists embrittlement by hydrogen while retaining tensile strength greater than 175 kpsi (greater than 1.2 GPa). This alloy exhibits a tensile elongation of more than 20 percent in hydrogen at a pressure of 5 kpsi (approximately equal to 34 MPa) without loss of ductility. This amount of elongation corresponds to 50 percent more ductility than that exhibited by nickel alloy 718 under the same test conditions.

Geothermal Power Potential in the Tatun Volcano Group, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, H. H.; Song, S.

2013-12-01

Recent energy issues have concentrated the attention on finding alternative ones. National demands for renewable and sustainable energy increase rapidly, especially the geothermal power production, which is viewed as the most potential opportunity. This study attempts to estimate the geothermal powers in the Tatung Volcano Group (TVG), Taiwan and evaluate the possibility to develop the Enhanced Geothermal System. Tatung Volcano Group is located at the northwest part of Taiwan. It has violent volcanism during 0.8-0.20Ma, and is still active with many thermal manifestations. The young volcanic activity provides the TVG with high geothermal gradient and is well suitable for exploiting geothermal resources. Many explorations on geothermal energy have been accomplished in this area during1966-1973. They included resistivity survey, magnetic prospecting, gravity method, seismic prospecting and etc. In this study, we base on previous data and apply the probabilistic volumetric method proposed by Geotherm EX Inc., modified from the approach introduced by the USGS to evaluate the geothermal power potential in TVG. Meanwhile, use a Monte Carlo simulation technique to calculate the probability distribution of potentially recoverable energy reserves. The results show that the mean value is 270Mw, and P50 is 254Mw for 30 years, separately. Furthermore, the power potential of enhanced geothermal system in TVG is also estimated by the quantitative model proposed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT 2006). The results suggest that the mean value is 3,000 MW and P50 is 2,780 MW for 30 years, separately.

Development of an Advanced Stimulation / Production Predictive Simulator for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pritchett, John W.

2015-04-15

geothermal projects, not just software designers. It is hoped that, as a result, HeatEx will prove useful during the early stages of the development of EGS technology. The basic objective was to design a tool that could use field data that are likely to become available during the early phases of an EGS project (that is, during initial reconnaissance and fracture stimulation operations) to guide forecasts of the longer-term behavior of the system during production and heat-mining.« less

Efficient Hydrogen Storage and Production Using a Catalyst with an Imidazoline-Based, Proton-Responsive Ligand.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Onishi, Naoya; Murata, Kazuhisa; Hirose, Takuji; Muckerman, James T; Fujita, Etsuko; Himeda, Yuichiro

2017-03-22

A series of new imidazoline-based iridium complexes has been developed for hydrogenation of CO 2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid. One of the proton-responsive complexes bearing two -OH groups at ortho and para positions on a coordinating pyridine ring (3 b) can catalyze efficiently the chemical fixation of CO 2 and release H 2 under mild conditions in aqueous media without using organic additives/solvents. Notably, hydrogenation of CO 2 can be efficiently carried out under CO 2 and H 2 at atmospheric pressure in basic water by 3 b, achieving a turnover frequency of 106 h -1 and a turnover number of 7280 at 25 °C, which are higher than ever reported. Moreover, highly efficient CO-free hydrogen production from formic acid in aqueous solution employing the same catalyst under mild conditions has been achieved, thus providing a promising potential H 2 -storage system in water. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficient hydrogen storage and production using a catalyst with an imidazoline-based, proton-responsive ligand

DOE PAGES

Wang, Lin; Onishi, Naoya; Murata, Kazuhisa; ...

2016-12-28

A series of new imidazoline-based iridium complexes has been developed for hydrogenation of CO 2 and dehydrogenation of formic acid. One of the proton-responsive complexes bearing two –OH groups at ortho and para positions on a coordinating pyridine ring (3 b) can catalyze efficiently the chemical fixation of CO 2 and release H 2 under mild conditions in aqueous media without using organic additives/solvents. Notably, hydrogenation of CO 2 can be efficiently carried out under CO 2 and H 2 at atmospheric pressure in basic water by 3 b, achieving a turnover frequency of 106 h –1 and a turnovermore » number of 7280 at 25 °C, which are higher than ever reported. Furthermore, highly efficient CO-free hydrogen production from formic acid in aqueous solution employing the same catalyst under mild conditions has been achieved, thus providing a promising potential H 2-storage system in water.« less

High-Yield Hydrogen Production from Starch and Water by a Synthetic Enzymatic Pathway

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y.-H. Percival; Evans, Barbara R.; Mielenz, Jonathan R.; Hopkins, Robert C.; Adams, Michael W.W.

2007-01-01

Background The future hydrogen economy offers a compelling energy vision, but there are four main obstacles: hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, as well as fuel cells. Hydrogen production from inexpensive abundant renewable biomass can produce cheaper hydrogen, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions, but current chemical and biological means suffer from low hydrogen yields and/or severe reaction conditions. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we demonstrate a synthetic enzymatic pathway consisting of 13 enzymes for producing hydrogen from starch and water. The stoichiometric reaction is C6H10O5 (l)+7 H2O (l)→12 H2 (g)+6 CO2 (g). The overall process is spontaneous and unidirectional because of a negative Gibbs free energy and separation of the gaseous products with the aqueous reactants. Conclusions Enzymatic hydrogen production from starch and water mediated by 13 enzymes occurred at 30°C as expected, and the hydrogen yields were much higher than the theoretical limit (4 H2/glucose) of anaerobic fermentations. Significance The unique features, such as mild reaction conditions (30°C and atmospheric pressure), high hydrogen yields, likely low production costs ($∼2/kg H2), and a high energy-density carrier starch (14.8 H2-based mass%), provide great potential for mobile applications. With technology improvements and integration with fuel cells, this technology also solves the challenges associated with hydrogen storage, distribution, and infrastructure in the hydrogen economy. PMID:17520015

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production from biomass derivatives and water.

PubMed

Lu, Xihong; Xie, Shilei; Yang, Hao; Tong, Yexiang; Ji, Hongbing

2014-11-21

Hydrogen, a clean energy carrier with high energy capacity, is a very promising candidate as a primary energy source for the future. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production from renewable biomass derivatives and water is one of the most promising approaches to producing green chemical fuel. Compared to water splitting, hydrogen production from renewable biomass derivatives and water through a PEC process is more efficient from the viewpoint of thermodynamics. Additionally, the carbon dioxide formed can be re-transformed into carbohydrates via photosynthesis in plants. In this review, we focus on the development of photoanodes and systems for PEC hydrogen production from water and renewable biomass derivatives, such as methanol, ethanol, glycerol and sugars. We also discuss the future challenges and opportunities for the design of the state-of-the-art photoanodes and PEC systems for hydrogen production from biomass derivatives and water.

Potential application of anaerobic extremophiles for hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.

2004-11-01

In processes of the substrate fermentation most anaerobes produce molecular hydrogen as a waste end product, which often controls the culture growth as an inhibitor. Usually in nature the hydrogen is easily removed from an ecosystem, due to its physical features, and an immediate consumption by the secondary anaerobes that sometimes behave as competitors for electron donors; a classical example of this kind of substrate competition in anaerobic microbial communities is the interaction between methanogens and sulfate- or sulfur-reducers. Previously, on the mixed cultures of anaerobes at neutral pH, it was demonstrated that bacterial hydrogen production could provide a good alternative energy source. At neutral pH the original cultures could easily contaminated by methanogens, and the most unpleasant side effect of these conditions is the development of pathogenic bacteria. In both cases the rate of hydrogen production was dramatically decreased since some part of the hydrogen was transformed to methane, and furthermore, the cultivation with pathogenic contaminants on an industrial scale would create an unsafe situation. In our laboratory the experiments with obligately alkaliphilic bacteria producing hydrogen as an end metabolic product were performed at different conditions. The mesophilic, haloalkaliphilic and obligately anaerobic bacterium Spirochaeta americana ASpG1T was studied and various cultivation regimes were compared for the most effective hydrogen production. In a highly mineralized media with pH 9.5-10.0 not many known methanogens are capable of growth, and the probability of developing pathogenic contaminants is theoretically is close to zero (in medicine carbonate- saturated solutions are applied as antiseptics). Therefore the cultivation of alkaliphilic hydrogen producing bacteria could be considered as a safe and economical process for large-scale industrial bio-hydrogen production in the future. Here we present and discuss the experimental data

Health and safety implications of alternative energy technologies. I. Geothermal and biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, A. P.; Etnier, E. L.

1981-07-01

An evaluation of potential occupational and public health aspects of geopressure, hydrothermal, hot dry rock, silviculture, crop and animal residues, fermentable plant products, municipal waste, and plantation energy technologies has been performed. Future development of these energy options in the United States will contain hazards that could easily be eliminated by safer equipment design and common-sense attention to operation and maintenance. Occupational exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas occurs near all geothermal sites and wherever organic matter decomposes anaerobically. Respiratory damage has occurred to laborers in geothermal fields, while farm workers have been fatally overcome when employed near agitating liquid manure systems. However, the most frequent and severe of reported injuries to geothermal workers is dermal exposure to caustic sludges produced by H2S abatement systems. Principal health and safety considerations of biomass pathways are directly related to the diffuse nature of solar energy fixation by photosynthesis and subsequent transfer to animal food chains. Since the potential fuel is in an unconcentrated form, cultivation, harvest, and transport are necessarily laborintensive. Thus, a significant potential for occupational injuries and fatalities exists. Of all biomass systems evaluated, direct burning of solid fuels presents the greatest public health risk. Data are presented to characterize the population at risk and the frequency and severity of injuries.

40 CFR 415.410 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... hydrogen production subcategory. 415.410 Section 415.410 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... CATEGORY Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.410 Applicability; description of the hydrogen production... hydrogen as a refinery by-product. ...

40 CFR 415.410 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... hydrogen production subcategory. 415.410 Section 415.410 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... CATEGORY Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.410 Applicability; description of the hydrogen production... hydrogen as a refinery by-product. ...

40 CFR 415.410 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... hydrogen production subcategory. 415.410 Section 415.410 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... CATEGORY Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.410 Applicability; description of the hydrogen production... hydrogen as a refinery by-product. ...

40 CFR 415.410 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... hydrogen production subcategory. 415.410 Section 415.410 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... CATEGORY Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.410 Applicability; description of the hydrogen production... hydrogen as a refinery by-product. ...

40 CFR 415.410 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... hydrogen production subcategory. 415.410 Section 415.410 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... CATEGORY Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.410 Applicability; description of the hydrogen production... hydrogen as a refinery by-product. ...

Geothermal Energy; (USA)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raridon, M.H.; Hicks, S.C.

1991-01-01

Geothermal Energy (GET) announces on a bimonthly basis the current worldwide information available on the technologies required for economic recovery of geothermal energy and its use as direct heat or for electric power production. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal article, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database (EDB) during the past two months. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency's Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements.

Direct application of geothermal energy at the L'eggs Product Plant, Las Cruces, New Mexico. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-02-01

The study program to determine the feasibility of interfacing a potential geothermal resource of Dona Ana County, New Mexico L'eggs Product industrial process is discussed in this final report. Five separate sites were evaluated initially as to geothermal potential and technical feasibility. Preliminary analysis revealed that three sites were considered normal, but that two sites (about three miles from the L'eggs Plant) had very high shallow subsurface temperature gradients (up to 14.85/sup 0/F/100 ft). An initial engineering analysis showed that to meet the L'eggs plant temperature and energy requirements a geothermal fluid temperature of about 250/sup 0/F and 200 gpmmore » flow rate would be necessary. A brief economic comparison indicated that the L'eggs plant site and a geothermal site approximately four miles from the plant did merit further investigation. Detailed engineering and economic design and analysis of these two sites (including the drilling of an 1873 feet deep temperature gradient test hole at the L'eggs Plant) showed that development of the four mile distant site was technically feasible and was the more economic option. It was determined that a single-stage flash system interface design would be most appropriate for the L'eggs Plant. Approximately 39 billion Btu/yr of fossil fuel could be replaced with geothermal energy at the L'eggs facility for a total installed system cost of slightly over $2 million. The projected economic payback period was calculated to be 9.2 years before taxes. This payback was not considered acceptable by L'eggs Products, Inc., to merit additional design or construction work at this time.« less

Hydrogen production by the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima Part II: modeling and experimental approaches for hydrogen production.

PubMed

Auria, Richard; Boileau, Céline; Davidson, Sylvain; Casalot, Laurence; Christen, Pierre; Liebgott, Pierre Pol; Combet-Blanc, Yannick

2016-01-01

Thermotoga maritima is a hyperthermophilic bacterium known to produce hydrogen from a large variety of substrates. The aim of the present study is to propose a mathematical model incorporating kinetics of growth, consumption of substrates, product formations, and inhibition by hydrogen in order to predict hydrogen production depending on defined culture conditions. Our mathematical model, incorporating data concerning growth, substrates, and products, was developed to predict hydrogen production from batch fermentations of the hyperthermophilic bacterium, T. maritima . It includes the inhibition by hydrogen and the liquid-to-gas mass transfer of H 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 S. Most kinetic parameters of the model were obtained from batch experiments without any fitting. The mathematical model is adequate for glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 20 mmol/L, 0.2-0.5 g/L, or 0.01-0.06 mmol/L, respectively, corresponding to one of these compounds being the growth-limiting factor of T. maritima . When glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations are all higher than these ranges, the model overestimates all the variables. In the window of the model validity, predictions of the model show that the combination of both variables (increase in limiting factor concentration and in inlet gas stream) leads up to a twofold increase of the maximum H 2 -specific productivity with the lowest inhibition. A mathematical model predicting H 2 production in T. maritima was successfully designed and confirmed in this study. However, it shows the limit of validity of such mathematical models. Their limit of applicability must take into account the range of validity in which the parameters were established.

Market study for direct utilization of geothermal resources by selected sectors of economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-08-01

A comprehensive analysis is presented of industrial markets potential for direct use of geothermal energy by a total of six industry sectors: food and kindred products; tobacco manufactures; textile mill products; lumber and wood products (except furniture); chemicals and allied products; and leather and leather products. Location determinants and potential for direct use of geothermal resources are presented. The data was gathered through interviews with 30 senior executives in the six sectors of economy selected for study. Probable locations of plants in geothermal resource areas and recommendations for geothermal resource marketing are presented.

Reactors Save Energy, Costs for Hydrogen Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

While examining fuel-reforming technology for fuel cells onboard aircraft, Glenn Research Center partnered with Garrettsville, Ohio-based Catacel Corporation through the Glenn Alliance Technology Exchange program and a Space Act Agreement. Catacel developed a stackable structural reactor that is now employed for commercial hydrogen production and results in energy savings of about 20 percent.

Hydrogen production from solar energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eisenstadt, M. M.; Cox, K. E.

1975-01-01

Three alternatives for hydrogen production from solar energy have been analyzed on both efficiency and economic grounds. The analysis shows that the alternative using solar energy followed by thermochemical decomposition of water to produce hydrogen is the optimum one. The other schemes considered were the direct conversion of solar energy to electricity by silicon cells and water electrolysis, and the use of solar energy to power a vapor cycle followed by electrical generation and electrolysis. The capital cost of hydrogen via the thermochemical alternative was estimated at $575/kW of hydrogen output or $3.15/million Btu. Although this cost appears high when compared with hydrogen from other primary energy sources or from fossil fuel, environmental and social costs which favor solar energy may prove this scheme feasible in the future.

World Geothermal Congress WGC-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomarov, G. V.; Shipkov, A. A.

2016-08-01

This article discusses materials and results of the World Geothermal Congress that was held in Melbourne (Australia) from April 19 to April 25, 2015. Information on the extent and technological features of utilization of geothermal resources for heat supply and power production, as well as in other economic areas, is given. A stable growth in the capacity and number of geothermal power systems that is determined by ecological cleanliness, economic efficiency, and the highest (among renewable energy sources) indicators of installed capacity utilization is shown. It was noted that combined schemes of geothermal power plants (GPPs), such as turbine units of different type (binary units, units with one or two separation pressures, etc.), have become more frequently used to increase the efficiency of utilization of geothermal heat carrier. Actual data determining room heating systems with the total worldwide capacity of nearly 50000 MW thermal (MWt) as the most currently significant segment of consumption of geothermal waters are given. In addition, geothermal resources are also utilized in soil pumps, balneological and sports basins, greenhouse complexes, and other manufactures. It was noted that geological studies were carried out in more than 40 countries, with the development of methods of simulation of tanks for the existing and new geothermal fields. Trends of development and the role of geothermal power engineering in the energy supply of many countries are shown. It was shown that prospects for the development of geothermal power generation are significantly associated with utilization of low-temperature geothermal sources in binary power generating units, as well as with the increase in installed capacity of operating geothermal power plants (GPPs) without drilling additional wells, i.e., by using waste geothermal heat carrier in binary-cycle or combined-cycle power plants. The article provides data on a pilot binary power unit at Pauzhetka GPP and on a

Enhanced Hydrogen Production from Formic Acid by Formate Hydrogen Lyase-Overexpressing Escherichia coli Strains

PubMed Central

Yoshida, Akihito; Nishimura, Taku; Kawaguchi, Hideo; Inui, Masayuki; Yukawa, Hideaki

2005-01-01

Genetic recombination of Escherichia coli in conjunction with process manipulation was employed to elevate the efficiency of hydrogen production in the resultant strain SR13 2 orders of magnitude above that of conventional methods. The formate hydrogen lyase (FHL)-overexpressing strain SR13 was constructed by combining FHL repressor (hycA) inactivation with FHL activator (fhlA) overexpression. Transcription of large-subunit formate dehydrogenase, fdhF, and large-subunit hydrogenase, hycE, in strain SR13 increased 6.5- and 7.0-fold, respectively, compared to the wild-type strain. On its own, this genetic modification effectively resulted in a 2.8-fold increase in hydrogen productivity of SR13 compared to the wild-type strain. Further enhancement of productivity was attained by using a novel method involving the induction of the FHL complex with high-cell-density filling of a reactor under anaerobic conditions. Continuous hydrogen production was achieved by maintaining the reactor concentration of the substrate (free formic acid) under 25 mM. An initial productivity of 23.6 g hydrogen h−1 liter−1 (300 liters h−1 liter−1 at 37°C) was achieved using strain SR13 at a cell density of 93 g (dry weight) cells/liter. The hydrogen productivity reported in this work has great potential for practical application. PMID:16269707

Enhanced hydrogen production from formic acid by formate hydrogen lyase-overexpressing Escherichia coli strains.

PubMed

Yoshida, Akihito; Nishimura, Taku; Kawaguchi, Hideo; Inui, Masayuki; Yukawa, Hideaki

2005-11-01

Genetic recombination of Escherichia coli in conjunction with process manipulation was employed to elevate the efficiency of hydrogen production in the resultant strain SR13 2 orders of magnitude above that of conventional methods. The formate hydrogen lyase (FHL)-overexpressing strain SR13 was constructed by combining FHL repressor (hycA) inactivation with FHL activator (fhlA) overexpression. Transcription of large-subunit formate dehydrogenase, fdhF, and large-subunit hydrogenase, hycE, in strain SR13 increased 6.5- and 7.0-fold, respectively, compared to the wild-type strain. On its own, this genetic modification effectively resulted in a 2.8-fold increase in hydrogen productivity of SR13 compared to the wild-type strain. Further enhancement of productivity was attained by using a novel method involving the induction of the FHL complex with high-cell-density filling of a reactor under anaerobic conditions. Continuous hydrogen production was achieved by maintaining the reactor concentration of the substrate (free formic acid) under 25 mM. An initial productivity of 23.6 g hydrogen h(-1) liter(-1) (300 liters h(-1) liter(-1) at 37 degrees C) was achieved using strain SR13 at a cell density of 93 g (dry weight) cells/liter. The hydrogen productivity reported in this work has great potential for practical application.

Materials for geothermal production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukacka, L. E.

Advances in the development of new materials continue to be made in the geothermal materials project. Many successes have already been accrued and the results used commercially. In FY-91, work was focused on reducing well drilling, fluid transport and energy conversion costs. Specific activities performed included lightweight CO2 resistant well cements, thermally conductive and scale resistant protective liner systems, chemical systems for lost circulation control, corrosion mitigation in process components at The Geysers, and elastomer-metal bonding systems. Efforts to transfer the technologies developed in these efforts to other energy-related sectors of the economy continued, and considerable success was achieved.

Safety issues of high-concentrated hydrogen peroxide production used as rocket propellant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romantsova, O. V.; Ulybin, V. B.

2015-04-01

The article dwells on the possibility of production of high-concentrated hydrogen peroxide with the Russian technology of isopropyl alcohol autoxidation. Analysis of fire/explosion hazards and reasons of insufficient quality is conducted for the technology. Modified technology is shown. Non-standard fire/explosion characteristics required for integrated fire/explosion hazards rating for modified hydrogen peroxide production based on the autoxidation of isopropyl alcohol are defined.

System Evaluation and Economic Analysis of a HTGR Powered High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael G. McKellar; Edwin A. Harvego; Anastasia A. Gandrik

2010-10-01

A design for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant for hydrogen production has been developed. The HTE plant is powered by a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) whose configuration and operating conditions are based on the latest design parameters planned for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The current HTGR reference design specifies a reactor power of 600 MWt, with a primary system pressure of 7.0 MPa, and reactor inlet and outlet fluid temperatures of 322°C and 750°C, respectively. The power conversion unit will be a Rankine steam cycle with a power conversion efficiency of 40%. The reference hydrogen production plantmore » operates at a system pressure of 5.0 MPa, and utilizes a steam-sweep system to remove the excess oxygen that is evolved on the anode (oxygen) side of the electrolyzer. The overall system thermal-to-hydrogen production efficiency (based on the higher heating value of the produced hydrogen) is 40.4% at a hydrogen production rate of 1.75 kg/s and an oxygen production rate of 13.8 kg/s. An economic analysis of this plant was performed with realistic financial and cost estimating assumptions. The results of the economic analysis demonstrated that the HTE hydrogen production plant driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled nuclear power plant can deliver hydrogen at a cost of $3.67/kg of hydrogen assuming an internal rate of return, IRR, of 12% and a debt to equity ratio of 80%/20%. A second analysis shows that if the power cycle efficiency increases to 44.4%, the hydrogen production efficiency increases to 42.8% and the hydrogen and oxygen production rates are 1.85 kg/s and 14.6 kg/s respectively. At the higher power cycle efficiency and an IRR of 12% the cost of hydrogen production is $3.50/kg.« less

Geothermal energy program overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-12-01

The mission of the Geothermal Energy Program is to develop the science and technology necessary for tapping our nation's tremendous heat energy sources contained within the Earth. Geothermal energy is a domestic energy source that can produce clean, reliable, cost-effective heat and electricity for our nation's energy needs. Geothermal energy - the heat of the Earth - is one of our nation's most abundant energy resources. In fact, geothermal energy represents nearly 40 percent of the total U.S. energy resource base and already provides an important contribution to our nation's energy needs. Geothermal energy systems can provide clean, reliable, cost-effective energy for our nation's industries, businesses, and homes in the form of heat and electricity. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Energy Program sponsors research aimed at developing the science and technology necessary for utilizing this resource more fully. Geothermal energy originates from the Earth's interior. The hottest fluids and rocks at accessible depths are associated with recent volcanic activity in the western states. In some places, heat comes to the surface as natural hot water or steam, which have been used since prehistoric times for cooking and bathing. Today, wells convey the heat from deep in the Earth to electric generators, factories, farms, and homes. The competitiveness of power generation with lower quality hydrothermal fluids, geopressured brines, hot dry rock, and magma (the four types of geothermal energy), still depends on the technical advancements sought by DOE's Geothermal Energy Program.

Two-Stage, Integrated, Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs: An Approach for Sustainable Energy Production, CO2-Sequestration Security, and Reduced Environmental Risk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buscheck, T A; Chen, M; Sun, Y

2012-02-02

We introduce a hybrid two-stage energy-recovery approach to sequester CO{sub 2} and produce geothermal energy at low environmental risk and low cost by integrating geothermal production with CO{sub 2} capture and sequestration (CCS) in saline, sedimentary formations. Our approach combines the benefits of the approach proposed by Buscheck et al. (2011b), which uses brine as the working fluid, with those of the approach first suggested by Brown (2000) and analyzed by Pruess (2006), using CO{sub 2} as the working fluid, and then extended to saline-formation CCS by Randolph and Saar (2011a). During stage one of our hybrid approach, formation brine,more » which is extracted to provide pressure relief for CO{sub 2} injection, is the working fluid for energy recovery. Produced brine is applied to a consumptive beneficial use: feedstock for fresh water production through desalination, saline cooling water, or make-up water to be injected into a neighboring reservoir operation, such as in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), where there is often a shortage of a working fluid. For stage one, it is important to find economically feasible disposition options to reduce the volume of brine requiring reinjection in the integrated geothermal-CCS reservoir (Buscheck et al. 2012a). During stage two, which begins as CO{sub 2} reaches the production wells; coproduced brine and CO{sub 2} are the working fluids. We present preliminary reservoir engineering analyses of this approach, using a simple conceptual model of a homogeneous, permeable CO{sub 2} storage formation/geothermal reservoir, bounded by relatively impermeable sealing units. We assess both the CO{sub 2} sequestration capacity and geothermal energy production potential as a function of well spacing between CO{sub 2} injectors and brine/CO{sub 2} producers for various well patterns and for a range of subsurface conditions.« less

Production of Hydrogen from Underground Coal Gasification

DOEpatents

Upadhye, Ravindra S.

2008-10-07

A system of obtaining hydrogen from a coal seam by providing a production well that extends into the coal seam; positioning a conduit in the production well leaving an annulus between the conduit and the coal gasification production well, the conduit having a wall; closing the annulus at the lower end to seal it from the coal gasification cavity and the syngas; providing at least a portion of the wall with a bifunctional membrane that serves the dual purpose of providing a catalyzing reaction and selectively allowing hydrogen to pass through the wall and into the annulus; and producing the hydrogen through the annulus.

Geothermal Energy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (DOE), Silver Spring, MD.

An introduction to geothermal energy is provided in this discussion of: (1) how a geothermal reservoir works; (2) how to find geothermal energy; (3) where it is located; (4) electric power generation using geothermal energy; (5) use of geothermal energy as a direct source of heat; (6) geopressured reservoirs; (7) environmental effects; (8)…

Hydrogen-bonded structures from adamantane-based catechols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawahata, Masatoshi; Matsuura, Miku; Tominaga, Masahide; Katagiri, Kosuke; Yamaguchi, Kentaro

2018-07-01

Adamantane-based bis- and tris-catechols were synthesized to examine the effect of hydrogen bonds on the arrangement and packing of the components in the crystalline state. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that hydrogen bonds formed by the hydroxyl groups of catechol groups play essential roles in the production of various types of unique structures. 1,3-Bis(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)adamantane (1) provided hydrogen-bonded network structures composed of helical chains in crystal from chloroform/methanol, and layer structures in crystal from ethyl acetate/hexane. The complexation of 1 with 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene or 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene resulted in the formation of co-crystals, respectively. One-dimensional hydrogen-bonded structures were constructed from the adamantane-based molecules, which participated in charge-transfer interactions with guests. 1,3,5-Tris(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)adamantane also afforded crystal, and the components were assembled into infinite polymers.

Techno-economic evaluation of a combined bioprocess for fermentative hydrogen production from food waste.

PubMed

Han, Wei; Fang, Jun; Liu, Zhixiang; Tang, Junhong

2016-02-01

In this study, the techno-economic evaluation of a combined bioprocess based on solid state fermentation for fermentative hydrogen production from food waste was carried out. The hydrogen production plant was assumed to be built in Hangzhou and designed for converting 3 ton food waste per day into hydrogen. The total capital cost (TCC) and the annual production cost (APC) were US$583092 and US$88298.1/year, respectively. The overall revenue after the tax was US$146473.6/year. The return on investment (ROI), payback period (PBP) and internal rate of return (IRR) of the plant were 26.75%, 5 years and 24.07%, respectively. The results exhibited that the combined bioprocess for hydrogen production from food waste was feasible. This is an important study for attracting investment and industrialization interest for hydrogen production from food waste in the industrial scale. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geothermal resources and reserves in Indonesia: an updated revision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauzi, A.

2015-02-01

More than 300 high- to low-enthalpy geothermal sources have been identified throughout Indonesia. From the early 1980s until the late 1990s, the geothermal potential for power production in Indonesia was estimated to be about 20 000 MWe. The most recent estimate exceeds 29 000 MWe derived from the 300 sites (Geological Agency, December 2013). This resource estimate has been obtained by adding all of the estimated geothermal potential resources and reserves classified as "speculative", "hypothetical", "possible", "probable", and "proven" from all sites where such information is available. However, this approach to estimating the geothermal potential is flawed because it includes double counting of some reserve estimates as resource estimates, thus giving an inflated figure for the total national geothermal potential. This paper describes an updated revision of the geothermal resource estimate in Indonesia using a more realistic methodology. The methodology proposes that the preliminary "Speculative Resource" category should cover the full potential of a geothermal area and form the base reference figure for the resource of the area. Further investigation of this resource may improve the level of confidence of the category of reserves but will not necessarily increase the figure of the "preliminary resource estimate" as a whole, unless the result of the investigation is higher. A previous paper (Fauzi, 2013a, b) redefined and revised the geothermal resource estimate for Indonesia. The methodology, adopted from Fauzi (2013a, b), will be fully described in this paper. As a result of using the revised methodology, the potential geothermal resources and reserves for Indonesia are estimated to be about 24 000 MWe, some 5000 MWe less than the 2013 national estimate.

Hydrogen production from coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The gasification reactions necessary for the production of hydrogen from montana subbituminous coal are presented. The coal composition is given. The gasifier types mentioned include: suspension (entrained) combustion; fluidized bed; and moving bed. Each gasification process is described. The steam-iron process, raw and product gas compositions, gasifier feed quantities, and process efficiency evaluations are also included.

Using directed evolution to improve hydrogen production in chimeric hydrogenases from Clostridia species.

PubMed

Plummer, Scott M; Plummer, Mark A; Merkel, Patricia A; Hagen, Moira; Biddle, Jennifer F; Waidner, Lisa A

2016-11-01

Hydrogenases are enzymes that play a key role in controlling excess reducing equivalents in both photosynthetic and anaerobic organisms. This enzyme is viewed as potentially important for the industrial generation of hydrogen gas; however, insufficient hydrogen production has impeded its use in a commercial process. Here, we explore the potential to circumvent this problem by directly evolving the Fe-Fe hydrogenase genes from two species of Clostridia bacteria. In addition, a computational model based on these mutant sequences was developed and used as a predictive aid for the isolation of enzymes with even greater efficiency in hydrogen production. Two of the improved mutants have a logarithmic increase in hydrogen production in our in vitro assay. Furthermore, the model predicts hydrogenase sequences with hydrogen productions as high as 540-fold over the positive control. Taken together, these results demonstrate the potential of directed evolution to improve the native bacterial hydrogenases as a first step for improvement of hydrogenase activity, further in silico prediction, and finally, construction and demonstration of an improved algal hydrogenase in an in vivo assay of C. reinhardtii hydrogen production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geothermal Today: 2003 Geothermal Technologies Program Highlights (Revised)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2004-05-01

This outreach publication highlights milestones and accomplishments of the DOE Geothermal Technologies Program for 2003. Included in this publication are discussions of geothermal fundamentals, enhanced geothermal systems, direct-use applications, geothermal potential in Idaho, coating technology, energy conversion R&D, and the GeoPowering the West initiative.

Pumpernickel Valley Geothermal Project Thermal Gradient Wells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Z. Adam Szybinski

2006-01-01

The Pumpernickel Valley geothermal project area is located near the eastern edge of the Sonoma Range and is positioned within the structurally complex Winnemucca fold and thrust belt of north-central Nevada. A series of approximately north-northeast-striking faults related to the Basin and Range tectonics are superimposed on the earlier structures within the project area, and are responsible for the final overall geometry and distribution of the pre-existing structural features on the property. Two of these faults, the Pumpernickel Valley fault and Edna Mountain fault, are range-bounding and display numerous characteristics typical of strike-slip fault systems. These characteristics, when combined withmore » geophysical data from Shore (2005), indicate the presence of a pull-apart basin, formed within the releasing bend of the Pumpernickel Valley – Edna Mountain fault system. A substantial body of evidence exists, in the form of available geothermal, geological and geophysical information, to suggest that the property and the pull-apart basin host a structurally controlled, extensive geothermal field. The most evident manifestations of the geothermal activity in the valley are two areas with hot springs, seepages, and wet ground/vegetation anomalies near the Pumpernickel Valley fault, which indicate that the fault focuses the fluid up-flow. There has not been any geothermal production from the Pumpernickel Valley area, but it was the focus of a limited exploration effort by Magma Power Company. In 1974, the company drilled one exploration/temperature gradient borehole east of the Pumpernickel Valley fault and recorded a thermal gradient of 160oC/km. The 1982 temperature data from five unrelated mineral exploration holes to the north of the Magma well indicated geothermal gradients in a range from 66 to 249oC/km for wells west of the fault, and ~283oC/km in a well next to the fault. In 2005, Nevada Geothermal Power Company drilled four geothermal gradient wells

Materials selection guidelines for geothermal energy utilization systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellis, P.F. II; Conover, M.F.

1981-01-01

This manual includes geothermal fluid chemistry, corrosion test data, and materials operating experience. Systems using geothermal energy in El Salvador, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States are described. The manual provides materials selection guidelines for surface equipment of future geothermal energy systems. The key chemical species that are significant in determining corrosiveness of geothermal fluids are identified. The utilization modes of geothermal energy are defined as well as the various physical fluid parameters that affect corrosiveness. Both detailed and summarized results of materials performance tests and applicable operating experiences from forty sites throughout the world aremore » presented. The application of various non-metal materials in geothermal environments are discussed. Included in appendices are: corrosion behavior of specific alloy classes in geothermal fluids, corrosion in seawater desalination plants, worldwide geothermal power production, DOE-sponsored utilization projects, plant availability, relative costs of alloys, and composition of alloys. (MHR)« less

Production of bioplastics and hydrogen gas by photosynthetic microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasuo, Asada; Masato, Miyake; Jun, Miyake

1998-03-01

Our efforts have been aimed at the technological basis of photosynthetic-microbial production of materials and an energy carrier. We report here accumulation of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a raw material of biodegradable plastics and for production of hydrogen gas, and a renewable energy carrier by photosynthetic microorganisms (tentatively defined as cyanobacteria plus photosynthetic bateria, in this report). A thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. MA19 that accumulates PHB at more than 20% of cell dry wt under nitrogen-starved conditions was isolated and microbiologically identified. The mechanism of PHB accumulation was studied. A mesophilic Synechococcus PCC7942 was transformed with the genes encoding PHB-synthesizing enzymes from Alcaligenes eutrophus. The transformant accumulated PHB under nitrogen-starved conditions. The optimal conditions for PHB accumulation by a photosynthetic bacterium grown on acetate were studied. Hydrogen production by photosynthetic microorganisms was studied. Cyanobacteria can produce hydrogen gas by nitrogenase or hydrogenase. Hydrogen production mediated by native hydrogenase in cyanobacteria was revealed to be in the dark anaerobic degradation of intracellular glycogen. A new system for light-dependent hydrogen production was targeted. In vitro and in vivo coupling of cyanobacterial ferredoxin with a heterologous hydrogenase was shown to produce hydrogen under light conditions. A trial for genetic trasformation of Synechococcus PCC7942 with the hydrogenase gene from Clostridium pasteurianum is going on. The strong hydrogen producers among photosynthetic bacteria were isolated and characterized. Co-culture of Rhodobacter and Clostriumdium was applied to produce hydrogen from glucose. Conversely in the case of cyanobacteria, genetic regulation of photosynthetic proteins was intended to improve conversion efficiency in hydrogen production by the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV. A mutant acquired by

Life cycle assessment of nuclear-based hydrogen production via thermochemical water splitting using a copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozbilen, Ahmet Ziyaettin

The energy carrier hydrogen is expected to solve some energy challenges. Since its oxidation does not emit greenhouse gases (GHGs), its use does not contribute to climate change, provided that it is derived from clean energy sources. Thermochemical water splitting using a Cu-Cl cycle, linked with a nuclear super-critical water cooled reactor (SCWR), which is being considered as a Generation IV nuclear reactor, is a promising option for hydrogen production. In this thesis, a comparative environmental study is reported of the three-, four- and five-step Cu-Cl thermochemical water splitting cycles with various other hydrogen production methods. The investigation uses life cycle assessment (LCA), which is an analytical tool to identify and quantify environmentally critical phases during the life cycle of a system or a product and/or to evaluate and decrease the overall environmental impact of the system or product. The LCA results for the hydrogen production processes indicate that the four-step Cu-Cl cycle has lower environmental impacts than the three- and five-step Cu-Cl cycles due to its lower thermal energy requirement. Parametric studies show that acidification potentials (APs) and global warming potentials (GWPs) for the four-step Cu-Cl cycle can be reduced from 0.0031 to 0.0028 kg SO2-eq and from 0.63 to 0.55 kg CO2-eq, respectively, if the lifetime of the system increases from 10 to 100 years. Moreover, the comparative study shows that the nuclear-based S-I and the four-step Cu-Cl cycles are the most environmentally benign hydrogen production methods in terms of AP and GWP. GWPs of the S-I and the four-step Cu-Cl cycles are 0.412 and 0.559 kg CO2-eq for reference case which has a lifetime of 60 years. Also, the corresponding APs of these cycles are 0.00241 and 0.00284 kg SO2-eq. It is also found that an increase in hydrogen plant efficiency from 0.36 to 0.65 decreases the GWP from 0.902 to 0.412 kg CO 2-eq and the AP from 0.00459 to 0.00209 kg SO2-eq for the

Geothermal Monitoring in Yellowstone National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heasler, H. P.; Jaworowski, C.; Susong, D. D.; Lowenstern, J. B.

2007-12-01

Fire Sciences Lab acquired visible and mid-infrared (3-5 micron) airborne imagery (night and day flights) for Norris Geyser Basin during October 2005 and October 2006. The Remote Sensing Services Laboratory at Utah State University also acquired visible and thermal infrared (8-12 micron) airborne imagery (also day and night flights) for the Upper Geyser Basin, Midway Geyser Basin and Lower Geyser Basin during 2005 and 2006. Montana State University collaborators are analyzing Landsat satellite imagery for park-wide estimates of radiant heat flux and change detection of active geothermal areas. Geothermal gas and groundwater well monitoring efforts were initiated in 2006. The geothermal gas monitoring instrumentation, developed with assistance from both the Yellowstone and Hawaiian Volcano Observatories, measures hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and basic weather parameters. A specially constructed well adjacent to the Norris Geyser Basin measures water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, and water level.

Exergetic life cycle assessment of hydrogen production from renewables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granovskii, Mikhail; Dincer, Ibrahim; Rosen, Marc A.

Life cycle assessment is extended to exergetic life cycle assessment and used to evaluate the exergy efficiency, economic effectiveness and environmental impact of producing hydrogen using wind and solar energy in place of fossil fuels. The product hydrogen is considered a fuel for fuel cell vehicles and a substitute for gasoline. Fossil fuel technologies for producing hydrogen from natural gas and gasoline from crude oil are contrasted with options using renewable energy. Exergy efficiencies and greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions are evaluated for all process steps, including crude oil and natural gas pipeline transportation, crude oil distillation and natural gas reforming, wind and solar electricity generation, hydrogen production through water electrolysis, and gasoline and hydrogen distribution and utilization. The use of wind power to produce hydrogen via electrolysis, and its application in a fuel cell vehicle, exhibits the lowest fossil and mineral resource consumption rate. However, the economic attractiveness, as measured by a "capital investment effectiveness factor," of renewable technologies depends significantly on the ratio of costs for hydrogen and natural gas. At the present cost ratio of about 2 (per unit of lower heating value or exergy), capital investments are about five times lower to produce hydrogen via natural gas rather than wind energy. As a consequence, the cost of wind- and solar-based electricity and hydrogen is substantially higher than that of natural gas. The implementation of a hydrogen fuel cell instead of an internal combustion engine permits, theoretically, an increase in a vehicle's engine efficiency of about of two times. Depending on the ratio in engine efficiencies, the substitution of gasoline with "renewable" hydrogen leads to (a) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of 12-23 times for hydrogen from wind and 5-8 times for hydrogen from solar energy, and (b) air pollution (AP) emissions reductions of 38

CO2-based hydrogen storage - Hydrogen generation from formaldehyde/water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trincado, Monica; Grützmacher, Hansjörg; Prechtl, Martin H. G.

2018-04-01

Formaldehyde (CH2O) is the simplest and most significant industrially produced aldehyde. The global demand is about 30 megatons annually. Industrially it is produced by oxidation of methanol under energy intensive conditions. More recently, new fields of application for the use of formaldehyde and its derivatives as, i.e. cross-linker for resins or disinfectant, have been suggested. Dialkoxymethane has been envisioned as a combustion fuel for conventional engines or aqueous formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde may act as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier molecule (LOHC) for hydrogen generation to be used for hydrogen fuel cells. For the realization of these processes, it requires less energy-intensive technologies for the synthesis of formaldehyde. This overview summarizes the recent developments in low-temperature reductive synthesis of formaldehyde and its derivatives and low-temperature formaldehyde reforming. These aspects are important for the future demands on modern societies' energy management, in the form of a methanol and hydrogen economy, and the required formaldehyde feedstock for the manufacture of many formaldehyde-based daily products.

Feasibility and Supply Analysis of U.S. Geothermal District Heating and Cooling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiaoning

Geothermal energy is a globally distributed sustainable energy with the advantages of a stable base load energy production with a high capacity factor and zero SOx, CO, and particulates emissions. It can provide a potential solution to the depletion of fossil fuels and air pollution problems. The geothermal district heating and cooling system is one of the most common applications of geothermal energy, and consists of geothermal wells to provide hot water from a fractured geothermal reservoir, a surface energy distribution system for hot water transmission, and heating/cooling facilities to provide water and space heating as well as air conditioning for residential and commercial buildings. To gain wider recognition for the geothermal district heating and cooling (GDHC) system, the potential to develop such a system was evaluated in the western United States, and in the state of West Virginia. The geothermal resources were categorized into identified hydrothermal resources, undiscovered hydrothermal resources, near hydrothermal enhanced geothermal system (EGS), and deep EGS. Reservoir characteristics of the first three categories were estimated individually, and their thermal potential calculated. A cost model for such a system was developed for technical performance and economic analysis at each geothermally active location. A supply curve for the system was then developed, establishing the quantity and the cost of potential geothermal energy which can be used for the GDHC system. A West Virginia University (WVU) case study was performed to compare the competiveness of a geothermal energy system to the current steam based system. An Aspen Plus model was created to simulate the year-round campus heating and cooling scenario. Five cases of varying water flow rates and temperatures were simulated to find the lowest levelized cost of heat (LCOH) for the WVU case study. The model was then used to derive a levelized cost of heat as a function of the population density

In-ground operation of Geothermic Fuel Cells for unconventional oil and gas recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Neal; Anyenya, Gladys; Haun, Buddy; Daubenspeck, Mark; Bonadies, Joseph; Kerr, Rick; Fischer, Bernhard; Wright, Adam; Jones, Gerald; Li, Robert; Wall, Mark; Forbes, Alan; Savage, Marshall

2016-01-01

This paper presents operating and performance characteristics of a nine-stack solid-oxide fuel cell combined-heat-and-power system. Integrated with a natural-gas fuel processor, air compressor, reactant-gas preheater, and diagnostics and control equipment, the system is designed for use in unconventional oil-and-gas processing. Termed a ;Geothermic Fuel Cell; (GFC), the heat liberated by the fuel cell during electricity generation is harnessed to process oil shale into high-quality crude oil and natural gas. The 1.5-kWe SOFC stacks are packaged within three-stack GFC modules. Three GFC modules are mechanically and electrically coupled to a reactant-gas preheater and installed within the earth. During operation, significant heat is conducted from the Geothermic Fuel Cell to the surrounding geology. The complete system was continuously operated on hydrogen and natural-gas fuels for ∼600 h. A quasi-steady operating point was established to favor heat generation (29.1 kWth) over electricity production (4.4 kWe). Thermodynamic analysis reveals a combined-heat-and-power efficiency of 55% at this condition. Heat flux to the geology averaged 3.2 kW m-1 across the 9-m length of the Geothermic Fuel Cell-preheater assembly. System performance is reviewed; some suggestions for improvement are proposed.

Relative Contributions of Geothermal Pumping and Long-Term Earthquake Rate to Seismicity at California Geothermal Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiser, D. A.; Jackson, D. D.

2015-12-01

In a tectonically active area, a definitive discrimination between geothermally-induced and tectonic earthquakes is difficult to achieve. We focus our study on California's 11 major geothermal fields: Amedee, Brawley, Casa Diablo, Coso, East Mesa, The Geysers, Heber, Litchfield, Salton Sea, Susanville, and Wendel. The Geysers geothermal field is the world's largest geothermal energy producer. California's Department of Oil Gas and Geothermal Resources provides field-wide monthly injection and production volumes for each of these sites, which allows us to study the relationship between geothermal pumping activities and seismicity. Since many of the geothermal fields began injecting and producing before nearby seismic stations were installed, we use smoothed seismicity since 1932 from the ANSS catalog as a proxy for tectonic earthquake rate. We examine both geothermal pumping and long-term earthquake rate as factors that may control earthquake rate. Rather than focusing only on the largest earthquake, which is essentially a random occurrence in time, we examine how M≥4 earthquake rate density (probability per unit area, time, and magnitude) varies for each field. We estimate relative contributions to the observed earthquake rate of M≥4 from both a long-term earthquake rate (Kagan and Jackson, 2010) and pumping activity. For each geothermal field, respective earthquake catalogs (NCEDC and SCSN) are complete above at least M3 during the test period (which we tailor to each site). We test the hypothesis that the observed earthquake rate at a geothermal site during the test period is a linear combination of the long-term seismicity and pumping rates. We use a grid search to determine the confidence interval of the weighting parameters.

NASA Hydrogen Research for Spaceport and Space Based Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Tim

2006-01-01

The activities presented are a broad based approach to advancing key hydrogen related technologies in areas such as hydrogen production, distributed sensors for hydrogen-leak detection, laser instrumentation for hydrogen-leak detection, and cryogenic transport and storage. Presented are the results form 15 research projects, education, and outreach activities, system and trade studies, and project management. The work will aid in advancing the state-of-the-art for several critical technologies related to the implementation of a hydrogen infrastructure. Activities conducted are relevant to a number of propulsion and power systems for terrestrial, aeronautics, and aerospace applications.

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

On-Board Hydrogen Gas Production System For Stirling Engines

DOEpatents

Johansson, Lennart N.

2004-06-29

A hydrogen production system for use in connection with Stirling engines. The production system generates hydrogen working gas and periodically supplies it to the Stirling engine as its working fluid in instances where loss of such working fluid occurs through usage through operation of the associated Stirling engine. The hydrogen gas may be generated by various techniques including electrolysis and stored by various means including the use of a metal hydride absorbing material. By controlling the temperature of the absorbing material, the stored hydrogen gas may be provided to the Stirling engine as needed. A hydrogen production system for use in connection with Stirling engines. The production system generates hydrogen working gas and periodically supplies it to the Stirling engine as its working fluid in instances where loss of such working fluid occurs through usage through operation of the associated Stirling engine. The hydrogen gas may be generated by various techniques including electrolysis and stored by various means including the use of a metal hydride absorbing material. By controlling the temperature of the absorbing material, the stored hydrogen gas may be provided to the Stirling engine as needed.

Geothermal Technologies News | Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

for this avid biker. The reason though is unusual. Passionate about geothermal energy research, he Geothermal Energy Program In her new role, Young will work closely with NREL management to establish the lab's geothermal energy portfolio, including research and development geared toward advancing the use of

Incidence of cancer among residents of high temperature geothermal areas in Iceland: a census based study 1981 to 2010

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Residents of geothermal areas are exposed to geothermal emissions and water containing hydrogen sulphide and radon. We aim to study the association of the residence in high temperature geothermal area with the risk of cancer. Methods This is an observational cohort study where the population of a high-temperature geothermal area (35,707 person years) was compared with the population of a cold, non-geothermal area (571,509 person years). The cohort originates from the 1981 National Census. The follow up from 1981 to 2010 was based on record linkage by personal identifier with nation-wide death and cancer registries. Through the registries it was possible to ascertain emigration and vital status and to identify the cancer cases, 95% of which had histological verification. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated in Cox-model, adjusted for age, gender, education and housing. Results Adjusted HR in the high-temperature geothermal area for all cancers was 1.22 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.42) as compared with the cold area. The HR for pancreatic cancer was 2.85 (95% CI 1.39 to 5.86), breast cancer 1.59 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.31), lymphoid and hematopoietic cancer 1.64 (95% CI 1.00 to 2.66), and non-Hodgkins lymphoma 3.25 (95% CI 1.73 to 6.07). The HR for basal cell carcinoma of the skin was 1.61 (95% CI 1.10 to 2.35). The HRs were increased for cancers of the nasal cavities, larynx, lung, prostate, thyroid gland and for soft tissue sarcoma; however the 95% CIs included unity. Conclusions More precise information on chemical and physical exposures are needed to draw firm conclusions from the findings. The significant excess risk of breast cancer, and basal cell carcinoma of the skin, and the suggested excess risk of other radiation-sensitive cancers, calls for measurement of the content of the gas emissions and the hot water, which have been of concern in previous studies in volcanic areas. There are indications of an exposure

Lens Opacity and Hydrogen Sulfide in a New Zealand Geothermal Area

PubMed Central

Bates, Michael N.; Bailey, Ian L.; DiMartino, Robert B.; Pope, Karl; Crane, Julian; Garrett, Nick

2016-01-01

Purpose Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly toxic gas with well-established, acute irritation effects on the eye. The population of Rotorua, New Zealand, sited on an active geothermal field has some of the highest ambient H2S exposures in the world. Evidence from ecological studies in Rotorua has suggested that H2S is associated with cataract. The purpose of the present study was, using more detailed exposure characterization, clinical examinations and anterior eye photography, to more directly investigate this previously reported association. Methods Enrolled were 1637 adults, ages 18–65, from a comprehensive Rotorua primary care medical register. Patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including pupillary dilation and lens photography to capture evidence of any nuclear opacity, nuclear color, and cortical and posterior subcapsular opacity. Photographs were scored for all four outcomes on the LOCS III scale with decimalized interpolation between the exemplars. H2S exposure for up to the last 30 years was estimated based on networks of passive samplers set out across Rotorua and knowledge of residential, workplace and school locations over the 30 years. Data analysis using linear and logistic regression examined associations between the degree of opacification and nuclear color or cataract (defined as a LOCS III score ≥ 2.0) in relation to H2S exposure. Results No associations were found between estimated H2S exposures and any of the four ophthalmic outcome measures. Conclusions Overall, results were generally reassuring. They provided no evidence that H2S exposure at the levels found in Rotorua is associated with cataract. The previously found association between cataract and H2S exposure in the Rotorua population seems likely to be attributable to the limitations of the ecological study design. These results cannot rule out the possibility of an association with cataract at higher levels of H2S exposure. PMID:28182590

Isotopic constraints on ice age fluids in active geothermal systems: Reykjanes, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Emily C.; Bird, Dennis K.; Arnórsson, Stefán; Fridriksson, Thráinn; Elders, Wilfred A.; Fridleifsson, Gudmundur Ó.

2009-08-01

The Reykjanes geothermal system is located on the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in southwest Iceland, and provides an on-land proxy to high-temperature hydrothermal systems of oceanic spreading centers. Previous studies of elemental composition and salinity have shown that Reykjanes geothermal fluids are likely hydrothermally modified seawater. However, δD values of these fluids are as low as -23‰, which is indicative of a meteoric water component. Here we constrain the origin of Reykjanes hydrothermal solutions by analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of hydrothermal epidote from geothermal drillholes at depths between 1 and 3 km. δDEPIDOTE values from wells RN-8, -9, -10 and -17 collectively range from -60 to -78‰, and δ18OEPIDOTE in these wells are between -3.0 and 2.3‰. The δD values of epidote generally increase along a NE trend through the geothermal field, whereas δ18O values generally decrease, suggesting a southwest to northeast migration of the geothermal upflow zone with time that is consistent with present-day temperatures and observed hydrothermal mineral zones. For comparative analysis, the meteoric-water dominated Nesjavellir and Krafla geothermal systems, which have a δDFLUID of ˜ -79‰ and -89‰, respectively, show δDEPIDOTE values of -115‰ and -125‰. In contrast, δDEPIDOTE from the mixed meteoric-seawater Svartsengi geothermal system is -68‰; comparable to δDEPIDOTE from well RN-10 at Reykjanes. Stable isotope compositions of geothermal fluids in isotopic equilibrium with the epidotes at Reykjanes are computed using published temperature dependent hydrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation curves for epidote-water, measured isotope composition of the epidotes and temperatures approximated from the boiling point curve with depth. Calculated δD and δ18O of geothermal fluids are less than 0‰, suggesting that fluids of meteoric or glacial origin are a significant component of the geothermal

Geothermal development in southwest Idaho: the socioeconomic data base

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spencer, S.G.; Russell, B.F.

This report inventories, analyzes, and appraises the exiting socioeconomic data base for the ten counties in southwest Idaho that would be impacted by any significant geothermal development. The inventory describes key sociological demographic, and economic characteristics, and presents spatial boundaries, housing data, and projections of population and economic activity for the counties. The inventory identifies the significant gaps in the existing data base and makes recommendations for future research.

Geothermal development in southwest Idaho: the socioeconomic data base

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spencer,S.G.; Russell, B.F.

This report inventories, analyzes, and appraises the existing socioeconomic data base for the ten counties in southwest Idaho that would be impacted by any significant geothermal development. The inventory describes key sociological demographic, and economic characteristics, and presents spatial boundaries, housing data, and projections of population and economic activity for the counties. The inventory identifies the significant gaps in the existing data base and makes recommendations for future research.

Make-up wells drilling cost in financial model for a geothermal project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktaviani Purwaningsih, Fitri; Husnie, Ruly; Afuar, Waldy; Abdurrahman, Gugun

2017-12-01

After commissioning of a power plant, geothermal reservoir will encounter pressure decline, which will affect wells productivity. Therefore, further drilling is carried out to enhance steam production. Make-up wells are production wells drilled inside an already confirmed reservoir to maintain steam production in a certain level. Based on Sanyal (2004), geothermal power cost consists of three components, those are capital cost, O&M cost and make-up drilling cost. The make-up drilling cost component is a major part of power cost which will give big influence in a whole economical value of the project. The objective of this paper it to analyse the make-up wells drilling cost component in financial model of a geothermal power project. The research will calculate make-up wells requirements, drilling costs as a function of time and how they influence the financial model and affect the power cost. The best scenario in determining make-up wells strategy in relation with the project financial model would be the result of this research.

2014 Low-Temperature and Coproduced Geothermal Resources Fact Sheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tim Reinhardt, Program Manager

2014-09-01

As a growing sector of geothermal energy development, the Low-Temperature Program supports innovative technologies that enable electricity production and cascaded uses from geothermal resources below 300° Fahrenheit.

Geothermal handbook

USGS Publications Warehouse

1976-01-01

The Bureau of Land Management offered over 400,000 hectares (one million acres) for geothermal exploration and development in 1975, and figure is expected to double this year. The Energy Research and Development Administration hopes for 10-15,000 megawatts of geothermal energy by 1985, which would require, leasing over 16.3 million hectares (37 million acres) of land, at least half of which is federal land. Since there is an 8 to 8-1/2 year time laf between initial exploration and full field development, there would have to be a ten-fold increase in the amount of federal land leased within the next three years. Seventy percent of geothermal potential, 22.3 million hectares (55 million acres), is on federal lands in the west. The implication for the Service are enormous and the problems immediate. Geothermal resource are so widespread they are found to some extent in most biomes and ecosystems in the western United States. In most cases exploitation and production of geothermal resources can be made compatible with fish and wildlife management without damage, if probable impacts are clearly understood and provided for before damage has unwittingly been allowed to occur. Planning for site suitability and concern with specific operating techniques are crucial factors. There will be opportunities for enhancement: during exploration and testing many shallow groundwater bodies may be penetrated which might be developed for wildlife use. Construction equipment and materials needed for enhancement projects will be available in areas heretofore considered remote projects will be available in areas heretofore considered remote by land managers. A comprehensive knowledge of geothermal development is necessary to avoid dangers and seize opportunities. This handbook is intended to serve as a working tool in the field. It anticipated where geothermal resource development will occur in the western United States in the near future. A set of environmental assessment procedures are

Documentation of the status of international geothermal power plants and a list by country of selected geothermally active governmental and private sector entities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-10-01

This report includes the printouts from the International Geothermal Power Plant Data Base and the Geothermally Active Entity Data Base. Also included are the explanation of the abbreviations used in the power plant data base, maps of geothermal installations by country, and data base questionnaires and mailing lists.

Prospects on hydrogen production for a generalized domestic, industrial and automotive, usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dini, D.

Assuming the availability of advanced nuclear and solar systems as prime energy sources for electrolytic production of hydrogen, an assessment is made of high pressure electrolytic gasification, liquefaction and storage work requirements. Also, a pipeline network and associated equipment for the delivery and storage of hydrogen are considered in the context of a future replacement of all fossil fuels by hydrogen. Attention is given to space-based systems and terrestrial photovoltaics.

Does Geothermal Energy Production Cause Earthquakes in the Geysers Region of Northern California?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grove, K.; Bailey, C.; Sotto, M.; Yu, M.; Cohen, M.

2003-12-01

The Geysers region is located in Sonoma County, several hours north of San Francisco. At this location, hot magma beneath the surface heats ground water and creates steam that is used to make electricity. Since 1997, 8 billion gallons of treated wastewater have been injected into the ground, where the water becomes hot and increases the amount of thermal energy that can be produced. Frequent micro-earthquakes (up to magnitude 4.5) occur in the region and seem to be related to the geothermal energy production. The region is mostly uninhabited, except for several small towns such as Anderson Springs, where people have been extremely concerned about potential damage to their property. The energy companies are planning to double the amount of wastewater injected into the ground and to increase their energy production. Geothermal energy is important because it is better for the environment than burning coal, oil, or gas. Air and water pollution, which have negative impacts on living things, are reduced compared to power plants that generate electricity by burning fossil fuels. We have studied the frequency and magnitude of earthquakes that have occurred in the region since the early 1970s and that are occurring today. We used software to analyze the earthquakes and to look for patterns related to water injection and energy production. We are interested in exploring ways that energy production can be continued without having negative impacts on the people in the region.

Numerical and experimental design of coaxial shallow geothermal energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raghavan, Niranjan

Geothermal Energy has emerged as one of the front runners in the energy race because of its performance efficiency, abundance and production competitiveness. Today, geothermal energy is used in many regions of the world as a sustainable solution for decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and reducing health hazards. However, projects related to geothermal energy have not received their deserved recognition due to lack of computational tools associated with them and economic misconceptions related to their installation and functioning. This research focuses on numerical and experimental system design analysis of vertical shallow geothermal energy systems. The driving force is the temperature difference between a finite depth beneath the earth and its surface stimulates continuous exchange of thermal energy from sub-surface to the surface (a geothermal gradient is set up). This heat gradient is captured by the circulating refrigerant and thus, tapping the geothermal energy from shallow depths. Traditionally, U-bend systems, which consist of two one-inch pipes with a U-bend connector at the bottom, have been widely used in geothermal applications. Alternative systems include coaxial pipes (pipe-in-pipe) that are the main focus of this research. It has been studied that coaxial pipes have significantly higher thermal performance characteristics than U-bend pipes, with comparative production and installation costs. This makes them a viable design upgrade to the traditional piping systems. Analytical and numerical heat transfer analysis of the coaxial system is carried out with the help of ABAQUS software. It is tested by varying independent parameters such as materials, soil conditions and effect of thermal contact conductance on heat transfer characteristics. With the above information, this research aims at formulating a preliminary theoretical design setup for an experimental study to quantify and compare the heat transfer characteristics of U-bend and coaxial

Self-healing polymer cement composites for geothermal wellbore applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rod, K. A.; Fernandez, C.; Childers, I.; Koech, P.; Um, W.; Roosendaal, T.; Nguyen, M.; Huerta, N. J.; Chun, J.; Glezakou, V. A.

2017-12-01

Cement is vital for controlling leaks from wellbores employed in oil, gas, and geothermal operations by sealing the annulus between the wellbore casing and geologic formation. Wellbore cement failure due to physical and chemical stresses is common and can result in significant environmental consequences and ultimately significant financial costs due to remediation efforts. To date numerous alternative cement blends have been proposed for the oil and gas industry. Most of these possess poor mechanical properties, or are not designed to work in high temperature environments. This research investigates novel polymer-cement composites which could function at most geothermal temperatures. Thermal stability and mechanical strength of the polymer is attributed to the formation of a number of chemical interactions between the polymer and cement matrix including covalent bonds, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. It has been demonstrated that the bonding between cement and casing is more predictable when polymer is added to cement and can even improve healing of adhesion break when subjected to stresses such as thermal shock. Fractures have also been healed, effectively reducing permeability with fractures up to 0.3-0.5mm apertures, which is two orders of magnitude larger than typical wellbore fractures. Additionally, tomography analysis was used to determine internal structure of the cement polymer composite and imaging reveals that polymers fill fractures in the cement and between the cement and casing. By plugging fractures that occur in wellbore cement, reducing permeability of fractures, both environmental safety and economics of subsurface operations will be improved for geothermal energy and oil and gas production.

Investigation of TiO2 based Mixed-metal Oxide Catalysts for the Production of Hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Si

Abstract of the Dissertation. Investigation of TiO2 based Mixed-metal Oxide Catalysts for the Production of Hydrogen. by. Si Luo. Doctor of Philosophy. in. Chemistry. Stony Brook University. 2017. The environmental impacts of fossil fuel consumption and the resulting global warming have attracted increasing attention to technologies and fuels that are both sustainable and renewable in the 21st century. To date, hydrogen has been proposed as an encouraging candidate of the next generation of chemical fuels, which meets all demands for carbon free and efficient chemistries that could be produced from a variety of sources. However, despite tremendous efforts, there is a clear need to develop new catalysts for the production of hydrogen through catalytic processes that are sustainable, such as in the photocatalytic splitting of water (PCS: H2O → H2 + 0.5O2) and the water-gas shift process (WGS: CO + H2O → H2 + CO2). This thesis is primarily motivated by this challenge and has focused on the photochemical and thermal production of H2 by the employment of novel TiO2 based catalysts. TiO2 is one of the most widely studied photocatalysts in all history, due to its relatively high activity, robust stability, safety and low cost. In this thesis, several TiO2-based mixed metal oxide nano catalysts (CeOx-TiO2, Ru-TiO2, Ga-TiO2) have been synthesized with carefully controlled morphology/structure and with inclusion of co-catalysts (Pt). These novel materials were comprehensively characterized to better understand their morphology, crystal structure, and electronic properties in an attempt to unravel phenomena responsible for high catalytic performance for the production of H2 from H2O. We have discovered the importance of low-dimensional metal oxide and interfacial stabilized nano-scaled mixed metal oxides for H2 production, while learning how best to tune such structure to optimize both thermal and photochemical conversion. Optimized structure and/or composition have been

Polymeric carbon nitride for solar hydrogen production.

PubMed

Li, Xiaobo; Masters, Anthony F; Maschmeyer, Thomas

2017-07-04

If solar hydrogen production from water is to be a realistic candidate for industrial hydrogen production, the development of photocatalysts, which avoid the use of expensive and/or toxic elements is highly desirable from a scalability, cost and environmental perspective. Metal-free polymeric carbon nitride is an attractive material that can absorb visible light and produce hydrogen from water. This article reviews recent developments in polymeric carbon nitride as used in photocatalysis and then develops the discussion focusing on the three primary processes of a photocatalytic reaction: light-harvesting, carrier generation/separation/transportation and surface reactions.

Geothermal Exploration and Resource Assessment | Geothermal Technologies |

Science.gov Websites

, drilling, and resource assessments and the widespread adoption of under-utilized low-temperature resources -temperature geothermal resource technologies. Drilling The drilling of wells to find and develop geothermal low-temperature, sedimentary, co-produced, and enhanced geothermal system resources. We also work to

Federal Geothermal Research Program Update - Fiscal Year 2004

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patrick Laney

2005-03-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors have conducted research and development (R&D) in geothermal energy since 1971. The Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) works in partnership with industry to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply. Geothermal energy production, a $1.5 billion a year industry, generates electricity or provides heat for direct use applications. The technologies developed by the Geothermal Technologies Program will provide the Nation with new sources of electricity that are highly reliable and cost competitive and do not add to America's air pollution or the emission of greenhouse gases. Geothermalmore » electricity generation is not subject to fuel price volatility and supply disruptions from changes in global energy markets. Geothermal energy systems use a domestic and renewable source of energy. The Geothermal Technologies Program develops innovative technologies to find, access, and use the Nation's geothermal resources. These efforts include emphasis on Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) with continued R&D on geophysical and geochemical exploration technologies, improved drilling systems, and more efficient heat exchangers and condensers. The Geothermal Technologies Program is balanced between short-term goals of greater interest to industry, and long-term goals of importance to national energy interests. The program's research and development activities are expected to increase the number of new domestic geothermal fields, increase the success rate of geothermal well drilling, and reduce the costs of constructing and operating geothermal power plants. These improvements will increase the quantity of economically viable geothermal resources, leading in turn to an increased number of geothermal power facilities serving more energy demand. These new geothermal projects will take advantage of geothermal resources in locations where development is not currently possible or

Federal Geothermal Research Program Update Fiscal Year 2004

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2005-03-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors have conducted research and development (R&D) in geothermal energy since 1971. The Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) works in partnership with industry to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply. Geothermal energy production, a $1.5 billion a year industry, generates electricity or provides heat for direct use applications. The technologies developed by the Geothermal Technologies Program will provide the Nation with new sources of electricity that are highly reliable and cost competitive and do not add to America's air pollution or the emission of greenhouse gases. Geothermalmore » electricity generation is not subject to fuel price volatility and supply disruptions from changes in global energy markets. Geothermal energy systems use a domestic and renewable source of energy. The Geothermal Technologies Program develops innovative technologies to find, access, and use the Nation's geothermal resources. These efforts include emphasis on Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) with continued R&D on geophysical and geochemical exploration technologies, improved drilling systems, and more efficient heat exchangers and condensers. The Geothermal Technologies Program is balanced between short-term goals of greater interest to industry, and long-term goals of importance to national energy interests. The program's research and development activities are expected to increase the number of new domestic geothermal fields, increase the success rate of geothermal well drilling, and reduce the costs of constructing and operating geothermal power plants. These improvements will increase the quantity of economically viable geothermal resources, leading in turn to an increased number of geothermal power facilities serving more energy demand. These new geothermal projects will take advantage of geothermal resources in locations where development is not currently possible or

Enhanced thermophilic fermentative hydrogen production from cassava stillage by chemical pretreatments.

PubMed

Wang, Wen; Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zhou, Qi

2013-01-01

Acid and alkaline pretreatments for enhanced hydrogen production from cassava stillage were investigated in the present study. The result showed that acid pretreatment was suitable for enhancement of soluble carbohydrate while alkaline pretreatment stimulated more soluble total organic carbon production from cassava stillage. Acid pretreatment thereby has higher capacity to promote hydrogen production compared with alkaline pretreatment. Effects of pretreatment temperature, time and acid concentration on hydrogen production were also revealed by response surface methodology. The results showed that the increase of all factors increased the soluble carbohydrate production, whereas hydrogen production was inhibited when the factors exceeded their optimal values. The optimal conditions for hydrogen production were pretreatment temperature 89.5 °C, concentration 1.4% and time 69 min for the highest hydrogen production of 434 mL, 67% higher than raw cassava stillage.

Geotherm: the U.S. geological survey geothermal information system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bliss, J.D.; Rapport, A.

1983-01-01

GEOTHERM is a comprehensive system of public databases and software used to store, locate, and evaluate information on the geology, geochemistry, and hydrology of geothermal systems. Three main databases address the general characteristics of geothermal wells and fields, and the chemical properties of geothermal fluids; the last database is currently the most active. System tasks are divided into four areas: (1) data acquisition and entry, involving data entry via word processors and magnetic tape; (2) quality assurance, including the criteria and standards handbook and front-end data-screening programs; (3) operation, involving database backups and information extraction; and (4) user assistance, preparation of such items as application programs, and a quarterly newsletter. The principal task of GEOTHERM is to provide information and research support for the conduct of national geothermal-resource assessments. The principal users of GEOTHERM are those involved with the Geothermal Research Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Information in the system is available to the public on request. ?? 1983.

Geothermal potential on Kirtland Air Force Base lands, Bernalillo County, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, P. R., Jr.

1981-10-01

Public policy expressed in a number of national directives in recent years stresses the conservation of conventional fuel supplies, a switch to alternative fuels, and the application of advanced energy technologies at federal installations. Natural gas currently furnishes 85 to 95 percent of the average 94 x 1,000,000 Btu/hr energy requirements for space heating and cooling at Kirtland Air Force Base. Studies of alternatives to the use of natural gas at the base include examination of the geothermal option. Four of North America's major physiographic provinces coalesce in central New Mexico on or near Kirtland AFB. Their junction is identified throughout much of this region by a tectonic depression occupied by the Rio Grande that is structurally complex, stratigraphically and hydrologically unique, and coincides with geologically recent volcanic centers. This trough, the Rio Grande rift, has been identified as a major geothermal resource area. The western part of Kirtland AFB is in the Albuquerque Basin segment of the Rio Grande rift. Extensive sampling and geochemical analysis of groundwater in and near the base disclosed no significant geothermal parameters. However, structural conditions and current hydrologics regimes strongly suggest that thermal waters would be masked by near surface, low temperature meteoric water originating as rain and snowfall in the nearby mountains.

Engineering Sedimentary Geothermal Resources for Large-Scale Dispatchable Renewable Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bielicki, Jeffrey; Buscheck, Thomas; Chen, Mingjie; Sun, Yunwei; Hao, Yue; Saar, Martin; Randolph, Jimmy

2014-05-01

Mitigating climate change requires substantial penetration of renewable energy and economically viable options for CO2 capture and storage (CCS). We present an approach using CO2 and N2 in sedimentary basin geothermal resources that (1) generates baseload and dispatchable power, (2) efficiently stores large amounts of energy, and (3) enables seasonal storage of solar energy, all which (5) increase the value of CO2 and render CCS commercially viable. Unlike the variability of solar and wind resources, geothermal heat is a constant source of renewable energy. Using CO2 as a supplemental geothermal working fluid, in addition to brine, reduces the parasitic load necessary to recirculate fluids. Adding N2 is beneficial because it is cheaper, will not react with materials and subsurface formations, and enables bulk energy storage. The high coefficients of thermal expansion of CO2 and N2 (a) augment reservoir pressure, (b) generate artesian flow at the production wells, and (c) produce self-convecting thermosiphons that directly convert reservoir heat to mechanical energy for fluid recirculation. Stored pressure drives fluid production and responds faster than conventional brine-based geothermal systems. Our design uses concentric rings of horizontal wells to create a hydraulic divide that stores supplemental fluids and pressure. Production and injection wells are controlled to schedule power delivery and time-shift the parasitic power necessary to separate N2 from air and compress it for injection. The parasitic load can be scheduled during minimum power demand or when there is excess electricity from wind or solar. Net power output can nearly equal gross power output during peak demand, and energy storage is almost 100% efficient because it is achieved by the time-shift. Further, per-well production rates can take advantage of the large productivity of horizontal wells, with greater leveraging of well costs, which often constitute a major portion of capital costs for

Topographic map analysis to determine Arjuno-Welirang volcanostratigraphy and implication for geothermal exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apriani, Lestari; Satriana, Joshua; Aulian Chalik, Citra; Syahputra Mulyana, Reza; Hafidz, Muhammad; Suryantini

2017-12-01

Volcanostratigraphy study is used for supporting geothermal exploration on preliminary survey. This study is important to identify volcanic eruption center which shows potential area of geothermal heat source. The purpose of volcanostratigraphy study in research area is going to distinguish the characteristics of volcanic eruption product that construct the volcanic body. The analysis of Arjuno-Welirang volcanostratigraphy identification are based on topographic maps of Malang sheet with 1:100.000 scale, 1:50.000 scale, and a geological map. Regarding to the delineation of ridge and river, we determine five crowns, three hummocks, one brigade and one super brigade. The crowns consist of Ringgit, Welirang, Arjuno, Kawi, and Penanggungan, the hummocks comprise of Kembar III, Kembar II, and Kembar I, the brigade is Arjuno-Welirang, and the super brigade is Tengger. Based on topographic map interpretation and geothermal prospect evaluation method analysis, shows that Arjuno-Welirang prospect area have good geothermal resource potential.

Protons and pleomorphs: aerobic hydrogen production in Azotobacters.

PubMed

Noar, Jesse D; Bruno-Bárcena, José M

2016-02-01

As obligate aerobic soil organisms, the ability of Azotobacter species to fix nitrogen is unusual given that the nitrogenase complex requires a reduced cellular environment. Molecular hydrogen is an unavoidable byproduct of the reduction of dinitrogen; at least one molecule of H2 is produced for each molecule of N2 fixed. This could be considered a fault in nitrogenase efficiency, essentially a waste of energy and reducing equivalents. Wild-type Azotobacter captures this hydrogen and oxidizes it with its membrane-bound uptake hydrogenase complex. Strains lacking an active hydrogenase complex have been investigated for their hydrogen production capacities. What is the role of H2 in the energy metabolism of nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter? Is hydrogen production involved in Azotobacter species' protection from or tolerance to oxygen, or vice versa? What yields of hydrogen can be expected from hydrogen-evolving strains? Can the yield of hydrogen be controlled or increased by changing genetic, environmental, or physiological conditions? We will address these questions in the following mini-review.

A comparative technoeconomic analysis of renewable hydrogen production using solar energy

DOE PAGES

Shaner, Matthew R.; Atwater, Harry A.; Lewis, Nathan S.; ...

2016-05-26

A technoeconomic analysis of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photovoltaic-electrolytic (PV-E) solar-hydrogen production of 10 000 kg H 2 day -1 (3.65 kilotons per year) was performed to assess the economics of each technology, and to provide a basis for comparison between these technologies as well as within the broader energy landscape. Two PEC systems, differentiated primarily by the extent of solar concentration (unconcentrated and 10× concentrated) and two PV-E systems, differentiated by the degree of grid connectivity (unconnected and grid supplemented), were analyzed. In each case, a base-case system that used established designs and materials was compared to prospective systems thatmore » might be envisioned and developed in the future with the goal of achieving substantially lower overall system costs. With identical overall plant efficiencies of 9.8%, the unconcentrated PEC and non-grid connected PV-E system base-case capital expenses for the rated capacity of 3.65 kilotons H 2 per year were 205 dollars MM (293 dollars per m 2 of solar collection area (m S -2 ), 14.7 W H2,P -1) and 260 dollars MM ($371 m S -2, 18.8 dollars W H2,P -1 ), respectively. The untaxed, plant-gate levelized costs for the hydrogen product (LCH) were $11.4 kg -1 and 12.1 dollars kg -1 for the base-case PEC and PV-E systems, respectively. The 10× concentrated PEC base-case system capital cost was 160 dollars MM (428 dollars m S -2, 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1) and for an efficiency of 20% the LCH was 9.2 kg -1 . Likewise, the grid supplemented base-case PV-E system capital cost was 66 dollars MM (441 dollars m S -2, 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1 ), and with solar-to-hydrogen and grid electrolysis system efficiencies of 9.8% and 61%, respectively, the LCH was 6.1 dollars kg -1 . As a benchmark, a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) based grid-connected electrolysis system was analyzed. Assuming a system efficiency of 61% and a grid electricity cost of $0.07 kWh -1 , the LCH was $5.5 kg -1 . A

A comparative technoeconomic analysis of renewable hydrogen production using solar energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaner, Matthew R.; Atwater, Harry A.; Lewis, Nathan S.

A technoeconomic analysis of photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photovoltaic-electrolytic (PV-E) solar-hydrogen production of 10 000 kg H 2 day -1 (3.65 kilotons per year) was performed to assess the economics of each technology, and to provide a basis for comparison between these technologies as well as within the broader energy landscape. Two PEC systems, differentiated primarily by the extent of solar concentration (unconcentrated and 10× concentrated) and two PV-E systems, differentiated by the degree of grid connectivity (unconnected and grid supplemented), were analyzed. In each case, a base-case system that used established designs and materials was compared to prospective systems thatmore » might be envisioned and developed in the future with the goal of achieving substantially lower overall system costs. With identical overall plant efficiencies of 9.8%, the unconcentrated PEC and non-grid connected PV-E system base-case capital expenses for the rated capacity of 3.65 kilotons H 2 per year were 205 dollars MM (293 dollars per m 2 of solar collection area (m S -2 ), 14.7 W H2,P -1) and 260 dollars MM ($371 m S -2, 18.8 dollars W H2,P -1 ), respectively. The untaxed, plant-gate levelized costs for the hydrogen product (LCH) were $11.4 kg -1 and 12.1 dollars kg -1 for the base-case PEC and PV-E systems, respectively. The 10× concentrated PEC base-case system capital cost was 160 dollars MM (428 dollars m S -2, 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1) and for an efficiency of 20% the LCH was 9.2 kg -1 . Likewise, the grid supplemented base-case PV-E system capital cost was 66 dollars MM (441 dollars m S -2, 11.5 dollars W H2,P -1 ), and with solar-to-hydrogen and grid electrolysis system efficiencies of 9.8% and 61%, respectively, the LCH was 6.1 dollars kg -1 . As a benchmark, a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) based grid-connected electrolysis system was analyzed. Assuming a system efficiency of 61% and a grid electricity cost of $0.07 kWh -1 , the LCH was $5.5 kg -1 . A

Reducing the Geothermal Exploration Risk by Carbon Dioxide Soil Flux Investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carapezza, Maria Luisa; Barberi, Franco; Ranaldi, Massimo; Ricci, Tullio; Tarchini, Luca; De Simone, Gabriele; Gattuso, Alessandro; Silvestri, Mario

2013-04-01

In the exploration of medium to high enthalpy geothermal resources it happens rather frequently that deep wells find high temperatures but are not productive because they don't cross any permeable fractured reservoir. Because of the high cost of deep drillings, this aspect represents one of the main economic risks of geothermal exploration. A detailed survey of diffuse CO2 soil flux may allow to identify from the surface the permeable portions of a deep-seated actively degassing geothermal reservoir, drastically reducing this risk. In order to test the effectiveness of CO2 soil flux as a geothermal exploration tool we selected two volcanic areas north of Rome, Latera caldera and Marta zone near lake Bolsena, both hosting a geothermal reservoir with T>200 °C and where productive and non-productive wells had been drilled in the past. We proved that in both zones productive wells are located on high CO2 soil flux zones, whereas the not-productive wells are sited on low flux areas. In addition the surveys allowed to identify some as yet unexplored portions of the geothermal reservoirs where future wells should be conveniently located. Use of the same technique in the medium enthalpy geothermal system of Torre Alfina, Central Italy (T=140°C) showed that the presence of a thick impervious rock cover may be very effective in preventing gas leakages from the reservoir to the surface. Promising results have been obtained also by CO2 soil flux surveys in some geothermal areas of Honduras (Platanares, Azacualpa) and Costa Rica (Las Pailas). Obviously, CO2 flux cannot provide any estimate of temperature at depth, which has to be assessed with other geochemical or geophysical exploration techniques.

NREL/PG&E Condensation System Increases Geothermal Power Plant Efficiency

Science.gov Websites

. Geothermal power plants like The Geysers produce energy by collecting steam from underground reservoirs and NREL/PG&E Condensation System Increases Geothermal Power Plant Efficiency For more information world's largest producer of geothermal power has improved its power production efficiency thanks to a new

Design of neural network model-based controller in a fed-batch microbial electrolysis cell reactor for bio-hydrogen gas production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azwar; Hussain, M. A.; Abdul-Wahab, A. K.; Zanil, M. F.; Mukhlishien

2018-03-01

One of major challenge in bio-hydrogen production process by using MEC process is nonlinear and highly complex system. This is mainly due to the presence of microbial interactions and highly complex phenomena in the system. Its complexity makes MEC system difficult to operate and control under optimal conditions. Thus, precise control is required for the MEC reactor, so that the amount of current required to produce hydrogen gas can be controlled according to the composition of the substrate in the reactor. In this work, two schemes for controlling the current and voltage of MEC were evaluated. The controllers evaluated are PID and Inverse neural network (NN) controller. The comparative study has been carried out under optimal condition for the production of bio-hydrogen gas wherein the controller output is based on the correlation of optimal current and voltage to the MEC. Various simulation tests involving multiple set-point changes and disturbances rejection have been evaluated and the performances of both controllers are discussed. The neural network-based controller results in fast response time and less overshoots while the offset effects are minimal. In conclusion, the Inverse neural network (NN)-based controllers provide better control performance for the MEC system compared to the PID controller.

Nevada low-temperaure geothermal resource assessment: 1994. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garside, L.J.

Data compilation for the low-temperature program is being done by State Teams in two western states. Final products of the study include: a geothermal database, in hardcopy and as digital data (diskette) listing information on all known low- and moderate- temperature springs and wells in Nevada; a 1:1,000,000-scale map displaying these geothermal localities, and a bibliography of references on Nevada geothermal resources.

Assessment of New Approaches in Geothermal Exploration Decision Making: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akar, S.; Young, K. R.

Geothermal exploration projects have significant amount of risk associated with uncertainties encountered in the discovery of the geothermal resource. Understanding when and how to proceed in an exploration program, and when to walk away from a site, are two of the largest challenges for increased geothermal deployment. Current methodologies for exploration decision making is left to subjective by subjective expert opinion which can be incorrectly biased by expertise (e.g. geochemistry, geophysics), geographic location of focus, and the assumed conceptual model. The aim of this project is to develop a methodology for more objective geothermal exploration decision making at a givenmore » location, including go-no-go decision points to help developers and investors decide when to give up on a location. In this scope, two different approaches are investigated: 1) value of information analysis (VOIA) which is used for evaluating and quantifying the value of a data before they are purchased, and 2) enthalpy-based exploration targeting based on reservoir size, temperature gradient estimates, and internal rate of return (IRR). The first approach, VOIA, aims to identify the value of a particular data when making decisions with an uncertain outcome. This approach targets the pre-drilling phase of exploration. These estimated VOIs are highly affected by the size of the project and still have a high degree of subjectivity in assignment of probabilities. The second approach, exploration targeting, is focused on decision making during the drilling phase. It starts with a basic geothermal project definition that includes target and minimum required production capacity and initial budgeting for exploration phases. Then, it uses average temperature gradient, reservoir temperature estimates, and production capacity to define targets and go/no-go limits. The decision analysis in this approach is based on achieving a minimum IRR at each phase of the project. This second approach

Penetration of hydrogen-based energy system and its potential for causing global environmental change: Scoping risk analysis based on life cycle thinking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kikuchi, Ryunosuke

2006-03-15

A hydrogen-based economy seems superficially to be environmentally friendly, and many people have worked toward its realization. Today hydrogen is mainly produced by decarbonizing fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas), and in the future decarbonization of both fossil fuels and biomass will play a leading role in the production of hydrogen. The main purpose of this paper is to suggest the identification of potential environmental risks in terms of 'life cycle thinking' (which considers all aspects from production to utilization) with regard to the hydrogen-based economy to come. Hydrogen production by decarbonization results in CO{sub 2} emissions. The final destination ofmore » the recovered CO{sub 2} is uncertain. Furthermore, there is a possibility that hydrogen molecules will escape to the atmosphere, posing risks that could occasion global environmental changes such as depletion of stratospheric ozone, temperature change in the stratosphere and change of the hydrides cycle through global vaporization. Based on the results of simulation, requirements regarding the following items are proposed to minimize potential risks: hydrogen source, production and storage loss.« less

Hydrogen production by nitrogen-starved cultures of Anabaena cylindrica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weissman, J.C.; Benemann, J.R.

Nitrogen-starved cultures of the alga Anabaena cylindrica 629 produced hydrogen and oxygen continuously for 7 to 19 days. Hydrogen production attained a maximum level after 1 to 2 days of starvation and was followed by a slow decline. The maximum rates were 30 ml of H/sub 2/ evolved per liter of culture per h or 32 ..mu..l of H/sub 2/ per mg of dry weight per h. In 5 to 7 days the rate of H/sub 2/ evolution by the more productive cultures fell to one-half its maximum value. The addition of 10/sup -4/ to 5 x 10/sup -4/ Mmore » ammonium increased the rate of oxygen evolution and the total hydrogen production of the cultures. H/sub 2/-O/sub 2/ ratios were 4:1 under conditions of complete nitrogen starvation and about 1.7:1 after the addition of ammonium. Thus, oxygen evolution was affected by the extent of the nitrogen starvation. Thermodynamic efficiencies of converting incident light energy to free energy of hydrogen via algal photosynthesis were 0.4 percent. Possible factors limiting hydrogen production were decline of reductant supply and filament breakage. Hydrogen production by filamentous, heterocystous blue-green algae could be used for development of a biophotolysis system.« less

Geothermal resources of California sedimentary basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, C.F.; Grubb, F.V.; Galanis, S.P.

2004-01-01

The 2004 Department of Energy (DOE) Strategic Plan for geothermal energy calls for expanding the geothermal resource base of the United States to 40,000 MW of electric power generating potential. This will require advances in technologies for exploiting unconventional geothermal resources, including Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and geopressured geothermal. An investigation of thermal conditions in California sedimentary basins through new temperature and heat flow measurements reveals significant geothermal potential in some areas. In many of the basins, the combined cooling effects of recent tectonic and sedimentary processes result in relatively low (<60 mW/m2) heat flow and geothermal gradients. For example, temperatures in the upper 3 km of San Joaquin, Sacramento and Ventura basins are typically less than 125??C and do not reach 200??c by 5 km. By contrast, in the Cuyama, Santa Maria and western Los Angeles basins, heat flow exceeds 80 mW/m2 and temperatures near or above 200??C occur at 4 to 5 km depth, which represents thermal conditions equivalent to or hotter than those encountered at the Soultz EGS geothermal site in Europe. Although the extractable geothermal energy contained in these basins is not large relative to the major California producing geothermal fields at The Geysers or Salton Sea, the collocation in the Los Angeles basin of a substantial petroleum extraction infrastructure and a major metropolitan area may make it attractive for eventual geothermal development as EGS technology matures.

NATIONAL GEOTHERMAL DATA SYSTEM (NGDS) GEOTHERMAL DATA DOMAIN: ASSESSMENT OF GEOTHERMAL COMMUNITY DATA NEEDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Arlene; Blackwell, David; Chickering, Cathy

2013-01-01

To satisfy the critical need for geothermal data to ad- vance geothermal energy as a viable renewable ener- gy contender, the U.S. Department of Energy is in- vesting in the development of the National Geother- mal Data System (NGDS). This paper outlines efforts among geothermal data providers nationwide to sup- ply cutting edge geo-informatics. NGDS geothermal data acquisition, delivery, and methodology are dis- cussed. In particular, this paper addresses the various types of data required to effectively assess geother- mal energy potential and why simple links to existing data are insufficient. To create a platform for ready access by allmore » geothermal stakeholders, the NGDS in- cludes a work plan that addresses data assets and re- sources of interest to users, a survey of data provid- ers, data content models, and how data will be ex- changed and promoted, as well as lessons learned within the geothermal community.« less

Status of photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen and electrical energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byvik, C. E.; Walker, G. H.

1976-01-01

The efficiency for conversion of electromagnetic energy to chemical and electrical energy utilizing semiconductor single crystals as photoanodes in electrochemical cells was investigated. Efficiencies as high as 20 percent were achieved for the conversion of 330 nm radiation to chemical energy in the form of hydrogen by the photoelectrolysis of water in a SrTiO3 based cell. The SrTiO3 photoanodes were shown to be stable in 9.5 M NaOH solutions for periods up to 48 hours. Efficiencies of 9 percent were measured for the conversion of broadband visible radiation to hydrogen using n-type GaAs crystals as photoanodes. Crystals of GaAs coated with 500 nm of gold, silver, or tin for surface passivation show no significant change in efficiency. By suppressing the production of hydrogen in a CdSe-based photogalvanic cell, an efficiency of 9 percent was obtained in conversion of 633 nm light to electrical energy. A CdS-based photogalvanic cell produced a conversion efficiency of 5 percent for 500 nm radiation.

Cancer incidence among population utilizing geothermal hot water: a census-based cohort study.

PubMed

Kristbjornsdottir, Adalbjorg; Rafnsson, Vilhjalmur

2013-12-15

The aim of the study was to assess whether utilization of geothermal hot-water is associated with risk of cancer. The cohort from census was followed from 1981 to 2010 in nation-wide death and cancer registries. The moving apart of American-Eurasian tectonic plates, observed in Iceland, results in high volcanic activity. The definition of the study populations was based on geological information. The target population was inhabitants of communities located on bedrock younger than 3.3 million years, utilizing hot-water supply generated from geothermal wells since 1972. The two reference populations were inhabitants of communities without this hot-water supply located on areas with less volcanic/geothermal activity, and bedrock older than 3.3 million years. Hazard ratio (HR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adjusted for age, gender, education, housing, reproductive factors and smoking. HR in the geothermal hot-water supply areas for all cancer was 1.15 (95% CI 1.05-1.25) as compared with nongeothermal areas. The HR for breast cancer was 1.40 (1.12-1.75), prostate cancer 1.61 (1.29-2.00), kidney cancer 1.64 (1.11-2.41), lymphatic and haematopoietic tissue cancers 1.45 (1.08-1.95), and for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin 1.46 (1.16-1.82). Positive exposure-response relations were observed between the risk of these cancers and the degree of volcanic/geothermal activity in the reference areas. Increased incidence of all cancers, breast, prostate, kidney cancer and BCC of the skin was found among the population utilizing geothermal hot-water for decades. More precise information on exposure is needed in future studies. Copyright © 2013 UICC.

Polymer-Cement Composites with Self-Healing Ability for Geothermal and Fossil Energy Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Childers, M. Ian; Nguyen, Manh-Thuong; Rod, Kenton A.

Sealing of wellbores in geothermal and tight oil/gas reservoirs by filling the annulus with cement is a well-established practice. Failure of the cement as a result of physical and/or chemical stress is a common problem with serious environmental and financial consequences. Numerous alternative cement blends have been proposed for the oil and gas industry. Most of these possess poor mechanical properties, or are not designed to work in high temperature environments. This work reports on a novel polymer-cement composite with remarkable self-healing ability that maintains the required properties of typical wellbore cements and may be stable at most geothermal temperatures.more » We combine for the first time experimental analysis of physical and chemical properties with density functional theory simulations to evaluate cement performance. The thermal stability and mechanical strength are attributed to the formation of a number of chemical interactions between the polymer and cement matrix including covalent bonds, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions. Self-healing was demonstrated by sealing fractures with 0.3–0.5 mm apertures, 2 orders of magnitude larger than typical wellbore fractures. This polymer-cement composite represents a major advance in wellbore cementing that could improve the environmental safety and economics of enhanced geothermal energy and tight oil/gas production.« less

Photosynthetic production of hydrogen. [Blue-green alga, Anabaena cylindrica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neil, G.; Nicholas, D.J.D.; Bockris, J.O.

A systematic investigation of photosynthetic hydrogen production using a blue-green alga, Anabaena cylindrica, was carried out. The results indicate that there are two important problems which must be overcome for large-scale hydrogen production using photosynthetic processes. These are (a) the development of a stable system, and (b) attainment of at least a fifty-fold increase in the rate of hydrogen evolution per unit area illuminated.

Quantifying the undiscovered geothermal resources of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Colin F.; Reed, Marshall J.; DeAngelo, Jacob; Galanis, S. Peter

2009-01-01

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released summary results of an assessment of the electric power production potential from the moderate- and high-temperature geothermal resources of the United States (Williams et al., 2008a; USGS Fact Sheet 2008-3082; http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3082). In the assessment, the estimated mean power production potential from undiscovered geothermal resources is 30,033 Megawatts-electric (MWe), more than three times the estimated mean potential from identified geothermal systems: 9057 MWe. The presence of significant undiscovered geothermal resources has major implications for future exploration and development activities by both the government and private industry. Previous reports summarize the results of techniques applied by the USGS and others to map the spatial distribution of undiscovered resources. This paper describes the approach applied in developing estimates of the magnitude of the undiscovered geothermal resource, as well as the manner in which that resource is likely to be distributed among geothermal systems of varying volume and temperature. A number of key issues constrain the overall estimate. One is the degree to which characteristics of the undiscovered resources correspond to those observed among identified geothermal systems. Another is the evaluation of exploration history, including both the spatial distribution of geothermal exploration activities relative to the postulated spatial distribution of undiscovered resources and the probability of successful discoveries from the application of standard geothermal exploration techniques. Also significant are the physical, chemical, and geological constraints on the formation and longevity of geothermal systems. Important observations from this study include the following. (1) Some of the largest identified geothermal systems, such as The Geysers vapor-dominated system in northern California and the diverse geothermal manifestations found in Yellowstone

Hydrogen production by sodium borohydride in NaOH aqueous solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Q.; Zhang, L. F.; Zhao, Z. G.

2018-01-01

The kinetics of hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 in NaOH aqueous solution is studied. The influence of pH of the NaOH aqueous solution on the rate of hydrogen production and the hydrogen production efficiency are studied for the hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4. The results show that the activation energy of hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 increased with the increase of the initial pH of NaOH aqueous solution.With the increasing of the initial pH of NaOH aqueous solution, the rate of hydrogen production and hydrogen production efficiency of NaBH4 hydrolysis decrease.

Optimal Management of Geothermal Heat Extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, I. H.; Bielicki, J. M.; Buscheck, T. A.

2015-12-01

Geothermal energy technologies use the constant heat flux from the subsurface in order to produce heat or electricity for societal use. As such, a geothermal energy system is not inherently variable, like systems based on wind and solar resources, and an operator can conceivably control the rate at which heat is extracted and used directly, or converted into a commodity that is used. Although geothermal heat is a renewable resource, this heat can be depleted over time if the rate of heat extraction exceeds the natural rate of renewal (Rybach, 2003). For heat extraction used for commodities that are sold on the market, sustainability entails balancing the rate at which the reservoir renews with the rate at which heat is extracted and converted into profit, on a net present value basis. We present a model that couples natural resource economic approaches for managing renewable resources with simulations of geothermal reservoir performance in order to develop an optimal heat mining strategy that balances economic gain with the performance and renewability of the reservoir. Similar optimal control approaches have been extensively studied for renewable natural resource management of fisheries and forests (Bonfil, 2005; Gordon, 1954; Weitzman, 2003). Those models determine an optimal path of extraction of fish or timber, by balancing the regeneration of stocks of fish or timber that are not harvested with the profit from the sale of the fish or timber that is harvested. Our model balances the regeneration of reservoir temperature with the net proceeds from extracting heat and converting it to electricity that is sold to consumers. We used the Non-isothermal Unconfined-confined Flow and Transport (NUFT) model (Hao, Sun, & Nitao, 2011) to simulate the performance of a sedimentary geothermal reservoir under a variety of geologic and operational situations. The results of NUFT are incorporated into the natural resource economics model to determine production strategies that

Enhancement of hydrogen production during waste activated sludge anaerobic fermentation by carbohydrate substrate addition and pH control.

PubMed

Chen, Yinguang; Xiao, Naidong; Zhao, Yuxiao; Mu, Hui

2012-06-01

The effects of carbohydrate/protein ratio (CH/Pr) and pH on hydrogen production from waste activated sludge (WAS) were investigated. Firstly, the optimal pH value for hydrogen production was influenced by the CH/Pr ratio, which was pH 10, 9, 8, 8, 8 and 6 at the CH/Pr ratio (COD based) of 0.2 (sole sludge), 1, 2.4, 3.8, 5 and 6.6, respectively. The maximal hydrogen production (100.6 mL/g-COD) was achieved at CH/Pr of 5 and pH 8, which was due to the synergistic effect of carbohydrate addition on hydrogen production, the enhancement of sludge protein degradation and protease and amylase activities, and the suitable fermentation pathway for hydrogen production. As hydrogen consumption was observed at pH 8, in order to further increase hydrogen production a two-step pH control strategy (pH 8+pH 10) was developed and the hydrogen production was further improved by 17.6%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of superheated steam from vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truesdell, A.H.; White, D.E.

1973-01-01

Vapor-dominated geothermal systems such as Larderello, Italy, The Geysers, California, and Matsukawa, Japan yield dry or superheated steam when exploited. Models for these systems are examined along with production data and the thermodynamic properties of water, steam and rock. It is concluded that these systems initially consist of a water and steam filled reservoir, a water-saturated cap rock, and a water or brine-saturated deep reservoir below a water table. Most liquid water in all parts of the system is relatively immobilized in small pores and crevices; steam dominates the large fractures and voids of the reservoir and is the continuous, pressure-controlling phase. With production, the pressure is lowered and the liquid water boils, causing massive transfer of heat from the rock and its eventual drying. Passage of steam through already dried rock produces superheating. After an initial vaporization of liquid water in the reservoir, the decrease in pressure produces increased boiling below the deep water table. With heavy exploitation, boiling extends deeper into hotter rock and the temperature of the steam increases. This model explains most features of the published production behavior of these systems and can be used to guide exploitation policies. ?? 1973.

Hot Dry Rock; Geothermal Energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1990-01-01

The commercial utilization of geothermal energy forms the basis of the largest renewable energy industry in the world. More than 5000 Mw of electrical power are currently in production from approximately 210 plants and 10 000 Mw thermal are used in direct use processes. The majority of these systems are located in the well defined geothermal generally associated with crustal plate boundaries or hot spots. The essential requirements of high subsurface temperature with huge volumes of exploitable fluids, coupled to environmental and market factors, limit the choice of suitable sites significantly. The Hot Dry Rock (HDR) concept at any depthmore » originally offered a dream of unlimited expansion for the geothermal industry by relaxing the location constraints by drilling deep enough to reach adequate temperatures. Now, after 20 years intensive work by international teams and expenditures of more than $250 million, it is vital to review the position of HDR in relation to the established geothermal industry. The HDR resource is merely a body of rock at elevated temperatures with insufficient fluids in place to enable the heat to be extracted without the need for injection wells. All of the major field experiments in HDR have shown that the natural fracture systems form the heat transfer surfaces and that it is these fractures that must be for geothermal systems producing from naturally fractured formations provide a basis for directing the forthcoming but, equally, they require accepting significant location constraints on HDR for the time being. This paper presents a model HDR system designed for commercial operations in the UK and uses production data from hydrothermal systems in Japan and the USA to demonstrate the reservoir performance requirements for viable operations. It is shown that these characteristics are not likely to be achieved in host rocks without stimulation processes. However, the long term goal of artificial geothermal systems developed by

Multiparameter fiber optic sensing system for monitoring enhanced geothermal systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Challener, William A

2014-12-04

The goal of this project was to design, fabricate and test an optical fiber cable which supports multiple sensing modalities for measurements in the harsh environment of enhanced geothermal systems. To accomplish this task, optical fiber was tested at both high temperatures and strains for mechanical integrity, and in the presence of hydrogen for resistance to darkening. Both single mode (SM) and multimode (MM) commercially available optical fiber were identified and selected for the cable based on the results of these tests. The cable was designed and fabricated using a tube-within-tube construction containing two MM fibers and one SM fiber,more » and without supporting gel that is not suitable for high temperature environments. Commercial fiber optic sensing instruments using Raman DTS (distributed temperature sensing), Brillouin DTSS (distributed temperature and strain sensing), and Raleigh COTDR (coherent optical time domain reflectometry) were selected for field testing. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor was designed, fabricated, packaged, and calibrated for high pressure measurements at high temperatures and spliced to the cable. A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensor was also spliced to the cable. A geothermal well was selected and its temperature and pressure were logged. The cable was then deployed in the well in two separate field tests and measurements were made on these different sensing modalities. Raman DTS measurements were found to be accurate to ±5°C, even with some residual hydrogen darkening. Brillouin DTSS measurements were in good agreement with the Raman results. The Rayleigh COTDR instrument was able to detect some acoustic signatures, but was generally disappointing. The FBG sensor was used to determine the effects of hydrogen darkening, but drift over time made it unreliable as a temperature or pressure sensor. The MEMS sensor was found to be highly stable and accurate to better than its 0.1% calibration.« less

Geothermal systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohl, C.

1978-01-01

Several tasks of JPL related to geothermal energy are discussed. The major task is the procurement and test and evaluation of a helical screw drive (wellhead unit). A general review of geothermal energy systems is given. The presentation focuses attention on geothermal reservoirs in California, with graphs and charts to support the discussion. Included are discussions on cost analysis, systems maintenance, and a comparison of geothermal and conventional heating and cooling systems.

Geothermal energy in Washington: site data base and development status

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bloomquist, R.G.

1979-04-01

This is an attempt to identify the factors which have affected and will continue to affect geothermal assessment and development in the state. The eight potential sites chosen for detailed analysis include: Indian Heaven KGRA, Mount St. Helens KGRA, Kennedy Hot Springs KGRA, Mount Adams PGRA (Potential Geothermal Resource Area), Mount Rainier PGRA, Mount Baker PGRA, Olympic-Sol Duc Hot Springs, and Yakima. The following information is included for each site: site data, site location and physical description, geological/geophysical description, reservoir characteristics, land ownership and leasing, geothermal development status, institutional characteristics, environmental factors, transportation and utilities, and population. A number ofmore » serious impediments to geothermal development were identified which can be solved only by legislative action at the state or federal level and/or changes in attitudes by regulatory agencies. (MHR)« less

The concept of geothermal exploration in west Java based on geophysical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaffar, Eddy Z.

2018-02-01

Indonesia has the largest geothermal prospects in the world and most of them are concentrated in Java and Sumatera. The ones on Sumatra island are generally controlled by Sumatra Fault, either the main fault or the second and the third order fault. Geothermal in Java is still influenced by the subduction of oceanic plates from the south of Java island that forms the southern mountains extending from West Java to East Java. From a geophysical point of view, there is still no clue or concept that accelerates the process of geothermal exploration. The concept is that geothermal is located around the volcano (referred to the volcano as a host) and around the fault (fault as a host). There is another method from remote sensing analysis that often shows circular feature. In a study conducted by LIPI, we proposed a new concept for geothermal exploration which is from gravity analysis using Bouguer anomaly data from Java Island, which also show circular feature. The feature is supposed to be an "ancient crater" or a hidden caldera. Therefore, with this hypothesis, LIPI Geophysics team will try to prove whether this symptom can help accelerate the process of geothermal exploration on the island of West Java. Geophysical methods might simplify the exploration of geothermal prospect in West Java. Around the small circular feature, there are some large geothermal prospect areas such as Guntur, Kamojang, Drajat, Papandayan, Karaha Bodas, Patuha. The concept proposed by our team will try be applied to explore geothermal in Java Island for future work.

Leasing of federal geothermal resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, R. T.

1974-01-01

Pursuant to the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 and the regulations published on December 21, 1973, the first Federal geothermal competitive lease sale was held on January 22, 1974, by the Department of the Interior, offering 33 tracts totalling over 50,000 acres in three Known Geothermal Resource Areas in California. On January 1, 1974, Federal lands outside Known Geothermal Resource Areas were opened to noncompetitive lease applications, of which, 3,763 had been received by June 1, 1974. During fiscal year 1974, a total of 22 competitive leases had been issued in California and Oregon. The principal components in the Department involved in the leasing program are the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management. The former has jurisdiction over drilling and production operations and other activities in the immediate area of operations. The latter receives applications and issues leases and is responsible for managing leased lands under its jurisdiction outside the area of operations. The interrelationships of the above agencies and the procedures in the leasing program are discussed.

Geothermal Money Book [Geothermal Outreach and Project Financing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elizabeth Battocletti

2004-02-01

Small business lending is big business and growing. Loans under $1 million totaled $460 billion in June 2001, up $23 billion from 2000. The number of loans under $100,000 continued to grow at a rapid rate, growing by 10.1%. The dollar value of loans under $100,000 increased 4.4%; those of $100,000-$250,000 by 4.1%; and those between $250,000 and $1 million by 6.4%. But getting a loan can be difficult if a business owner does not know how to find small business-friendly lenders, how to best approach them, and the specific criteria they use to evaluate a loan application. This ismore » where the Geothermal Money Book comes in. Once a business and financing plan and financial proposal are written, the Geothermal Money Book takes the next step, helping small geothermal businesses locate and obtain financing. The Geothermal Money Book will: Explain the specific criteria potential financing sources use to evaluate a proposal for debt financing; Describe the Small Business Administration's (SBA) programs to promote lending to small businesses; List specific small-business friendly lenders for small geothermal businesses, including those which participate in SBA programs; Identify federal and state incentives which are relevant to direct use and small-scale (< 1 megawatt) power generation geothermal projects; and Provide an extensive state directory of financing sources and state financial incentives for the 19 states involved in the GeoPowering the West (GPW). GPW is a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored activity to dramatically increase the use of geothermal energy in the western United States by promoting environmentally compatible heat and power, along with industrial growth and economic development. The Geothermal Money Book will not: Substitute for financial advice; Overcome the high exploration, development, and financing costs associated with smaller geothermal projects; Remedy the lack of financing for the exploration stage of a geothermal project; or Solve

Electric utility companies and geothermal power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pivirotto, D. S.

1976-01-01

The requirements of the electric utility industry as the primary potential market for geothermal energy are analyzed, based on a series of structured interviews with utility companies and financial institution executives. The interviews were designed to determine what information and technologies would be required before utilities would make investment decisions in favor of geothermal energy, the time frame in which the information and technologies would have to be available, and the influence of the governmental politics. The paper describes the geothermal resources, electric utility industry, its structure, the forces influencing utility companies, and their relationship to geothermal energy. A strategy for federal stimulation of utility investment in geothermal energy is suggested. Possibilities are discussed for stimulating utility investment through financial incentives, amelioration of institutional barriers, and technological improvements.

Active Management of Integrated Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations

DOE Data Explorer

Buscheck, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

Active Management of Integrated Geothermal–CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations: An Approach to Improve Energy Recovery and Mitigate Risk: FY1 Final Report The purpose of phase 1 is to determine the feasibility of integrating geologic CO2 storage (GCS) with geothermal energy production. Phase 1 includes reservoir analyses to determine injector/producer well schemes that balance the generation of economically useful flow rates at the producers with the need to manage reservoir overpressure to reduce the risks associated with overpressure, such as induced seismicity and CO2 leakage to overlying aquifers. Based on a range of well schemes, techno-economic analyses of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are conducted to determine the economic benefits of integrating GCS with geothermal energy production. In addition to considering CO2 injection, reservoir analyses are conducted for nitrogen (N2) injection to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating N2 injection with integrated geothermal-GCS, as well as the use of N2 injection as a potential pressure-support and working-fluid option. Phase 1 includes preliminary environmental risk assessments of integrated geothermal-GCS, with the focus on managing reservoir overpressure. Phase 1 also includes an economic survey of pipeline costs, which will be applied in Phase 2 to the analysis of CO2 conveyance costs for techno-economics analyses of integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites. Phase 1 also includes a geospatial GIS survey of potential integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites, which will be used in Phase 2 to conduct sweet-spot analyses that determine where promising geothermal resources are co-located in sedimentary settings conducive to safe CO2 storage, as well as being in adequate proximity to large stationary CO2 sources.

GEOTHERM Data Set

DOE Data Explorer

DeAngelo, Jacob

1983-01-01

GEOTHERM is a comprehensive system of public databases and software used to store, locate, and evaluate information on the geology, geochemistry, and hydrology of geothermal systems. Three main databases address the general characteristics of geothermal wells and fields, and the chemical properties of geothermal fluids; the last database is currently the most active. System tasks are divided into four areas: (1) data acquisition and entry, involving data entry via word processors and magnetic tape; (2) quality assurance, including the criteria and standards handbook and front-end data-screening programs; (3) operation, involving database backups and information extraction; and (4) user assistance, preparation of such items as application programs, and a quarterly newsletter. The principal task of GEOTHERM is to provide information and research support for the conduct of national geothermal-resource assessments. The principal users of GEOTHERM are those involved with the Geothermal Research Program of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Self-assembling hydrogel scaffolds for photocatalytic hydrogen production

DOE PAGES

Weingarten, Adam S.; Kazantsev, Roman V.; Palmer, Liam C.; ...

2014-10-05

Integration into a soft material of all the molecular components necessary to generate storable fuels is an interesting target in supramolecular chemistry. The concept is inspired by the internal structure of photosynthetic organelles, such as plant chloroplasts, which colocalize molecules involved in light absorption, charge transport and catalysis to create chemical bonds using light energy. We report in this paper on the light-driven production of hydrogen inside a hydrogel scaffold built by the supramolecular self-assembly of a perylene monoimide amphiphile. The charged ribbons formed can electrostatically attract a nickel-based catalyst, and electrolyte screening promotes gelation. We found the emergent phenomenonmore » that screening by the catalyst or the electrolytes led to two-dimensional crystallization of the chromophore assemblies and enhanced the electronic coupling among the molecules. Finally, photocatalytic production of hydrogen is observed in the three-dimensional environment of the hydrogel scaffold and the material is easily placed on surfaces or in the pores of solid supports.« less

Origin and transport of chloride in superheated geothermal steam

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truesdell, A.H.; Haizlip, J.R.; Armannsson, H.; D'Amore, F.

1989-01-01

Hydrogen chloride (HCl) is a known component of some volcanic gases and volcanic-related hydrothermal systems. It has recently been discovered in superheated steam in exploited geothermal systems, usually as a result of HCl-induced corrosion of well casing and steam gathering systems. Evaluation of four geothermal systems (Tatun, Taiwan; Krafla, Iceland; Larderello, Italy and The Geysers, USA) which produce CI-bearing steam provides evidence for the presence of Cl as HCl and the natural reservoir conditions which can produce HCl-bearing steam. Theoretical calculations defining the physical and chemical conditions of the reservoir liquid which can produce HCl-bearing steam are presented. The main factors are pH, temperature and Cl concentration. Lower pH, higher temperature and higher chlorinity allow more HCl to be volatilized with steam. In order to reach the surface in steam, the HCl cannot contact liquid water in which it is more soluble, essentially limiting transport to superheated steam. Temperature, pH and Cl concentration of reservoir liquids in each of the geothermal systems evaluated combine differently to produce HCl-bearing steam. ?? 1989.

Thermochemical hydrogen production via a cycle using barium and sulfur - Reaction between barium sulfide and water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ota, K.; Conger, W. L.

1977-01-01

The reaction between barium sulfide and water, a reaction found in several sulfur based thermochemical cycles, was investigated kinetically at 653-866 C. Gaseous products were hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. The rate determining step for hydrogen formation was a surface reaction between barium sulfide and water. An expression was derived for the rate of hydrogen formation.

Selective Recovery of Metals from Geothermal Brines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ventura, Susanna; Bhamidi, Srinivas; Hornbostel, Marc

The objective of this project was to determine the feasibility of developing a new generation of highly selective low-cost ion-exchange resins based on metal-ion imprinted polymers for the separation of metals from geothermal fluids. Expansion of geothermal energy production over the entire U.S. will involve exploitation of low-to-medium temperature thermal waters. Creating value streams from the recovery of critical and near-critical metals from these thermal waters will encourage geothermal expansion. Selective extraction of metals from geothermal fluids is needed to design a cost-effective process for the recovery of lithium and manganese-two near-critical metals with well-known application in the growing lithiummore » battery industry. We have prepared new lithium- and manganese-imprinted polymers in the form of beads by crosslinking polymerization of a metal polymerizable chelate, where the metal acts as a template. Upon leaching out the metal template, the crosslinked polymer is expected to leave cavities defined by the ligand functional group with enhanced selectivity for binding the template metal. We have demonstrated that lithium- and manganese-imprinted polymer beads can be used as selective solid sorbents for the extraction of lithium and manganese from brines. The polymers were tested both in batch extractions and packed bed lab-scale columns at temperatures of 45-100°C. Lithium-imprinted polymers were found to have Li + adsorption capacity as high as 2.8 mg Li +/g polymer at 45°C. Manganese-imprinted polymers were found to have a Mn 2+ adsorption capacity of more than 23 mg Mn 2+/g polymer at 75°C. The Li + extraction efficiency of the Li-imprinted polymer was found to be more that 95% when a brine containing 390 ppm Li +, 410 ppm Na +, and 390 ppm K + was passed through a packed bed of the polymer in a lab-scale column at 45°C. In brines containing 360 ppm Li +, 10,000 ppm Na +, and 3,000 ppm K +, the Li separation efficiency of the imprinted

Deep Geothermal Energy for Lower Saxony (North Germany) - Combined Investigations of Geothermal Reservoir Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahne, Barbara; Thomas, Rüdiger

2014-05-01

In Germany, successful deep geothermal projects are mainly situated in Southern Germany in the Molassebecken, furthermore in the Upper Rhine Graben and, to a minor extend, in the North German Basin. Mostly they are hydrothermal projects with the aim of heat production. In a few cases, they are also constructed for the generation of electricity. In the North German Basin temperature gradients are moderate. Therefore, deep drilling of several thousand meters is necessary to reach temperatures high enough for electricity production. However, the porosity of the sedimentary rocks is not sufficient for hydrothermal projects, so that natural fracture zones have to be used or the rocks must be hydraulically stimulated. In order to make deep geothermal projects in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany) economically more attractive, the interdisciplinary research program "Geothermal Energy and High-Performance Drilling" (gebo) was initiated in 2009. It comprises four focus areas: Geosystem, Drilling Technology, Materials and Technical System and aims at improving exploration of the geothermal reservoir, reducing costs of drilling and optimizing exploitation. Here we want to give an overview of results of the focus area "Geosystem" which investigates geological, geophysical, geochemical and modeling aspects of the geothermal reservoir. Geological and rock mechanical investigations in quarrys and core samples give a comprehensive overview on rock properties and fracture zone characteristics in sandstones and carbonates. We also show that it is possible to transfer results of rock property measurements from quarry samples to core samples or to in situ conditions by use of empirical relations. Geophysical prospecting methods were tested near the surface in a North German Graben system. We aim at transferring the results to the prospection of deep situated fracture zones. The comparison of P- and S-wave measurements shows that we can get hints on a possible fluid content of the

Combined energy production and waste management in manned spacecraft utilizing on-demand hydrogen production and fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elitzur, Shani; Rosenband, Valery; Gany, Alon

2016-11-01

Energy supply and waste management are among the most significant challenges in human spacecraft. Great efforts are invested in managing solid waste, recycling grey water and urine, cleaning the atmosphere, removing CO2, generating and saving energy, and making further use of components and products. This paper describes and investigates a concept for managing waste water and urine to simultaneously produce electric and heat energies as well as fresh water. It utilizes an original technique for aluminum activation to react spontaneously with water at room temperature to produce hydrogen on-site and on-demand. This reaction has further been proven to be effective also when using waste water and urine. Applying the hydrogen produced in a fuel cell, one obtains electric energy as well as fresh (drinking) water. The method was compared to the traditional energy production technology of the Space Shuttle, which is based on storing the fuel cell reactants, hydrogen and oxygen, in cryogenic tanks. It is shown that the alternative concept presented here may provide improved safety, compactness (reduction of more than one half of the volume of the hydrogen storage system), and management of waste liquids for energy generation and drinking water production. Nevertheless, it adds mass compared to the cryogenic hydrogen technology. It is concluded that the proposed method may be used as an emergency and backup power system as well as an additional hydrogen source for extended missions in human spacecraft.

Optimization of Geothermal Well Placement under Geological Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, Daniel O.; Arnold, Dan; Demyanov, Vasily; Sass, Ingo; Geiger, Sebastian

2017-04-01

Well placement optimization is critical to commercial success of geothermal projects. However, uncertainties of geological parameters prohibit optimization based on a single scenario of the subsurface, particularly when few expensive wells are to be drilled. The optimization of borehole locations is usually based on numerical reservoir models to predict reservoir performance and entails the choice of objectives to optimize (total enthalpy, minimum enthalpy rate, production temperature) and the development options to adjust (well location, pump rate, difference in production and injection temperature). Optimization traditionally requires trying different development options on a single geological realization yet there are many possible different interpretations possible. Therefore, we aim to optimize across a range of representative geological models to account for geological uncertainty in geothermal optimization. We present an approach that uses a response surface methodology based on a large number of geological realizations selected by experimental design to optimize the placement of geothermal wells in a realistic field example. A large number of geological scenarios and design options were simulated and the response surfaces were constructed using polynomial proxy models, which consider both geological uncertainties and design parameters. The polynomial proxies were validated against additional simulation runs and shown to provide an adequate representation of the model response for the cases tested. The resulting proxy models allow for the identification of the optimal borehole locations given the mean response of the geological scenarios from the proxy (i.e. maximizing or minimizing the mean response). The approach is demonstrated on the realistic Watt field example by optimizing the borehole locations to maximize the mean heat extraction from the reservoir under geological uncertainty. The training simulations are based on a comprehensive semi

Effects of geothermal activity and primary production on molybdenum isotopes: Lake Mývatn, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, R.; Gíslason, S. R.; Ólafsson, M.; Pearce, C. R.; Torssander, P.; Eiríksdóttir, E. S.; Burton, K. W.

2016-12-01

Molybdenum (Mo) is highly sensitive to oxidation state and its isotopes are used as a proxy for redox conditions in the palaeoenvironent, particularly in the oceans. Geothermal systems play an important role in element cycles, comprising 10% of the Mo flux to the oceans and the dominant mechanism for Mo ore formation in porphyry deposits. Currently, little is known about Mo isotopes in either geothermal or groundwaters or how these systems may affect global mass balance. This study takes the Lake Mývatn area as a natural laboratory to study both geothermally affected and unaffected groundwaters, along with seasonal variations in a lacustrine environment. We present a comprehensive elemental and Mo isotope study of two groundwater systems from a basaltic terrain in North Iceland. The waters are of meteoric origin, range in sampling temperature from 2-93°C and in Mo isotope composition (δ98MoNIST) from -0.40 to 1.81‰. The Mo isotopic signature of the waters is largely controlled by mixing between cold groundwaters (isotopically light) and a geothermal end member (isotopically heavy). One of these groundwater systems forms the only input into Lake Mývatn: one of the most productive lakes in the northern hemisphere. Here we also present a time series from the Laxá River, which is the only outflow from the lake. Whilst seasonal variations in Mo isotopes are small (from δ98MoNIST 0.1 to 0.3‰) they positively correlate (R2 = 0.8) with variations in δ34S (from δ43S 1.7 to 4.6‰) with a shift to a heavier isotope peaks in late summer (September). This increase in δ98Mo coincides with a documented cyanobacteria bloom in late July to early September, known to preferentially use light isotopes.

Geothermal reservoir engineering research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramey, H. J., Jr.; Kruger, P.; Brigham, W. E.; London, A. L.

1974-01-01

The Stanford University research program on the study of stimulation and reservoir engineering of geothermal resources commenced as an interdisciplinary program in September, 1972. The broad objectives of this program have been: (1) the development of experimental and computational data to evaluate the optimum performance of fracture-stimulated geothermal reservoirs; (2) the development of a geothermal reservoir model to evaluate important thermophysical, hydrodynamic, and chemical parameters based on fluid-energy-volume balances as part of standard reservoir engineering practice; and (3) the construction of a laboratory model of an explosion-produced chimney to obtain experimental data on the processes of in-place boiling, moving flash fronts, and two-phase flow in porous and fractured hydrothermal reservoirs.

Life Cycle analysis data and results for geothermal and other electricity generation technologies

DOE Data Explorer

Sullivan, John

2013-06-04

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is an environmental assessment method that quantifies the environmental performance of a product system over its entire lifetime, from cradle to grave. Based on a set of relevant metrics, the method is aptly suited for comparing the environmental performance of competing products systems. This file contains LCA data and results for electric power production including geothermal power. The LCA for electric power has been broken down into two life cycle stages, namely plant and fuel cycles. Relevant metrics include the energy ratio and greenhouse gas (GHG) ratios, where the former is the ratio of system input energy to total lifetime electrical energy out and the latter is the ratio of the sum of all incurred greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) divided by the same energy output. Specific information included herein are material to power (MPR) ratios for a range of power technologies for conventional thermoelectric, renewables (including three geothermal power technologies), and coproduced natural gas/geothermal power. For the geothermal power scenarios, the MPRs include the casing, cement, diesel, and water requirements for drilling wells and topside piping. Also included herein are energy and GHG ratios for plant and fuel cycle stages for the range of considered electricity generating technologies. Some of this information are MPR data extracted directly from the literature or from models (eg. ICARUS – a subset of ASPEN models) and others (energy and GHG ratios) are results calculated using GREET models and MPR data. MPR data for wells included herein were based on the Argonne well materials model and GETEM well count results.

Potential of biogenic hydrogen production for hydrogen driven remediation strategies in marine environments.

PubMed

Hosseinkhani, Baharak; Hennebel, Tom; Boon, Nico

2014-09-25

Fermentative production of bio-hydrogen (bio-H2) from organic residues has emerged as a promising alternative for providing the required electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Unlike the widely used production of H2 by bacteria in fresh water systems, few reports are available regarding the generation of biogenic H2 and optimisation processes in marine systems. The present research aims to optimise the capability of an indigenous marine bacterium for the production of bio-H2 in marine environments and subsequently develop this process for hydrogen driven remediation strategies. Fermentative conversion of organics in marine media to H2 using a marine isolate, Pseudoalteromonas sp. BH11, was determined. A Taguchi design of experimental methodology was employed to evaluate the optimal nutritional composition in batch tests to improve bio-H2 yields. Further optimisation experiments showed that alginate-immobilised bacterial cells were able to produce bio-H2 at the same rate as suspended cells over a period of several weeks. Finally, bio-H2 was used as electron donor to successfully dehalogenate trichloroethylene (TCE) using biogenic palladium nanoparticles as a catalyst. Fermentative production of bio-H2 can be a promising technique for concomitant generation of an electron source for hydrogen driven remediation strategies and treatment of organic residue in marine ecosystems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Origin and distribution of thiophenes and furans in gas discharges from active volcanoes and geothermal systems.

PubMed

Tassi, Franco; Montegrossi, Giordano; Capecchiacci, Francesco; Vaselli, Orlando

2010-03-31

The composition of non-methane organic volatile compounds (VOCs) determined in 139 thermal gas discharges from 18 different geothermal and volcanic systems in Italy and Latin America, consists of C(2)-C(20) species pertaining to the alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and O-, S- and N-bearing classes of compounds. Thiophenes and mono-aromatics, especially the methylated species, are strongly enriched in fluids emissions related to hydrothermal systems. Addition of hydrogen sulphide to dienes and electrophilic methylation involving halogenated radicals may be invoked for the formation of these species. On the contrary, the formation of furans, with the only exception of C(4)H(8)O, seems to be favoured at oxidizing conditions and relatively high temperatures, although mechanisms similar to those hypothesized for the production of thiophenes can be suggested. Such thermodynamic features are typical of fluid reservoirs feeding high-temperature thermal discharges of volcanoes characterised by strong degassing activity, which are likely affected by conspicuous contribution from a magmatic source. The composition of heteroaromatics in fluids naturally discharged from active volcanoes and geothermal areas can then be considered largely dependent on the interplay between hydrothermal vs. magmatic contributions. This implies that they can be used as useful geochemical tools to be successfully applied in both volcanic monitoring and geothermal prospection.

Origin and Distribution of Thiophenes and Furans in Gas Discharges from Active Volcanoes and Geothermal Systems

PubMed Central

Tassi, Franco; Montegrossi, Giordano; Capecchiacci, Francesco; Vaselli, Orlando

2010-01-01

The composition of non-methane organic volatile compounds (VOCs) determined in 139 thermal gas discharges from 18 different geothermal and volcanic systems in Italy and Latin America, consists of C2–C20 species pertaining to the alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and O-, S- and N-bearing classes of compounds. Thiophenes and mono-aromatics, especially the methylated species, are strongly enriched in fluids emissions related to hydrothermal systems. Addition of hydrogen sulphide to dienes and electrophilic methylation involving halogenated radicals may be invoked for the formation of these species. On the contrary, the formation of furans, with the only exception of C4H8O, seems to be favoured at oxidizing conditions and relatively high temperatures, although mechanisms similar to those hypothesized for the production of thiophenes can be suggested. Such thermodynamic features are typical of fluid reservoirs feeding high-temperature thermal discharges of volcanoes characterised by strong degassing activity, which are likely affected by conspicuous contribution from a magmatic source. The composition of heteroaromatics in fluids naturally discharged from active volcanoes and geothermal areas can then be considered largely dependent on the interplay between hydrothermal vs. magmatic contributions. This implies that they can be used as useful geochemical tools to be successfully applied in both volcanic monitoring and geothermal prospection. PMID:20480029

A preliminary systems-engineering study of an advanced nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen-production facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Escher, W. J. D.; Donakowski, T. D.; Tison, R. R.

1975-01-01

An advanced nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen-production facility concept was synthesized at a conceptual level with the objective of minimizing estimated hydrogen-production costs. The concept is a closely-integrated, fully-dedicated (only hydrogen energy is produced) system whose components and subsystems are predicted on ''1985 technology.'' The principal components are: (1) a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) operating a helium-Brayton/ammonia-Rankine binary cycle with a helium reactor-core exit temperature of 980 C, (2) acyclic d-c generators, (3) high-pressure, high-current-density electrolyzers based on solid-polymer electrolyte technology. Based on an assumed 3,000 MWt HTGR the facility is capable of producing 8.7 million std cu m/day of hydrogen at pipeline conditions, 6,900 kPa. Coproduct oxygen is also available at pipeline conditions at one-half this volume. It has further been shown that the incorporation of advanced technology provides an overall efficiency of about 43 percent, as compared with 25 percent for a contemporary nuclear-electric plant powering close-coupled contemporary industrial electrolyzers.

Thermo-electrochemical production of compressed hydrogen from methane with near-zero energy loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malerød-Fjeld, Harald; Clark, Daniel; Yuste-Tirados, Irene; Zanón, Raquel; Catalán-Martinez, David; Beeaff, Dustin; Morejudo, Selene H.; Vestre, Per K.; Norby, Truls; Haugsrud, Reidar; Serra, José M.; Kjølseth, Christian

2017-11-01

Conventional production of hydrogen requires large industrial plants to minimize energy losses and capital costs associated with steam reforming, water-gas shift, product separation and compression. Here we present a protonic membrane reformer (PMR) that produces high-purity hydrogen from steam methane reforming in a single-stage process with near-zero energy loss. We use a BaZrO3-based proton-conducting electrolyte deposited as a dense film on a porous Ni composite electrode with dual function as a reforming catalyst. At 800 °C, we achieve full methane conversion by removing 99% of the formed hydrogen, which is simultaneously compressed electrochemically up to 50 bar. A thermally balanced operation regime is achieved by coupling several thermo-chemical processes. Modelling of a small-scale (10 kg H2 day-1) hydrogen plant reveals an overall energy efficiency of >87%. The results suggest that future declining electricity prices could make PMRs a competitive alternative for industrial-scale hydrogen plants integrating CO2 capture.

Method for the enzymatic production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Woodward, Jonathan; Mattingly, Susan M.

1999-01-01

The present invention is an enzymatic method for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: a) forming a reaction mixture within a reaction vessel comprising a substrate capable of undergoing oxidation within a catabolic reaction, such as glucose, galactose, xylose, mannose, sucrose, lactose, cellulose, xylan and starch. The reaction mixture further comprises an amount of glucose dehydrogenase in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of the substrate, an amount of hydrogenase sufficient to catalyze an electron-requiring reaction wherein a stoichiometric yield of hydrogen is produced, an amount of pH buffer in an amount sufficient to provide an environment that allows the hydrogenase and the glucose dehydrogenase to retain sufficient activity for the production of hydrogen to occur and also comprising an amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate sufficient to transfer electrons from the catabolic reaction to the electron-requiring reaction; b) heating the reaction mixture at a temperature sufficient for glucose dehydrogenase and the hydrogenase to retain sufficient activity and sufficient for the production of hydrogen to occur, and heating for a period of time that continues until the hydrogen is no longer produced by the reaction mixture, wherein the catabolic reaction and the electron-requiring reactions have rates of reaction dependent upon the temperature; and c) detecting the hydrogen produced from the reaction mixture.

Method for the enzymatic production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Woodward, J.; Mattingly, S.M.

1999-08-24

The present invention is an enzymatic method for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of: (a) forming a reaction mixture within a reaction vessel comprising a substrate capable of undergoing oxidation within a catabolic reaction, such as glucose, galactose, xylose, mannose, sucrose, lactose, cellulose, xylan and starch; the reaction mixture also comprising an amount of glucose dehydrogenase in an amount sufficient to catalyze the oxidation of the substrate, an amount of hydrogenase sufficient to catalyze an electron-requiring reaction wherein a stoichiometric yield of hydrogen is produced, an amount of pH buffer in an amount sufficient to provide an environment that allows the hydrogenase and the glucose dehydrogenase to retain sufficient activity for the production of hydrogen to occur and also comprising an amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate sufficient to transfer electrons from the catabolic reaction to the electron-requiring reaction; (b) heating the reaction mixture at a temperature sufficient for glucose dehydrogenase and the hydrogenase to retain sufficient activity and sufficient for the production of hydrogen to occur, and heating for a period of time that continues until the hydrogen is no longer produced by the reaction mixture, wherein the catabolic reaction and the electron-requiring reactions have rates of reaction dependent upon the temperature; and (c) detecting the hydrogen produced from the reaction mixture. 8 figs.

Discovering geothermal supercritical fluids: a new frontier for seismic exploration.

PubMed

Piana Agostinetti, Nicola; Licciardi, Andrea; Piccinini, Davide; Mazzarini, Francesco; Musumeci, Giovanni; Saccorotti, Gilberto; Chiarabba, Claudio

2017-11-06

Exploiting supercritical geothermal resources represents a frontier for the next generation of geothermal electrical power plant, as the heat capacity of supercritical fluids (SCF),which directly impacts on energy production, is much higher than that of fluids at subcritical conditions. Reconnaissance and location of intensively permeable and productive horizons at depth is the present limit for the development of SCF geothermal plants. We use, for the first time, teleseismic converted waves (i.e. receiver function) for discovering those horizons in the crust. Thanks to the capability of receiver function to map buried anisotropic materials, the SCF-bearing horizon is seen as the 4km-depth abrupt termination of a shallow, thick, ultra-high (>30%) anisotropic rock volume, in the center of the Larderello geothermal field. The SCF-bearing horizon develops within the granites of the geothermal field, bounding at depth the vapor-filled heavily-fractured rock matrix that hosts the shallow steam-dominated geothermal reservoirs. The sharp termination at depth of the anisotropic behavior of granites, coinciding with a 2 km-thick stripe of seismicity and diffuse fracturing, points out the sudden change in compressibility of the fluid filling the fractures and is a key-evidence of deep fluids that locally traversed the supercritical conditions. The presence of SCF and fracture permeability in nominally ductile granitic rocks open new scenarios for the understanding of magmatic systems and for geothermal exploitation.

Hydrogen production from algal biomass - Advances, challenges and prospects.

PubMed

Show, Kuan-Yeow; Yan, Yuegen; Ling, Ming; Ye, Guoxiang; Li, Ting; Lee, Duu-Jong

2018-06-01

Extensive effort is being made to explore renewable energy in replacing fossil fuels. Biohydrogen is a promising future fuel because of its clean and high energy content. A challenging issue in establishing hydrogen economy is sustainability. Biohydrogen has the potential for renewable biofuel, and could replace current hydrogen production through fossil fuel thermo-chemical processes. A promising source of biohydrogen is conversion from algal biomass, which is abundant, clean and renewable. Unlike other well-developed biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel, production of hydrogen from algal biomass is still in the early stage of development. There are a variety of technologies for algal hydrogen production, and some laboratory- and pilot-scale systems have demonstrated a good potential for full-scale implementation. This work presents an elucidation on development in biohydrogen encompassing biological pathways, bioreactor designs and operation and techno-economic evaluation. Challenges and prospects of biohydrogen production are also outlined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated hydrogen production process from cellulose by combining dark fermentation, microbial fuel cells, and a microbial electrolysis cell.

PubMed

Wang, Aijie; Sun, Dan; Cao, Guangli; Wang, Haoyu; Ren, Nanqi; Wu, Wei-Min; Logan, Bruce E

2011-03-01

Hydrogen gas production from cellulose was investigated using an integrated hydrogen production process consisting of a dark fermentation reactor and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as power sources for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Two MFCs (each 25 mL) connected in series to an MEC (72 mL) produced a maximum of 0.43 V using fermentation effluent as a feed, achieving a hydrogen production rate from the MEC of 0.48 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d (based on the MEC volume), and a yield of 33.2 mmol H(2)/g COD removed in the MEC. The overall hydrogen production for the integrated system (fermentation, MFC and MEC) was increased by 41% compared with fermentation alone to 14.3 mmol H(2)/g cellulose, with a total hydrogen production rate of 0.24 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d and an overall energy recovery efficiency of 23% (based on cellulose removed) without the need for any external electrical energy input. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photo-fermentative hydrogen production from crop residue: A mini review.

PubMed

Zhang, Quanguo; Wang, Yi; Zhang, Zhiping; Lee, Duu-Jong; Zhou, Xuehua; Jing, Yanyan; Ge, Xumeng; Jiang, Danping; Hu, Jianjun; He, Chao

2017-04-01

Photofermentative hydrogen production from crop residues, if feasible, can lead to complete conversion of organic substances to hydrogen (and carbon dioxide). This mini review lists the studies on photofermentative hydrogen production using crop residues as feedstock. Pretreatment methods, substrate structure, mechanism of photosynthetic bacteria growth and metabolism were discussed. Photofermentative hydrogen production from pure culture, consortia and mutants, and the geometry, light sources, mass transfer resistances and the operational strategies of the photo-bioreactor were herein reviewed. Future studies of regulation mechanism of photosynthetic bacteria, such as highly-efficient strain breeding and gene reconstruction, and development of new-generation photo-bioreactor were suggested. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Tiwi geothermal reservoir: Geology, geochemistry, and response to production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoagland, J.R.; Bodell, J.M.

1990-06-01

The Tiwi geothermal field is located on the Bicol Peninsula of Southern Luzon in the Philippines. The field is associated with the extinct Quaternary stratovolcano Mt. Malinao, one of a chain of volcanos formed as a result of crustal subduction along the Philippine Trench to the east. The geothermal reservoir is contained within a sequence of interlayered andesite flows and pyroclastic deposits that unconformably overlie a basement complex of marine sediments, metamorphic, and intrusive rocks. In its initial state, the Tiwi reservoir was an overpressured liquid-filled system containing near-neutral sodium chloride water at temperatures exceeding 260{degree}C. The reservoir is partiallymore » sealed at its top and sides by hydrothermal argillic alteration products and calcite deposition. Isolated portions of the reservoir contain a corrosive acid chloride-sulfate water associated with a distinctive advanced argillic mineral assemblage. Withdrawal of fluid for electricity generation has caused widespread boiling in the reservoir and the formation of steam zones. The resultant solids deposition in wellbores and near-wellbore formation has been mitigated by a combination of mechanical and chemical well stimulation. Mass withdrawal from the reservoir has also caused invasion of cold groundwater into the reservoir through former fluid outflow channels. During 1983-1987, several wells were flooded with cold water and ceased flowing. In response, PGI moved development drilling west to largely unaffected areas and undertook recompletion and stimulation programs. These programs effectively halted the decline in generation by 1988.« less

Method for the continuous production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Getty, John Paul; Orr, Mark T.; Woodward, Jonathan

2002-01-01

The present invention is a method for the continuous production of hydrogen. The present method comprises reacting a metal catalyst with a degassed aqueous organic acid solution within a reaction vessel under anaerobic conditions at a constant temperature of .ltoreq.80.degree. C. and at a pH ranging from about 4 to about 9. The reaction forms a metal oxide when the metal catalyst reacts with the water component of the organic acid solution while generating hydrogen, then the organic acid solution reduces the metal oxide thereby regenerating the metal catalyst and producing water, thus permitting the oxidation and reduction to reoccur in a continual reaction cycle. The present method also allows the continuous production of hydrogen to be sustained by feeding the reaction with a continuous supply of degassed aqueous organic acid solution.

Using Geothermal Electric Power to Reduce Carbon Footprint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crombie, George W.

Human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, increase carbon dioxide levels, which contributes to global warming. The research problem of the current study examined if geothermal electric power could adequately replace fossil fuel by 2050, thus reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide while avoiding potential problems with expanding nuclear generation. The purpose of this experimental research was to explore under what funding and business conditions geothermal power could be exploited to replace fossil fuels, chiefly coal. Complex systems theory, along with network theory, provided the theoretical foundation for the study. Research hypotheses focused on parameters, such as funding level, exploration type, and interfaces with the existing power grid that will bring the United States closest to the goal of phasing out fossil based power by 2050. The research was conducted by means of computer simulations, using agent-based modeling, wherein data were generated and analyzed. The simulations incorporated key information about the location of geothermal resources, exploitation methods, transmission grid limits and enhancements, and demand centers and growth. The simulation suggested that rapid and aggressive deployment of geothermal power plants in high potential areas, combined with a phase out of coal and nuclear plants, would produce minimal disruptions in the supply of electrical power in the United States. The implications for social change include reduced risk of global warming for all humans on the planet, reduced pollution due to reduction or elimination of coal and nuclear power, increased stability in energy supply and prices in the United States, and increased employment of United States citizens in jobs related to domestic energy production.

40 CFR 415.90 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. 415.90 Section 415.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Peroxide Production Subcategory § 415.90 Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

40 CFR 415.90 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. 415.90 Section 415.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Peroxide Production Subcategory § 415.90 Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

40 CFR 415.90 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. 415.90 Section 415.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Peroxide Production Subcategory § 415.90 Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

40 CFR 415.90 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. 415.90 Section 415.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Peroxide Production Subcategory § 415.90 Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

40 CFR 415.90 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. 415.90 Section 415.90 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Peroxide Production Subcategory § 415.90 Applicability; description of the hydrogen peroxide production subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable to discharges...

Natural or Induced: Identifying Natural and Induced Swarms from Pre-production and Co-production Microseismic Catalogs at the Coso Geothermal Field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schoenball, Martin; Kaven, Joern; Glen, Jonathan M. G.; Davatzes, Nicholas C.

2015-01-01

Increased levels of seismicity coinciding with injection of reservoir fluids have prompted interest in methods to distinguish induced from natural seismicity. Discrimination between induced and natural seismicity is especially difficult in areas that have high levels of natural seismicity, such as the geothermal fields at the Salton Sea and Coso, both in California. Both areas show swarm-like sequences that could be related to natural, deep fluid migration as part of the natural hydrothermal system. Therefore, swarms often have spatio-temporal patterns that resemble fluid-induced seismicity, and might possibly share other characteristics. The Coso Geothermal Field and its surroundings is one of the most seismically active areas in California with a large proportion of its activity occurring as seismic swarms. Here we analyze clustered seismicity in and surrounding the currently produced reservoir comparatively for pre-production and co-production periods. We perform a cluster analysis, based on the inter-event distance in a space-time-energy domain to identify notable earthquake sequences. For each event j, the closest previous event i is identified and their relationship categorized. If this nearest neighbor’s distance is below a threshold based on the local minimum of the bimodal distribution of nearest neighbor distances, then the event j is included in the cluster as a child to this parent event i. If it is above the threshold, event j begins a new cluster. This process identifies subsets of events whose nearest neighbor distances and relative timing qualify as a cluster as well as a characterizing the parent-child relationships among events in the cluster. We apply this method to three different catalogs: (1) a two-year microseismic survey of the Coso geothermal area that was acquired before exploration drilling in the area began; (2) the HYS_catalog_2013 that contains 52,000 double-difference relocated events and covers the years 1981 to 2013; and (3) a

Industrial applications of hot dry rock geothermal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duchane, D. V.

1992-07-01

Geothermal resources in the form of naturally occurring hot water or steam have been utilized for many years. While these hydrothermal resources are found in many places, the general case is that the rock at depth is hot, but does not contain significant amounts of mobile fluid. An extremely large amount of geothermal energy is found around the world in this hot dry rock (HDR). Technology has been under development for more than twenty years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States and elsewhere to develop the technology to extract the geothermal energy from HDR in a form useful for electricity generation, space heating, or industrial processing. HDR technology is especially attractive for industrial applications because of the ubiquitous distribution of the HDR resource and the unique aspects of the process developed to recover it. In the HDR process, as developed at Los Alamos, water is pumped down a well under high pressure to open up natural joints in hot rock and create an artificial geothermal reservoir. Energy is extracted by circulating water through the reservoir. Pressurized hot water is returned to the surface through the production well, and its thermal energy is extracted for practical use. The same water is then recirculated through the system to mine more geothermal heat. Construction of a pilot HDR facility at Fenton Hill, NM, USA, has recently been completed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory. It consists of a large underground reservoir, a surface plant, and the connecting wellbores. This paper describes HDR technology and the current status of the development program. Novel industrial applications of geothermal energy based on the unique characteristics of the HDR energy extraction process are discussed.

Hierarchical Cu2O foam/g-C3N4 photocathode for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xinzhou; Zhang, Jingtao; Wang, Biao; Li, Qiuguo; Chu, Sheng

2018-01-01

Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is a promising way for solving energy and environment problems. Earth-abundant Cu2O is a potential light absorber for PEC hydrogen production. In this article, hierarchical porous Cu2O foams are prepared by thermal oxidation of the electrochemically deposited Cu foams. PEC performances of the Cu2O foams are systematically studied and discussed. Benefiting from their higher light harvesting and more efficient charge separation, the Cu2O foams demonstrate significantly enhanced photocurrents and photostability compared to their film counterparts. Moreover, by integrating g-C3N4, hierarchical Cu2O foam/g-C3N4 composites are prepared with further improved photocurrent and photostability, appearing to be potential photocathodes for solar PEC hydrogen production. This study may provide a new and useful insight for the development of Cu2O-based photocathodes for PEC hydrogen production.

Aerobic Hydrogen Production via Nitrogenase in Azotobacter vinelandii CA6

PubMed Central

Noar, Jesse; Loveless, Telisa; Navarro-Herrero, José Luis; Olson, Jonathan W.

2015-01-01

The diazotroph Azotobacter vinelandii possesses three distinct nitrogenase isoenzymes, all of which produce molecular hydrogen as a by-product. In batch cultures, A. vinelandii strain CA6, a mutant of strain CA, displays multiple phenotypes distinct from its parent: tolerance to tungstate, impaired growth and molybdate transport, and increased hydrogen evolution. Determining and comparing the genomic sequences of strains CA and CA6 revealed a large deletion in CA6's genome, encompassing genes related to molybdate and iron transport and hydrogen reoxidation. A series of iron uptake analyses and chemostat culture experiments confirmed iron transport impairment and showed that the addition of fixed nitrogen (ammonia) resulted in cessation of hydrogen production. Additional chemostat experiments compared the hydrogen-producing parameters of different strains: in iron-sufficient, tungstate-free conditions, strain CA6's yields were identical to those of a strain lacking only a single hydrogenase gene. However, in the presence of tungstate, CA6 produced several times more hydrogen. A. vinelandii may hold promise for developing a novel strategy for production of hydrogen as an energy compound. PMID:25911479

40 CFR 415.420 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. 415.420 Section 415.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Cyanide Production Subcategory § 415.420 Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States...

40 CFR 415.420 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. 415.420 Section 415.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Cyanide Production Subcategory § 415.420 Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States...

40 CFR 415.420 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. 415.420 Section 415.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Cyanide Production Subcategory § 415.420 Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States...

40 CFR 415.420 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. 415.420 Section 415.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Cyanide Production Subcategory § 415.420 Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States...

40 CFR 415.420 - Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. 415.420 Section 415.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... SOURCE CATEGORY Hydrogen Cyanide Production Subcategory § 415.420 Applicability; description of the hydrogen cyanide production subcategory. This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States...

Catalytic glycerol steam reforming for hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dan, Monica; Mihet, Maria; Lazar, Mihaela D.

2015-12-01

Hydrogen production from glycerol by steam reforming combine two major advantages: (i) using glycerol as raw material add value to this by product of bio-diesel production which is obtained in large quantities around the world and have a very limited utilization now, and (ii) by implication of water molecules in the reaction the efficiency of hydrogen generation is increased as each mol of glycerol produces 7 mol of H2. In this work we present the results obtained in the process of steam reforming of glycerol on Ni/Al2O3. The catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method and characterized through different methods: N2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, TPR. The catalytic study was performed in a stainless steel tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure by varying the reaction conditions: steam/carbon ratio (1-9), gas flow (35 ml/min -133 ml/min), temperature (450-650°C). The gaseous fraction of the reaction products contain: H2, CH4, CO, CO2. The optimum reaction conditions as resulted from this study are: temperature 550°C, Gly:H2O ratio 9:1 and Ar flow 133 ml/min. In these conditions the glycerol conversion to gaseous products was 43% and the hydrogen yield was 30%.

Geothermal Impact Analysis | Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

on potential geothermal growth scenarios, jobs and economic impacts, clean energy manufacturing geothermal resources. We: Perform resource analysis Develop techno-economic models Quantify environmental growth scenarios across multiple market sectors. Learn more about the GeoVision Study. Jobs and Economic

MIS-based sensors with hydrogen selectivity

DOEpatents

Li,; Dongmei, [Boulder, CO; Medlin, J William [Boulder, CO; McDaniel, Anthony H [Livermore, CA; Bastasz, Robert J [Livermore, CA

2008-03-11

The invention provides hydrogen selective metal-insulator-semiconductor sensors which include a layer of hydrogen selective material. The hydrogen selective material can be polyimide layer having a thickness between 200 and 800 nm. Suitable polyimide materials include reaction products of benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride 4,4-oxydianiline m-phenylene diamine and other structurally similar materials.

Energy 101: Geothermal Energy

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-30

See how we can generate clean, renewable energy from hot water sources deep beneath the Earth's surface. The video highlights the basic principles at work in geothermal energy production, and illustrates three different ways the Earth's heat can be converted into electricity.

Low-cost process for hydrogen production

DOEpatents

Cha, Chang Y.; Bauer, Hans F.; Grimes, Robert W.

1993-01-01

A method is provided for producing hydrogen and carbon black from hydrocarbon gases comprising mixing the hydrocarbon gases with a source of carbon and applying radiofrequency energy to the mixture. The hydrocarbon gases and the carbon can both be the products of gasification of coal, particularly the mild gasification of coal. A method is also provided for producing hydrogen an carbon monoxide by treating a mixture of hydrocarbon gases and steam with radio-frequency energy.

Low-cost process for hydrogen production

DOEpatents

Cha, C.H.; Bauer, H.F.; Grimes, R.W.

1993-03-30

A method is provided for producing hydrogen and carbon black from hydrocarbon gases comprising mixing the hydrocarbon gases with a source of carbon and applying radiofrequency energy to the mixture. The hydrocarbon gases and the carbon can both be the products of gasification of coal, particularly the mild gasification of coal. A method is also provided for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide by treating a mixture of hydrocarbon gases and steam with radio-frequency energy.

Mapping temperature and radiant geothermal heat flux anomalies in the Yellowstone geothermal system using ASTER thermal infrared data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vaughan, R. Greg; Lowenstern, Jacob B.; Keszthelyi, Laszlo P.; Jaworowski, Cheryl; Heasler, Henry

2012-01-01

The purpose of this work was to use satellite-based thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing data to measure, map, and monitor geothermal activity within the Yellowstone geothermal area to help meet the missions of both the U.S. Geological Survey Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and the Yellowstone National Park Geology Program. Specifically, the goals were to: 1) address the challenges of remotely characterizing the spatially and temporally dynamic thermal features in Yellowstone by using nighttime TIR data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and 2) estimate the temperature, geothermal radiant emittance, and radiant geothermal heat flux (GHF) for Yellowstone’s thermal areas (both Park wide and for individual thermal areas). ASTER TIR data (90-m pixels) acquired at night during January and February, 2010, were used to estimate surface temperature, radiant emittance, and radiant GHF from all of Yellowstone’s thermal features, produce thermal anomaly maps, and update field-based maps of thermal areas. A background subtraction technique was used to isolate the geothermal component of TIR radiance from thermal radiance due to insolation. A lower limit for the Yellowstone’s total radiant GHF was established at ~2.0 GW, which is ~30-45% of the heat flux estimated through geochemical (Cl-flux) methods. Additionally, about 5 km2 was added to the geodatabase of mapped thermal areas. This work provides a framework for future satellite-based thermal monitoring at Yellowstone as well as exploration of other volcanic / geothermal systems on a global scale.

Characterization and optimization of hydrogen production by a salt water blue-green alga Oscillatoria sp. Miami BG 7. II - Use of immobilization for enhancement of hydrogen production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phlips, E. J.; Mitsui, A.

1986-01-01

The technique of cellular immobilization was applied to the process of hydrogen photoproduction of nonheterocystous, filamentous marine blue-green alga, Oscillatoria sp. Miami BG 7. Immobilization with agar significantly improved the rate and longevity of hydrogen production, compared to free cell suspensions. Rates of H2 production in excess of 13 microliters H2 mg dry/wt h were observed and hydrogen production was sustained for three weeks. Immobilization also provided some stabilization to environmental variability and was adaptable to outdoor light conditions. In general, immobilization provides significant advantages for the production and maintenance of hydrogen photoproduction for this strain.

Structural control on geothermal circulation in the Cerro Tuzgle-Tocomar geothermal volcanic area (Puna plateau, Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giordano, Guido; Pinton, Annamaria; Cianfarra, Paola; Baez, Walter; Chiodi, Agostina; Viramonte, José; Norini, Gianluca; Groppelli, Gianluca

2013-01-01

The reconstruction of the stratigraphical-structural framework and the hydrogeology of geothermal areas is fundamental for understanding the relationships between cap rocks, reservoir and circulation of geothermal fluids and for planning the exploitation of the field. The Cerro Tuzgle-Tocomar geothermal volcanic area (Puna plateau, Central Andes, NW Argentina) has a high geothermal potential. It is crossed by the active NW-SE trans-Andean tectonic lineament known as the Calama-Olacapato-Toro (COT) fault system, which favours a high secondary permeability testified by the presence of numerous springs. This study presents new stratigraphic and hydrogeological data on the geothermal field, together with the analysis from remote sensed image analysis of morphostructural evidences associated with the structural framework and active tectonics. Our data suggest that the main geothermal reservoir is located within or below the Pre-Palaeozoic-Ordovician basement units, characterised by unevenly distributed secondary permeability. The reservoir is recharged by infiltration in the ridges above 4500 m a.s.l., where basement rocks are in outcrop. Below 4500 m a.s.l., the reservoir is covered by the low permeable Miocene-Quaternary units that allow a poor circulation of shallow groundwater. Geothermal fluids upwell in areas with more intense fracturing, especially where main regional structures, particularly NW-SE COT-parallel lineaments, intersect with secondary structures, such as at the Tocomar field. Away from the main tectonic features, such as at the Cerro Tuzgle field, the less developed network of faults and fractures allows only a moderate upwelling of geothermal fluids and a mixing between hot and shallow cold waters. The integration of field-based and remote-sensing analyses at the Cerro Tuzgle-Tocomar area proved to be effective in approaching the prospection of remote geothermal fields, and in defining the conceptual model for geothermal circulation.

Radiator Enhanced Geothermal System - A Revolutionary Method for Extracting Geothermal Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi, S.; Marsh, B. D.; Hilpert, M.

2017-12-01

terrains with relatively high background heat flux or for vanes located in relatively deep layers, the RAD-EGS can produce economic geothermal energy for more than 40 years. Moreover, these simulations show that the geothermal vane design with the injection well at the bottom and production well at the top of the vane greatly contributes to the longevity of the system.

Geothermal production and reduced seismicity: Correlation and proposed mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardiff, Michael; Lim, David D.; Patterson, Jeremy R.; Akerley, John; Spielman, Paul; Lopeman, Janice; Walsh, Patrick; Singh, Ankit; Foxall, William; Wang, Herbert F.; Lord, Neal E.; Thurber, Clifford H.; Fratta, Dante; Mellors, Robert J.; Davatzes, Nicholas C.; Feigl, Kurt L.

2018-01-01

At Brady Hot Springs, a geothermal field in Nevada, heated fluids have been extracted, cooled, and re-injected to produce electrical power since 1992. Analysis of daily pumping records and catalogs of microseismicity between 2010 and 2015 indicates a statistically significant correlation between days when the daily volume of production was at or above its long-term average rate and days when no seismic event was detected. Conversely, shutdowns in pumping for plant maintenance correlate with increased microseismicity. We hypothesize that the effective stress in the subsurface has adapted to the long-term normal operations (deep extraction) at the site. Under this hypothesis, extraction of fluids inhibits fault slip by increasing the effective stress on faults; in contrast, brief pumping cessations represent times when effective stress is decreased below its long-term average, increasing the likelihood of microseismicity.

Seasonal and geothermal production variations in concentrations of He and CO2 in soil gases, Roosevelt Hot Springs Known Geothermal Resource Area, Utah, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinkle, M.E.

1991-01-01

To increase understanding of natural variations in soil gas concentrations, CO2, He, O2 and N2 were measured in soil gases collected regularly for several months from four sites at the Roosevelt Hot Springs Known Geothermal Resource Area, Utah. Soil temperature, air temperature, per cent relative humidity, barometric pressure and amounts of rain and snowfall were also monitored to determine the effect of meteorological parameters on concentrations of the measured gases. Considerable seasonal variation existed in concentrations of CO2 and He. The parameters that most affected the soil-gas concentrations were soil and air temperatures. Moisture from rain and snow probably affected the soil-gas concentrations also. However, annual variations in meteorological parameters did not appear to affect measurements of anomalous concentrations in samples collected within a time period of a few days. Production from some of the geothermal wells probably affected the soil-gas concentrations. ?? 1990.

Geothermal Exploration Cost and Time

DOE Data Explorer

Jenne, Scott

2013-02-13

The Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) provides RD&D funding for geothermal exploration technologies with the goal of lowering the risks and costs of geothermal development and exploration. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was tasked with developing a metric in 2012 to measure the impacts of this RD&D funding on the cost and time required for exploration activities. The development of this cost and time metric included collecting cost and time data for exploration techniques, creating a baseline suite of exploration techniques to which future exploration cost and time improvements can be compared, and developing an online tool for graphically showing potential project impacts (all available at http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway: Geothermal). This paper describes the methodology used to define the baseline exploration suite of techniques (baseline), as well as the approach that was used to create the cost and time data set that populates the baseline. The resulting product, an online tool for measuring impact, and the aggregated cost and time data are available on the Open Energy Information website (OpenEI, http://en.openei.org) for public access. - Published 01/01/2013 by US National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL.

Geothermal tomorrow 2008

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2009-01-18

Contributors from the Geothermal Technologies Program and the geothermal community highlight the current status and activities of the Program and the development of the global resource of geothermal energy.

Improving geothermal power plants with a binary cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomarov, G. V.; Shipkov, A. A.; Sorokina, E. V.

2015-12-01

The recent development of binary geothermal technology is analyzed. General trends in the introduction of low-temperature geothermal sources are summarized. The use of single-phase low-temperature geothermal fluids in binary power plants proves possible and expedient. The benefits of power plants with a binary cycle in comparison with traditional systems are shown. The selection of the working fluid is considered, and the influence of the fluid's physicochemical properties on the design of the binary power plant is discussed. The design of binary power plants is based on the chemical composition and energy potential of the geothermal fluids and on the landscape and climatic conditions at the intended location. Experience in developing a prototype 2.5 MW Russian binary power unit at Pauzhetka geothermal power plant (Kamchatka) is outlined. Most binary systems are designed individually for a specific location. Means of improving the technology and equipment at binary geothermal power plants are identified. One option is the development of modular systems based on several binary systems that employ the heat from the working fluid at different temperatures.

An Overview of Natural Gas Conversion Technologies for Co-Production of Hydrogen and Value-Added Solid Carbon Products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dagle, Robert A.; Dagle, Vanessa; Bearden, Mark D.

This report was prepared in response to the U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office Congressional Appropriation language to support research on carbon-free production of hydrogen using new chemical processes that utilize natural gas to produce solid carbon and hydrogen. The U.S. produces 9-10 million tons of hydrogen annually with more than 95% of the hydrogen produced by steam-methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas. SMR is attractive because of its high hydrogen yield; but it also converts the carbon to carbon dioxide. Non-oxidative thermal decomposition of methane to carbon and hydrogen is an alternative to SMR and produces COmore » 2-free hydrogen. The produced carbon can be sold as a co-product, thus providing economic credit that reduces the delivered net cost of hydrogen. The combination of producing hydrogen with potentially valuable carbon byproducts has market value in that this allows greater flexibility to match the market prices of hydrogen and carbon. That is, the higher value product can subsidize the other in pricing decisions. In this report we highlight the relevant technologies reported in the literature—primarily thermochemical and plasma conversion processes—and recent research progress and commercial activities. Longstanding technical challenges include the high energetic requirements (e.g., high temperatures and/or electricity requirements) necessary for methane activation and, for some catalytic processes, the separation of solid carbon product from the spent catalyst. We assess current and new carbon product markets that could be served given technological advances, and we discuss technical barriers and potential areas of research to address these needs. We provide preliminary economic analysis for these processes and compare to other emerging (e.g., electrolysis) and conventional (e.g., SMR) processes for hydrogen production. The overarching conclusion of this study is that the cost of hydrogen can be potentially

Production of hydrogen using an anaerobic biological process

DOEpatents

Kramer, Robert; Pelter, Libbie S.; Patterson, John A.

2016-11-29

Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods for biological production of hydrogen. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention pertain to a modular energy system and related methods for producing hydrogen using organic waste as a feed stock.

Hydrogen production rate from comet Austin 1982g

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, P.; Scherb, F.; Roesler, F. L.

1984-01-01

Meaningful measurements with respect to the cometary Balmer-alpha (H-alpha) emission are difficult and require the use of special equipment. The first ground-based observations of H-alpha emission from a cometary hydrogen corona were conducted on comet Kohoutek 1973 XII with a large-aperture Fabry-Perot spectrometer installed at the McMath solar telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The present investigation is concerned with the second ground-based observations of cometary H-alpha emission carried out during the apparition of comet Austin 1982g. A 150 mm dual-etalon Fabry-Perot spectrometer was employed in the experiment. Use was made of an observatory which is designed for the high spectral resolution study of faint extended sources such as interstellar and geocoronal emission lines. The investigation demonstrates that hydrogen production rates from comets as faint as about 7th magnitude can be routinely measured from the ground at minimal cost.

Geothermal probabilistic cost study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orren, L. H.; Ziman, G. M.; Jones, S. C.; Lee, T. K.; Noll, R.; Wilde, L.; Sadanand, V.

1981-01-01

A tool is presented to quantify the risks of geothermal projects, the Geothermal Probabilistic Cost Model (GPCM). The GPCM model was used to evaluate a geothermal reservoir for a binary-cycle electric plant at Heber, California. Three institutional aspects of the geothermal risk which can shift the risk among different agents was analyzed. The leasing of geothermal land, contracting between the producer and the user of the geothermal heat, and insurance against faulty performance were examined.

Geothermal energy employment and requirements 1977-1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-12-01

An assessment of the manpower needs of the geothermal industry is presented. The specific objectives were to: derive a base line estimate of the manpower involved in geothermal activities, determine if there is any current or impending likelihood of skill shortages, forecast future employment in the geothermal industry, conduct a technology assessment to ascertain the possibilities of some sudden breakthrough, and suggest alternatives commensurate with the findings. The methodology for fulfilling the objectives is described. Detailed results of these pursuits (objectives) are presented. Alternatives that are suggested, based upon the findings of the study, are summarized.

Inverse geothermal modelling applied to Danish sedimentary basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulsen, Søren E.; Balling, Niels; Bording, Thue S.; Mathiesen, Anders; Nielsen, Søren B.

2017-10-01

This paper presents a numerical procedure for predicting subsurface temperatures and heat-flow distribution in 3-D using inverse calibration methodology. The procedure is based on a modified version of the groundwater code MODFLOW by taking advantage of the mathematical similarity between confined groundwater flow (Darcy's law) and heat conduction (Fourier's law). Thermal conductivity, heat production and exponential porosity-depth relations are specified separately for the individual geological units of the model domain. The steady-state temperature model includes a model-based transient correction for the long-term palaeoclimatic thermal disturbance of the subsurface temperature regime. Variable model parameters are estimated by inversion of measured borehole temperatures with uncertainties reflecting their quality. The procedure facilitates uncertainty estimation for temperature predictions. The modelling procedure is applied to Danish onshore areas containing deep sedimentary basins. A 3-D voxel-based model, with 14 lithological units from surface to 5000 m depth, was built from digital geological maps derived from combined analyses of reflection seismic lines and borehole information. Matrix thermal conductivity of model lithologies was estimated by inversion of all available deep borehole temperature data and applied together with prescribed background heat flow to derive the 3-D subsurface temperature distribution. Modelled temperatures are found to agree very well with observations. The numerical model was utilized for predicting and contouring temperatures at 2000 and 3000 m depths and for two main geothermal reservoir units, the Gassum (Lower Jurassic-Upper Triassic) and Bunter/Skagerrak (Triassic) reservoirs, both currently utilized for geothermal energy production. Temperature gradients to depths of 2000-3000 m are generally around 25-30 °C km-1, locally up to about 35 °C km-1. Large regions have geothermal reservoirs with characteristic temperatures

Photo-fermentative bacteria aggregation triggered by L-cysteine during hydrogen production

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Hydrogen recovered from organic wastes and solar energy by photo-fermentative bacteria (PFB) has been suggested as a promising bioenergy strategy. However, the use of PFB for hydrogen production generally suffers from a serious biomass washout from photobioreactor, due to poor flocculation of PFB. In the continuous operation, PFB cells cannot be efficiently separated from supernatant and rush out with effluent from reactor continuously, which increased the effluent turbidity, meanwhile led to increases in pollutants. Moreover, to replenish the biomass washout, substrate was continuously utilized for cell growth rather than hydrogen production. Consequently, the poor flocculability not only deteriorated the effluent quality, but also decreased the potential yield of hydrogen from substrate. Therefore, enhancing the flocculability of PFB is urgent necessary to further develop photo-fermentative process. Results Here, we demonstrated that L-cysteine could improve hydrogen production of Rhodopseudomonas faecalis RLD-53, and more importantly, simultaneously trigger remarkable aggregation of PFB. Experiments showed that L-cysteine greatly promoted the production of extracellular polymeric substances, especially secretion of protein containing more disulfide bonds, and help for enhancement stability of floc of PFB. Through formation of disulfide bonds, L-cysteine not only promoted production of EPS, in particular the secretion of protein, but also stabilized the final confirmation of protein in EPS. In addition, the cell surface elements and functional groups, especially surface charged groups, have also been changed by L-cysteine. Consequently, absolute zeta potential reached a minimum value at 1.0 g/l of L-cysteine, which obviously decreased electrostatic repulsion interaction energy based on DLVO theory. Total interaction energy barrier decreased from 389.77 KT at 0.0 g/l of L-cysteine to 127.21 kT at 1.0 g/l. Conclusions Thus, the strain RLD-53 overcame the

Geothermal Technologies Office FY 2017 Budget At-A-Glance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2016-03-01

The Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) accelerates deployment of clean, domestic geothermal energy by supporting innovative technologies that reduce the cost and risks of development. This abundant resource generates energy around the clock and has the potential to supply more than 100 GWe of electricity—roughly one-tenth of America’s energy demand. By optimizing the value stream for electricity production and cascaded uses, the office aims to make geothermal energy a fully cost-competitive, widely available, and geographically diverse component of the national energy mix.

Survey of hydrogen production and utilization methods. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, D. P.; Pangborn, J. B.; Gillis, J. C.

1975-01-01

The use of hydrogen as a synthetic fuel is considered. Processes for the production of hydrogen are described along with the present and future industrial uses of hydrogen as a fuel and as a chemical feedstock. Novel and unconventional hydrogen-production techniques are evaluated, with emphasis placed on thermochemical and electrolytic processes. Potential uses for hydrogen as a fuel in industrial and residential applications are identified and reviewed in the context of anticipated U.S. energy supplies and demands. A detailed plan for the period from 1975 to 1980 prepared for research on and development of hydrogen as an energy carrier is included.

Fluidic hydrogen detector production prototype development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, G. W.; Wright, R. E.

1976-01-01

A hydrogen gas sensor that can replace catalytic combustion sensors used to detect leaks in the liquid hydrogen transfer systems at Kennedy Space Center was developed. A fluidic sensor concept, based on the principle that the frequency of a fluidic oscillator is proportional to the square root of the molecular weight of its operating fluid, was utilized. To minimize sensitivity to pressure and temperature fluctuations, and to make the sensor specific for hydrogen, two oscillators are used. One oscillator operates on sample gas containing hydrogen, while the other operates on sample gas with the hydrogen converted to steam. The conversion is accomplished with a small catalytic converter. The frequency difference is taken, and the hydrogen concentration computed with a simple digital processing circuit. The output from the sensor is an analog signal proportional to hydrogen content. The sensor is shown to be accurate and insensitive to severe environmental disturbances. It is also specific for hydrogen, even with large helium concentrations in the sample gas.

Study of Systems and Technology for Liquid Hydrogen Production Independent of Fossil Fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sprafka, R. J.; Escher, W. J. D.; Foster, R. W.; Tison, R. R.; Shingleton, J.; Moore, J. S.; Baker, C. R.

1983-01-01

Based on Kennedy Space Center siting and logistics requirements and the nonfossil energy resources at the Center, a number of applicable technologies and system candidates for hydrogen production were identified and characterized. A two stage screening of these technologies in the light of specific criteria identified two leading candidates as nonfossil system approaches. Conceptual design and costing of two solar-operated, stand alone systems, one photovoltaic based on and the other involving the power tower approach reveals their technical feasibility as sited as KSC, and the potential for product cost competitiveness with conventional supply approaches in the 1990 to 1210 time period. Conventional water hydrolysis and hydrogen liquefaction subsystems are integrated with the solar subsystems.

Carbonate thermochemical cycle for the production of hydrogen

DOEpatents

Collins, Jack L [Knoxville, TN; Dole, Leslie R [Knoxville, TN; Ferrada, Juan J [Knoxville, TN; Forsberg, Charles W [Oak Ridge, TN; Haire, Marvin J [Oak Ridge, TN; Hunt, Rodney D [Oak Ridge, TN; Lewis, Jr, Benjamin E [Knoxville, TN; Wymer, Raymond G [Oak Ridge, TN

2010-02-23

The present invention is directed to a thermochemical method for the production of hydrogen from water. The method includes reacting a multi-valent metal oxide, water and a carbonate to produce an alkali metal-multi-valent metal oxide compound, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.

Hydrogen production from switchgrass via an integrated pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process.

PubMed

Lewis, A J; Ren, S; Ye, X; Kim, P; Labbe, N; Borole, A P

2015-11-01

A new approach to hydrogen production using an integrated pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process is described. The aqueous stream generated during pyrolysis of switchgrass was used as a substrate for hydrogen production in a microbial electrolysis cell, achieving a maximum hydrogen production rate of 4.3 L H2/L anode-day at a loading of 10 g COD/L-anode-day. Hydrogen yields ranged from 50±3.2% to 76±0.5% while anode Coulombic efficiency ranged from 54±6.5% to 96±0.21%, respectively. Significant conversion of furfural, organic acids and phenolic molecules was observed under both batch and continuous conditions. The electrical and overall energy efficiency ranged from 149-175% and 48-63%, respectively. The results demonstrate the potential of the pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process as a sustainable and efficient route for production of renewable hydrogen with significant implications for hydrocarbon production from biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen production from switchgrass via a hybrid pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process

DOE PAGES

Lewis, Alex J.; Ren, Shoujie; Ye, Philip; ...

2015-06-30

A new approach to hydrogen production using a hybrid pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process is described. The aqueous stream generated during pyrolysis of switchgrass was used as a substrate for hydrogen production in a microbial electrolysis cell, achieving a maximum hydrogen production rate of 4.3 L H2/L-day at a loading of 10 g COD/L-anode-day. Hydrogen yields ranged from 50 3.2% to76 0.5% while anode coulombic efficiency ranged from 54 6.5% to 96 0.21%, respectively. Significant conversion of furfural, organic acids and phenolic molecules was observed under both batch and continuous conditions. The electrical and overall energy efficiency ranged from 149-175% and 48-63%,more » respectively. The results demonstrate the potential of the pyrolysis-microbial electrolysis process as a sustainable and efficient route for production of renewable hydrogen with significant implications for hydrocarbon production from biomass.« less

Microbial electrolysis cells for high yield hydrogen gas production from organic matter.

PubMed

Logan, Bruce E; Call, Douglas; Cheng, Shaoan; Hamelers, Hubertus V M; Sleutels, Tom H J A; Jeremiasse, Adriaan W; Rozendal, René A

2008-12-01

The use of electrochemically active bacteria to break down organic matter, combined with the addition of a small voltage (> 0.2 V in practice) in specially designed microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), can result in a high yield of hydrogen gas. While microbial electrolysis was invented only a few years ago, rapid developments have led to hydrogen yields approaching 100%, energy yields based on electrical energy input many times greater than that possible by water electrolysis, and increased gas production rates. MECs used to make hydrogen gas are similar in design to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that produce electricity, but there are important differences in architecture and analytical methods used to evaluate performance. We review here the materials, architectures, performance, and energy efficiencies of these MEC systems that show promise as a method for renewable and sustainable energy production, and wastewater treatment.

Geothermal development plan: Cochise/Santa Cruz Counties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, D. H.; Goldstone, L. A.

1982-08-01

The regional market potential for utilizing geothermal energy was evaluated. Three potential geothermal resource areas with potential for resource temperatures less than 900C (1940F) were identified. Population growth rates are expected to average 3% per year over the next 30 years in Willcox; Bowie and San Simon are expected to grow much slower. Regional employment is based on agriculture and copper mining, though future growth in trade, services and international trade is expected. A regional energy use analysis is included. Urban use, copper mining and agriculture are the principal water users in the region and substantial reductions in water use are anticipated in the future. The development plan identifies potential geothermal energy users in the region. Geothermal energy utilization projections suggest that by the year 2000, geothermal energy might economically provide the energy equivalent of 3,250,000 barrels of oil per year to the industrial sector. In addition, geothermal energy utilization might help stimulate an agricultural and livestock processing industry.

Process for the production of hydrogen from water

DOEpatents

Miller, William E [Naperville, IL; Maroni, Victor A [Naperville, IL; Willit, James L [Batavia, IL

2010-05-25

A method and device for the production of hydrogen from water and electricity using an active metal alloy. The active metal alloy reacts with water producing hydrogen and a metal hydroxide. The metal hydroxide is consumed, restoring the active metal alloy, by applying a voltage between the active metal alloy and the metal hydroxide. As the process is sustainable, only water and electricity is required to sustain the reaction generating hydrogen.

Prioritizing High-Temperature Geothermal Resources in Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blackett, R.E.; Brill, T.C.; Sowards, G.M.

2002-01-01

The Utah Geological Survey and the Utah Energy Office recently released geothermal resource information for Utah as a "digital atlas." We are now expanding this project to include economic analyses of selected geothermal sites and previously unavailable resource information. The enhancements to the digital atlas will include new resource, demographic, regulatory, economic, and other information to allow analyses of economic factors for comparing and ranking geothermal resource sites in Utah for potential electric power development. New resource information includes temperature gradient and fluid chemistry data, which was previously proprietary. Economic analyses are based upon a project evaluation model to assess capital and operating expenses for a variety of geothermal powerplant configuration scenarios. A review of legal and institutional issues regarding geothermal development coupled with water development will also be included.

Assessment of Moderate- and High-Temperature Geothermal Resources of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Colin F.; Reed, Marshall J.; Mariner, Robert H.; DeAngelo, Jacob; Galanis, S. Peter

2008-01-01

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an assessment of our Nation's geothermal resources. Geothermal power plants are currently operating in six states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. The assessment indicates that the electric power generation potential from identified geothermal systems is 9,057 Megawatts-electric (MWe), distributed over 13 states. The mean estimated power production potential from undiscovered geothermal resources is 30,033 MWe. Additionally, another estimated 517,800 MWe could be generated through implementation of technology for creating geothermal reservoirs in regions characterized by high temperature, but low permeability, rock formations.

Catalytic glycerol steam reforming for hydrogen production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dan, Monica, E-mail: monica.dan@itim-cj.ro; Mihet, Maria, E-mail: maria.mihet@itim-cj.ro; Lazar, Mihaela D., E-mail: diana.lazar@itim-cj.ro

2015-12-23

Hydrogen production from glycerol by steam reforming combine two major advantages: (i) using glycerol as raw material add value to this by product of bio-diesel production which is obtained in large quantities around the world and have a very limited utilization now, and (ii) by implication of water molecules in the reaction the efficiency of hydrogen generation is increased as each mol of glycerol produces 7 mol of H{sub 2}. In this work we present the results obtained in the process of steam reforming of glycerol on Ni/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method and characterizedmore » through different methods: N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption, XRD, TPR. The catalytic study was performed in a stainless steel tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure by varying the reaction conditions: steam/carbon ratio (1-9), gas flow (35 ml/min -133 ml/min), temperature (450-650°C). The gaseous fraction of the reaction products contain: H{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, CO, CO{sub 2}. The optimum reaction conditions as resulted from this study are: temperature 550°C, Gly:H{sub 2}O ratio 9:1 and Ar flow 133 ml/min. In these conditions the glycerol conversion to gaseous products was 43% and the hydrogen yield was 30%.« less

Hydrogen Fluxes from Photosynthetic Communities: Implications for Early Earth Biogeochemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoehler, Tori M.; Bebout, Brad M.; DesMarais, David J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

More than half the history of life on Earth was dominated by photosynthetic microbial mats, which must have represented the preeminent biological influence on global geochemical cycling during that time. In modem analogs of then ancient communities, hypersaline microbial mats from Guerrero Negro, Mexico, we have observed a large flux of molecular hydrogen originating in the cyanobacteria-dominated surface layers. Hydrogen production follows a distinct diel pattern and is sensitive to both oxygen tension and microbial species composition within the mat. On an early Earth dominated by microbial mats, the observed H2 fluxes would scale to global levels far in excess of geothermal emissions. A hydrogen flux of this magnitude represents a profound transmission of reducing power from oxygenic photosynthesis, both to the anaerobic biosphere, where H2 is an almost universally-utilized substrate and regulator of microbial redox chemistry, and to the atmosphere, where subsequent escape to space could provide an important mechanism for the net oxidation of Earth's surface.

Hydrogen sulfide production from cysteine and homocysteine by periodontal and oral bacteria.

PubMed

Yoshida, Akihiro; Yoshimura, Mamiko; Ohara, Naoya; Yoshimura, Shigeru; Nagashima, Shiori; Takehara, Tadamichi; Nakayama, Koji

2009-11-01

Hydrogen sulfide is one of the predominant volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) produced by oral bacteria. This study developed and evaluated a system for detecting hydrogen sulfide production by oral bacteria. L-methionine-alpha-deamino-gamma-mercaptomethane-lyase (METase) and beta carbon-sulfur (beta C-S) lyase were used to degrade homocysteine and cysteine, respectively, to produce hydrogen sulfide. Enzymatic reactions resulting in hydrogen sulfide production were assayed by reaction with bismuth trichloride, which forms a black precipitate when mixed with hydrogen sulfide. The enzymatic activities of various oral bacteria that result in hydrogen sulfide production and the capacity of bacteria from periodontal sites to form hydrogen sulfide in reaction mixtures containing L-cysteine or DL-homocysteine were assayed. With L-cysteine as the substrate, Streptococcus anginosus FW73 produced the most hydrogen sulfide, whereas Porphyromonas gingivalis American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 33277 and W83 and Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC 10953 produced approximately 35% of the amount produced by the P. gingivalis strains. Finally, the hydrogen sulfide found in subgingival plaque was analyzed. Using bismuth trichloride, the hydrogen sulfide produced by oral bacteria was visually detectable as a black precipitate. Hydrogen sulfide production by oral bacteria was easily analyzed using bismuth trichloride. However, further innovation is required for practical use.

Hydrogen production by gasification of municipal solid waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robers, R.

1994-05-06

As fossil fuel reserves run lower and lower, and as their continued widespread use leads toward numerous environmental problems, the need for clean and sustainable energy alternatives becomes ever clearer. Hydrogen fuel holds promise as such an energy source, as it burns cleanly and can be extracted from a number of renewable materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW), which is considered to be largely renewable because of its high content of paper and biomass-derived products. A computer model is being developed using Aspen Plus{sup {trademark}} flowsheeting software to simulate a process which produces hydrogen gas from MSW; the modelmore » will later be used in studying the economics of this process and is based on an actual Texaco coal gasification plant design.« less

Repeat Absolute and Relative Gravity Measurements for Geothermal Reservoir Monitoring in the Ogiri Geothermal Field, Southern Kyushu, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishijima, J.; Umeda, C.; Fujimitsu, Y.; Takayama, J.; Hiraga, N.; Higuchi, S.

2016-09-01

Repeat hybrid microgravity measurements were conducted around the Ogiri Geothermal Field on the western slope of Kirishima volcano, southern Kyushu, Japan. This study was undertaken to detect the short-term gravity change caused by the temporary shutdown of production and reinjection wells for regular maintenance in 2011 and 2013. Repeat microgravity measurements were taken using an A-10 absolute gravimeter (Micro-g LaCoste) and CG-5 gravimeter (Scintrex) before and after regular maintenance. Both instruments had an accuracy of 10 μgal. The gravity stations were established at 27 stations (two stations for absolute measurements and 25 stations for relative measurements). After removal of noise effects (e.g., tidal movement, precipitation, shallow groundwater level changes), the residual gravity changes were subdivided into five types of response. We detected a gravity decrease (up to 20 μgal) in the reinjection area and a gravity increase (up to 30 μgal) in the production area 1 month after the temporary shutdown. Most of the gravity stations recovered after the maintenance. The temporal density changes in the geothermal reservoir were estimated based on these gravity changes.

Deep geothermal resources in the Yangbajing Field, Tibet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao Ping; Jin Jian; Duo Ji

1997-12-31

Since the first well was bored in July 1997 in the Yangbajing geothermal field, more than 80 wells have been drilled. The total of installed capacity is 25.18MWe for geothermal power plant that has generated about 1.0 x 10{sup 9} kWh electricity in all. Temperatures inside shallow reservoir are in the range from 150{degrees}C to 165{degrees}C. No high-temperature field if found below the shallow reservoir in the southern part. In order to enlarge the installed capacity and solve pressure decline in current productive wells, an exploration project of deep geothermal resources has been carried out in the northern part. Themore » highest temperature of 329{degrees}C was detected in well ZK4002 at 1850m depth in 1994. Well ZK4001 drilled in 1996 flows out high-enthalpy thermal fluid at the wellhead, in which the average temperature is 248{degrees}C in the feeding zones. There is a great potential for power generation in the northern part. The exploitation of deep geothermal resources would effect the production of existing wells.« less

Hydrogen Production in Radioactive Solutions in the Defense Waste Processing Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

CRAWFORD, CHARLES L.

2004-05-26

In the radioactive slurries and solutions to be processed in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), hydrogen will be produced continuously by radiolysis. This production results from alpha, beta, and gamma rays from decay of radionuclides in the slurries and solutions interacting with the water. More than 1000 research reports have published data concerning this radiolytic production. The results of these studies have been reviewed in a comprehensive monograph. Information about radiolytic hydrogen production from the different process tanks is necessary to determine air purge rates necessary to prevent flammable mixtures from accumulating in the vapor spaces above these tanks.more » Radiolytic hydrogen production rates are usually presented in terms of G values or molecules of hydrogen produced per 100ev of radioactive decay energy absorbed by the slurry or solution. With the G value for hydrogen production, G(H2), for a particular slurry and the concentrations of radioactive species in that slurry, the rate of H2 production for that slurry can be calculated. An earlier investigation estimated that the maximum rate that hydrogen could be produced from the sludge slurry stream to the DWPF is with a G value of 0.45 molecules per 100ev of radioactive decay energy sorbed by the slurry.« less

Guidebook to Geothermal Finance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salmon, J. P.; Meurice, J.; Wobus, N.

This guidebook is intended to facilitate further investment in conventional geothermal projects in the United States. It includes a brief primer on geothermal technology and the most relevant policies related to geothermal project development. The trends in geothermal project finance are the focus of this tool, relying heavily on interviews with leaders in the field of geothermal project finance. Using the information provided, developers and investors may innovate in new ways, developing partnerships that match investors' risk tolerance with the capital requirements of geothermal projects in this dynamic and evolving marketplace.

Evaluation of Lighting Systems, Carbon Sources, and Bacteria Cultures on Photofermentative Hydrogen Production.

PubMed

Hu, Chengcheng; Choy, Sing-Ying; Giannis, Apostolos

2018-05-01

Fluorescent and incandescent lighting systems were applied for batch photofermentative hydrogen production by four purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria (PNSB). The hydrogen production efficiency of Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Rhodobacter capsulatus, and Rhodospirillum rubrum was evaluated using different carbon sources (acetate, butyrate, lactate, and malate). Incandescent light was found to be more effective for bacteria cell growth and hydrogen production. It was observed that PNSB followed substrate selection criteria for hydrogen production. Only R. palustris was able to produce hydrogen using most carbon sources. Cell density was almost constant, but cell growth rate and hydrogen production were significantly varied under the different lighting systems. The kinetics study suggested that initial substrate concentration had a positive correlation with lag phase duration. Among the PNSB, R. palustris grew faster and had higher hydrogen yields of 1.58, 4.92, and 2.57 mol H 2 /mol using acetate, butyrate, and lactate, respectively. In the integrative approach with dark fermentation effluents rich in organic acids, R. palustris should be enriched in the phototrophic microbial consortium of the continuous hydrogen production system.

Renewable hydrogen production via thermochemical/electrochemical coupling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ambrosini, Andrea; Babiniec, Sean Michael; Miller, James E.

A coupled electrochemical/thermochemical cycle was investigated to produce hydrogen from renewable resources. Like a conventional thermochemical cycle, this cycle leverages chemical energy stored in a thermochemical working material that is reduced thermally by solar energy. However, in this concept, the stored chemical energy only needs to be partially, but not fully, capable of splitting steam to produce hydrogen. To complete the process, a proton-conducting membrane is driven to separate hydrogen as it is produced, thus shifting the thermodynamics toward further hydrogen production. This novel coupled-cycle concept provides several benefits. First, the required oxidation enthalpy of the reversible thermochemical material ismore » reduced, enabling the process to occur at lower temperatures. Second, removing the requirement for spontaneous steam-splitting widens the scope of materials compositions, allowing for less expensive/more abundant elements to be used. Lastly, thermodynamics calculations suggest that this concept can potentially reach higher efficiencies than photovoltaic-to-electrolysis hydrogen production methods. This Exploratory Express LDRD involved assessing the practical feasibility of the proposed coupled cycle. A test stand was designed and constructed and proton-conducting membranes were synthesized. While the full proof of concept was not achieved, the individual components of the experiment were validated and new capabilities that can be leveraged by a variety of programs were developed.« less

Geothermal production and reduced seismicity: Correlation and proposed mechanism

DOE PAGES

Cardiff, Michael; Lim, David D.; Patterson, Jeremy R.; ...

2018-01-15

At Brady Hot Springs, a geothermal field in Nevada, heated fluids have been extracted, cooled, and re-injected to produce electrical power since 1992. Analysis of daily pumping records and catalogs of microseismicity between 2010 and 2015 indicates a statistically significant correlation between days when the daily volume of production was at or above its long-term average rate and days when no seismic event was detected. Conversely, shutdowns in pumping for plant maintenance correlate with increased microseismicity. Our hypothesis is that the effective stress in the subsurface has adapted to the long-term normal operations (deep extraction) at the site. Under thismore » hypothesis, extraction of fluids inhibits fault slip by increasing the effective stress on faults; in contrast, brief pumping cessations represent times when effective stress is decreased below its long-term average, increasing the likelihood of microseismicity.« less

Geothermal production and reduced seismicity: Correlation and proposed mechanism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardiff, Michael; Lim, David D.; Patterson, Jeremy R.

At Brady Hot Springs, a geothermal field in Nevada, heated fluids have been extracted, cooled, and re-injected to produce electrical power since 1992. Analysis of daily pumping records and catalogs of microseismicity between 2010 and 2015 indicates a statistically significant correlation between days when the daily volume of production was at or above its long-term average rate and days when no seismic event was detected. Conversely, shutdowns in pumping for plant maintenance correlate with increased microseismicity. Our hypothesis is that the effective stress in the subsurface has adapted to the long-term normal operations (deep extraction) at the site. Under thismore » hypothesis, extraction of fluids inhibits fault slip by increasing the effective stress on faults; in contrast, brief pumping cessations represent times when effective stress is decreased below its long-term average, increasing the likelihood of microseismicity.« less

Geothermal energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzella, A.

2015-08-01

Geothermal technologies use renewable energy resources to generate electricity and direct use of heat while producing very low levels of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Geothermal energy is stored in rocks and in fluids circulating in the underground. Electricity generation usually requires geothermal resources temperatures of over 100°C. For heating, geothermal resources spanning a wider range of temperatures can be used in applications such as space and district heating (and cooling, with proper technology), spa and swimming pool heating, greenhouse and soil heating, aquaculture pond heating, industrial process heating and snow melting. Geothermal technology, which has focused so far on extracting naturally heated steam or hot water from natural hydrothermal reservoirs, is developing to more advanced techniques to exploit the heat also where underground fluids are scarce and to use the Earth as a potential energy battery, by storing heat. The success of the research will enable energy recovery and utilization from a much larger fraction of the accessible thermal energy in the Earth's crust.

Rubisco mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii enhance photosynthetic hydrogen production.

PubMed

Pinto, T S; Malcata, F X; Arrabaça, J D; Silva, J M; Spreitzer, R J; Esquível, M G

2013-06-01

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an ideal fuel characterized by high enthalpy change and lack of greenhouse effects. This biofuel can be released by microalgae via reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen catalyzed by hydrogenases. The main competitor for the reducing power required by the hydrogenases is the Calvin cycle, and rubisco plays a key role therein. Engineered Chlamydomonas with reduced rubisco levels, activity and stability was used as the basis of this research effort aimed at increasing hydrogen production. Biochemical monitoring in such metabolically engineered mutant cells proceeded in Tris/acetate/phosphate culture medium with S-depletion or repletion, both under hypoxia. Photosynthetic activity, maximum photochemical efficiency, chlorophyll and protein levels were all measured. In addition, expression of rubisco, hydrogenase, D1 and Lhcb were investigated, and H2 was quantified. At the beginning of the experiments, rubisco increased followed by intense degradation. Lhcb proteins exhibited monomeric isoforms during the first 24 to 48 h, and D1 displayed sensitivity under S-depletion. Rubisco mutants exhibited a significant decrease in O2 evolution compared with the control. Although the S-depleted medium was much more suitable than its complete counterpart for H2 production, hydrogen release was observed also in sealed S-repleted cultures of rubisco mutated cells under low-moderate light conditions. In particular, the rubisco mutant Y67A accounted for 10-15-fold higher hydrogen production than the wild type under the same conditions and also displayed divergent metabolic parameters. These results indicate that rubisco is a promising target for improving hydrogen production rates in engineered microalgae.

Development of a sterilizing in-place application for a production machine using Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide.

PubMed

Mau, T; Hartmann, V; Burmeister, J; Langguth, P; Häusler, H

2004-01-01

The use of steam in sterilization processes is limited by the implementation of heat-sensitive components inside the machines to be sterilized. Alternative low-temperature sterilization methods need to be found and their suitability evaluated. Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) technology was adapted for a production machine consisting of highly sensitive pressure sensors and thermo-labile air tube systems. This new kind of "cold" surface sterilization, known from the Barrier Isolator Technology, is based on the controlled release of hydrogen peroxide vapour into sealed enclosures. A mobile VHP generator was used to generate the hydrogen peroxide vapour. The unit was combined with the air conduction system of the production machine. Terminal vacuum pumps were installed to distribute the gas within the production machine and for its elimination. In order to control the sterilization process, different physical process monitors were incorporated. The validation of the process was based on biological indicators (Geobacillus stearothermophilus). The Limited Spearman Karber Method (LSKM) was used to statistically evaluate the sterilization process. The results show that it is possible to sterilize surfaces in a complex tube system with the use of gaseous hydrogen peroxide. A total microbial reduction of 6 log units was reached.

Complete genome sequence of Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08: A potential microbial strain for high rate hydrogen production.

PubMed

Khanna, Namita; Ghosh, Ananta Kumar; Huntemann, Marcel; Deshpande, Shweta; Han, James; Chen, Amy; Kyrpides, Nikos; Mavrommatis, Kostas; Szeto, Ernest; Markowitz, Victor; Ivanova, Natalia; Pagani, Ioanna; Pati, Amrita; Pitluck, Sam; Nolan, Matt; Woyke, Tanja; Teshima, Hazuki; Chertkov, Olga; Daligault, Hajnalka; Davenport, Karen; Gu, Wei; Munk, Christine; Zhang, Xiaojing; Bruce, David; Detter, Chris; Xu, Yan; Quintana, Beverly; Reitenga, Krista; Kunde, Yulia; Green, Lance; Erkkila, Tracy; Han, Cliff; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Lang, Elke; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Goodwin, Lynne; Chain, Patrick; Das, Debabrata

2013-12-20

Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08 belongs to Phylum: Proteobacteria, Class: Gammaproteobacteria, Order: Enterobacteriales, Family: Enterobacteriaceae. The organism was isolated from the leaves of a local plant near the Kharagpur railway station, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. It has been extensively studied for fermentative hydrogen production because of its high hydrogen yield. For further enhancement of hydrogen production by strain development, complete genome sequence analysis was carried out. Sequence analysis revealed that the genome was linear, 4.67 Mbp long and had a GC content of 56.01%. The genome properties encode 4,393 protein-coding and 179 RNA genes. Additionally, a putative pathway of hydrogen production was suggested based on the presence of formate hydrogen lyase complex and other related genes identified in the genome. Thus, in the present study we describe the specific properties of the organism and the generation, annotation and analysis of its genome sequence as well as discuss the putative pathway of hydrogen production by this organism.

Self-assembling biomolecular catalysts for hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Paul C.; Patterson, Dustin P.; Saboda, Kendall N.; Edwards, Ethan J.; Miettinen, Heini M.; Basu, Gautam; Thielges, Megan C.; Douglas, Trevor

2016-02-01

The chemistry of highly evolved protein-based compartments has inspired the design of new catalytically active materials that self-assemble from biological components. A frontier of this biodesign is the potential to contribute new catalytic systems for the production of sustainable fuels, such as hydrogen. Here, we show the encapsulation and protection of an active hydrogen-producing and oxygen-tolerant [NiFe]-hydrogenase, sequestered within the capsid of the bacteriophage P22 through directed self-assembly. We co-opted Escherichia coli for biomolecular synthesis and assembly of this nanomaterial by expressing and maturing the EcHyd-1 hydrogenase prior to expression of the P22 coat protein, which subsequently self assembles. By probing the infrared spectroscopic signatures and catalytic activity of the engineered material, we demonstrate that the capsid provides stability and protection to the hydrogenase cargo. These results illustrate how combining biological function with directed supramolecular self-assembly can be used to create new materials for sustainable catalysis.

Design of a Geothermal Downhole Magnetic Flowmeter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glowka, Dave A.; Normann, Randy A.

2015-06-15

This paper covers the development of a 300°C geothermal solid-state magnetic flowmeter (or magmeter) to support in situ monitoring of future EGS (enhanced geothermal system) production wells. Existing flowmeters are simple mechanical spinner sensors. These mechanical sensors fail within as little as 10 hrs, while a solid-state magmeter has the potential for months/years of operation. The design and testing of a magnetic flow sensor for use with existing high-temperature electronics is presented.

Completion Design Considerations for a Horizontal Enhanced Geothermal System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olson, Jeffrey; Eustes, Alfred; Fleckenstein, William

2015-09-02

The petroleum industry has had considerable success in recent decades in developing unconventional shale plays using horizontal drilling and multi-zonal isolation and stimulation techniques to fracture tight formations to enable the commercial production of oil and gas. Similar well completions could be used in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) to create multiple fractures from horizontal wells. This study assesses whether well completion techniques used in the unconventional shale industry to create multi-stage fractures can be applied to an enhanced geothermal system, with a focus on the completion of the EGS injection well. This study assumes an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) consistingmore » of a central horizontal injection well flanked on each side by horizontal production wells, connected to the injection well by multiple fractures. The focus is on the design and completion of the horizontal well. For the purpose of developing design criteria, a reservoir temperature of 200 degrees C (392 degrees F) and an injection well flow rate of 87,000 barrels per day (160 kg/s), corresponding to production well flow rates of 43,500 barrels per day (80 kg/s) is assumed. The analysis found that 9-5/8 inches 53.5 pounds per foot (ppf) P110 casing string with premium connections meets all design criteria for the horizontal section of injection well. A P110 grade is fairly common and is often used in horizontal sections of shale development wells in petroleum operations. Next, several zonal isolation systems commonly used in the shale gas industry were evaluated. Three techniques were evaluated -- a 'plug and perf' design, a 'sand and perf' design, and a 'packer and port' design. A plug and perf system utilizes a cemented casing throughout the length of the injector wellbore. The sand and perf system is identical to the plug and perf system, but replaces packers with sand placed in the casing after stimulation to screen out the stimulated perforated zones and provide

Ocean thermal plantships for production of ammonia as the hydrogen carrier.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panchal, C.B.; Pandolfini, P. P.; Kumm, W. H.

2009-12-02

Conventional petroleum, natural gas, and coal are the primary sources of energy that have underpinned modern civilization. Their continued availability in the projected quantities required and the impacts of emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the environment are issues at the forefront of world concerns. New primary sources of energy are being sought that would significantly reduce the emissions of GHGs. One such primary source that can help supply energy, water, and fertilizer without GHG emissions is available in the heretofore unexploited thermal gradients of the tropical oceans. The world's oceans are the largest natural collector and reservoir of solarmore » energy. The potential of ocean energy is limitless for producing base-load electric power or ammonia as the hydrogen carrier and fresh water from seawater. However, until now, ocean energy has been virtually untapped. The general perception is that ocean thermal energy is limited to tropical countries. Therefore, the full potential of at-sea production of (1) ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and (2) desalinated water has not been adequately evaluated. Using ocean thermal plantships for the at-sea co-production of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and desalinated water offer potential energy, environmental, and economic benefits that support the development of the technology. The introduction of a new widespread solution to our projected energy supply requires lead times of a decade or more. Although continuation of the ocean thermal program from the 1970s would likely have put us in a mitigating position in the early 2000s, we still have a window of opportunity to dedicate some of our conventional energy sources to the development of this renewable energy by the time new sources would be critically needed. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the technical and economic viability of ocean thermal plantships for the production of ammonia as the hydrogen carrier. This objective is achieved by

Persistent Hydrogen Production by the Photo-Assisted Microbial Electrolysis Cell Using a p-Type Polyaniline Nanofiber Cathode.

PubMed

Jeon, Yongwon; Kim, Sunghyun

2016-12-08

A microbial electrolysis cell, though considered as a promising, environmentally friendly technology for hydrogen production, suffers from concomitant production of methane. The high hydrogen/methane ratio at the initial operation stage decreases with time. Here we report for the first time the photoassisted microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) for persistent hydrogen production using polyaniline nanofibers as a cathode. Under 0.8 V external bias and laboratory fluorescent light illumination in a single-chamber MEC, continuous hydrogen production from acetate at a rate of 1.78 mH2 3  m -3  d -1 with 79.2 % overall hydrogen recovery was achieved with negligible methane formation for six months. Energy efficiencies based on input electricity as well as input electricity plus substrate were 182 and 66.2 %, respectively. This was attributed to the p-type-semiconductor characteristics of polyaniline nanofibers in which photoexcited electrons are used to reduce protons at the surface and holes are reduced with electrons originating from acetate oxidation at the anode. This method can be extended to microbial wastewater treatment for hydrogen production. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Geothermal Potential, Current and Opportunity in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Sheng-Rong

2016-04-01

Located in the west Pacific Rim of Fire, Taiwan possesses rich geothermal resources due to volcanic activities and rapid uplifting of plate collision. Based on available data prior to 1980, Taiwan may have about 1 GWe of potential shallow geothermal energy, which is less than 3% of the national gross power generation. A 3-Mw pilot power plant, therefore, was constructed in 1981 and terminated in 1993 in the Chingshui geothermal field of Ilan, northeastern Taiwan. Recently, one of the National Science & Technology Program (NSTP) projects has been conducting research and reevaluating the island-wide deep geothermal energy. Four hot potential sites have been recognized. They are: (1) Tatun Volcano Group of northern Taiwan; (2) I-Lan Plain of NE Taiwan; (3) Lu-Shan area of Central Taiwan; and (4) Hua-Tung area of eastern Taiwan. We found that the geothermal resource in Taiwan may be as high as 160 GWe, with 33.6 GWe of exploitable geothermal energy. There are no any commercial geothermal power plants until now in Taiwan, although the potential is great. However, geothermal energy has been listed as one of major tasks of National Energy Program, Phase II (NEP-II) in Taiwan. We will conduct more detailed geothermal energy surveys on some proposed hot sites and to construct an EGS pilot geothermal plant with 1 MWe capability in a few years. Currently, there are three nuclear power plants, named No. 1, 2 & 3, in operations, which produce 16.5% gross generation of electricity and one (No. 4) is under construction, but is stopped and sealed now in Taiwan. Furthermore, the life-span of 40-year operation for those three power plants will be close-at hand and retire in 2018-2019, 2021-2023 and 2024-2025, respectively. Therefore, to find alternative energy sources, especially on the clean, renewable and sustainable ones for generating electricity are emergent and important for Taiwan's government in next few years. Among various energy sources, geothermal energy can be as base

Development of Genetic Occurrence Models for Geothermal Prospecting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, J. D.; Sabin, A.; Unruh, J.; Monastero, F. C.; Combs, J.

2007-12-01

Exploration for utility-grade geothermal resources has mostly relied on identifying obvious surface manifestations of possible geothermal activity, e.g., locating and working near steaming ground or hot springs. This approach has lead to the development of over 130 resources worldwide, but geothermal exploration done in this manner is akin to locating hydrocarbon plays by searching for oil seeps. Confining exploration to areas with such features will clearly not discover a blind resource, that is, one that does not have surface expression. Blind resources, however, constitute the vast majority of hydrocarbon plays; this may be the case for geothermal resources as well. We propose a geothermal exploration strategy for finding blind systems that is based on an understanding of the geologic processes that transfer heat from the mantle to the upper crust and foster the conditions for hydrothermal circulation or enhanced geothermal exploration. The strategy employs a genetically based screening protocol to assess potential geothermal sites. The approach starts at the plate boundary scale and progressively focuses in on the scale of a producing electrical-grade field. Any active margin or hot spot is a potential location for geothermal resources. Although Quaternary igneous activity provides a clear indication of active advection of hot material into the upper crust, it is not sufficient to guarantee a potential utility-grade resource. Active faulting and/or evidence of high strain rates appear to be the critical features associated with areas of utility-grade geothermal potential. This is because deformation on its own can advect sufficient heat into the upper crust to create conditions favorable for geothermal exploitation. In addition, active deformation is required to demonstrate that open pathways for circulation of geothermal fluids are present and/or can be maintained. The last step in the screening protocol is to identify any evidence of geothermal activity

Maps | Geospatial Data Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Maps Maps NREL develops an array of maps to support renewable energy development and generation resource in the United States by county Geothermal Maps of geothermal power plants, resources for enhanced geothermal systems, and hydrothermal sites in the United States Hydrogen Maps of hydrogen production

Compact, Deep-Penetrating Geothermal Heat Flow Instrumentation for Lunar Landers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagihara, S.; Zacny, K.; Hedlund, M.; Taylor, P. T.

2012-01-01

Geothermal heat flow is obtained as a product of the two separate measurements of geothermal gradient in, and thermal conductivity of, the vertical soi/rock/regolith interval penetrated by the instrument. Heat flow measurements are a high priority for the geophysical network missions to the Moon recommended by the latest Decadal Survey [I] and previously the International Lunar Network [2]. The two lunar-landing missions planned later this decade by JAXA [3] and ESA [4] also consider geothermal measurements a priority.

Anaerobic hydrogen production with an efficient carrier-induced granular sludge bed bioreactor.

PubMed

Lee, Kuo-Shing; Wu, Ji-Fang; Lo, Yung-Sheng; Lo, Yung-Chung; Lin, Ping-Jei; Chang, Jo-Shu

2004-09-05

A novel bioreactor containing self-flocculated anaerobic granular sludge was developed for high-performance hydrogen production from sucrose-based synthetic wastewater. The reactor achieved an optimal volumetric hydrogen production rate of approximately 7.3 L/h/L (7,150 mmol/d/L) and a maximal hydrogen yield of 3.03 mol H2/mol sucrose when it was operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 0.5 h with an influent sucrose concentration of 20 g COD/L. The gas-phase hydrogen content and substrate conversion also exceeded 40 and 90%, respectively, under optimal conditions. Packing of a small quantity of carrier matrices on the bottom of the upflow reactor significantly stimulated sludge granulation that can be accomplished within 100 h. Among the four carriers examined, spherical activated carbon was the most effective inducer for granular sludge formation. The carrier-induced granular sludge bed (CIGSB) bioreactor was started up with a low HRT of 4-8 h (corresponding to an organic loading rate of 2.5-5 g COD/h/L) and enabled stable operations at an extremely low HRT (up to 0.5 h) without washout of biomass. The granular sludge was rapidly formed in CIGSB supported with activated carbon and reached a maximal concentration of 26 g/L at HRT = 0.5 h. The ability to maintain high biomass concentration at low HRT (i.e., high organic loading rate) highlights the key factor for the remarkable hydrogen production efficiency of the CIGSB processes.

Technoeconomical analysis of the co-production of hydrogen energy and carbon materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerra, Zuimdie

HECAM (Hydrogen Energy and Carbon Materials) is a new energy production strategy. The main paradigm of HECAM is that energy extracted from the carbon in hydrocarbon fuels is not worth the production of carbon dioxide. The hydrocarbon fuel is heated in an oxygen free environment and it is chemically decomposed by the heat into gases (mostly hydrogen and methane), small quantities of liquid (light oil and tar), and a solid residue containing carbon and ash (char or coke). More quantities of hydrocarbons will need to be used, but less carbon dioxide will be produced. HECAM is going to compete with steam methane reforming (SMR) to produce hydrogen. HECAM with thermocatalytic decomposition of methane and efficient sensible heat recovery has a production cost per gigajoule of hydrogen about 9% higher than SMR, but will produce about half the carbon dioxide emissions that SMR produces. If HECAM with efficient sensible heat recovery is used to produce electricity in a power plant, it will have a comparable electricity production cost and carbon dioxide emissions to a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant. The byproduct coke is not a waste residue, but a valuable co-product. Uses for the byproduct coke material may be carbon sequestration, mine land restoration, additive to enhance agricultural soils, low sulfur and mercury content heating fuel for power plants, new construction materials, or carbon-base industrial materials. This study investigated the use of byproduct coke for new construction materials. HECAM concrete substitute (HCS) materials will have a comparable cost with concrete when the cost of the raw materials is $65 per metric ton of HCS produced. HECAM brick substitute (HBS) materials will have 20% higher cost per brick than clay bricks. If the HECAM byproduct coke can be formed into bricks as a product of the HECAM process, the manufacture of HBS bricks will be cheaper and may be cost competitive with clay bricks. The results of this analysis are

Hydrogen production with coal using a pulverization device

DOEpatents

Paulson, Leland E.

1989-01-01

A method for producing hydrogen from coal is described wherein high temperature steam is brought into contact with coal in a pulverizer or fluid energy mill for effecting a steam-carbon reaction to provide for the generation of gaseous hydrogen. The high temperature steam is utilized to drive the coal particles into violent particle-to-particle contact for comminuting the particulates and thereby increasing the surface area of the coal particles for enhancing the productivity of the hydrogen.

Carbon-free hydrogen production from low rank coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Muhammad; Oda, Takuya; Kashiwagi, Takao

2018-02-01

Novel carbon-free integrated system of hydrogen production and storage from low rank coal is proposed and evaluated. To measure the optimum energy efficiency, two different systems employing different chemical looping technologies are modeled. The first integrated system consists of coal drying, gasification, syngas chemical looping, and hydrogenation. On the other hand, the second system combines coal drying, coal direct chemical looping, and hydrogenation. In addition, in order to cover the consumed electricity and recover the energy, combined cycle is adopted as addition module for power generation. The objective of the study is to find the best system having the highest performance in terms of total energy efficiency, including hydrogen production efficiency and power generation efficiency. To achieve a thorough energy/heat circulation throughout each module and the whole integrated system, enhanced process integration technology is employed. It basically incorporates two core basic technologies: exergy recovery and process integration. Several operating parameters including target moisture content in drying module, operating pressure in chemical looping module, are observed in terms of their influence to energy efficiency. From process modeling and calculation, two integrated systems can realize high total energy efficiency, higher than 60%. However, the system employing coal direct chemical looping represents higher energy efficiency, including hydrogen production and power generation, which is about 83%. In addition, optimum target moisture content in drying and operating pressure in chemical looping also have been defined.

40 CFR 721.10325 - Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products with 3-(triethoxysilyl)-1-propanamine. 721... Substances § 721.10325 Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes...

40 CFR 721.10325 - Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products with 3-(triethoxysilyl)-1-propanamine. 721... Substances § 721.10325 Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes...

40 CFR 721.10325 - Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes, reaction products with 3-(triethoxysilyl)-1-propanamine. 721... Substances § 721.10325 Cyclosilazanes, di-Me, Me hydrogen, polymers with di-Me, Me hydrogen silazanes...

[Cloning of Enterobacter aerogenes fh1A gene and overexpression of hydrogen production].

PubMed

Zhao, Jinfang; Song, Wenlu; Cheng, Jun; Zhang, Chuanxi

2010-06-01

We amplified and overexpressed the FHL activator (fh1A) in E. aerogenes ATCC13408 to enhance hydrogen production. By using universal primers and genome walking, we cloned the full open reading frame (ORF) of fh1A gene. We inserted it into the glutathion S-transferase (GST) fusion expression vector pGEX4T-2-Cat, and transformed the recombinant plasmid into E. aerogenes ATCC13408 via electroporation for expression. Then we measured the hydrogen production of the recombinant strain in a batch culture. We found that the ORF of fh1A was 2073 base pair in length, potential to encode a 690 amino acid peptide (GenBank accession GU188474). The Fh1A protein from E. aerogenes ATCC13408 shared high amino acid identities with those from other bacterial species. By using SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis, we confirmed that the fh1A gene had successfully expressed in the strain. The hydrogen yield of the recombinant strain was increased from 1.23 to 1.48 mol H2/mol glucose. [ Conclusion ] Enhancement of hydrogen productivity was attained under anaerobic conditions with the recombinant strain.

Hydrogen production using hydrogenase-containing oxygenic photosynthetic organisms

DOEpatents

Melis, Anastasios; Zhang, Liping; Benemann, John R.; Forestier, Marc; Ghirardi, Maria; Seibert, Michael

2006-01-24

A reversible physiological process provides for the temporal separation of oxygen evolution and hydrogen production in a microorganism, which includes the steps of growing a culture of the microorganism in medium under illuminated conditions to accumulate an endogenous substrate, depleting from the medium a nutrient selected from the group consisting of sulfur, iron, and/or manganese, sealing the culture from atmospheric oxygen, incubating the culture in light whereby a rate of light-induced oxygen production is equal to or less than a rate of respiration, and collecting an evolved gas. The process is particularly useful to accomplish a sustained photobiological hydrogen gas production in cultures of microorganisms, such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Hydrogen Production Using Hydrogenase-Containing Oxygenic Photosynthetic Organisms

DOEpatents

Melis, A.; Zhang, L.; Benemann, J. R.; Forestier, M.; Ghirardi, M.; Seibert, M.

2006-01-24

A reversible physiological process provides for the temporal separation of oxygen evolution and hydrogen production in a microorganism, which includes the steps of growing a culture of the microorganism in medium under illuminated conditions to accumulate an endogenous substrate, depleting from the medium a nutrient selected from the group consisting of sulfur, iron, and/or manganese, sealing the culture from atmospheric oxygen, incubating the culture in light whereby a rate of light-induced oxygen production is equal to or less than a rate of respiration, and collecting an evolved gas. The process is particularly useful to accomplish a sustained photobiological hydrogen gas production in cultures of microorganisms, such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Geologic controls on supercritical geothermal resources above magmatic intrusions

PubMed Central

Scott, Samuel; Driesner, Thomas; Weis, Philipp

2015-01-01

A new and economically attractive type of geothermal resource was recently discovered in the Krafla volcanic system, Iceland, consisting of supercritical water at 450 °C immediately above a 2-km deep magma body. Although utilizing such supercritical resources could multiply power production from geothermal wells, the abundance, location and size of similar resources are undefined. Here we present the first numerical simulations of supercritical geothermal resource formation, showing that they are an integral part of magma-driven geothermal systems. Potentially exploitable resources form in rocks with a brittle–ductile transition temperature higher than 450 °C, such as basalt. Water temperatures and enthalpies can exceed 400 °C and 3 MJ kg−1, depending on host rock permeability. Conventional high-enthalpy resources result from mixing of ascending supercritical and cooler surrounding water. Our models reproduce the measured thermal conditions of the resource discovered at Krafla. Similar resources may be widespread below conventional high-enthalpy geothermal systems. PMID:26211617

Geologic controls on supercritical geothermal resources above magmatic intrusions.

PubMed

Scott, Samuel; Driesner, Thomas; Weis, Philipp

2015-07-27

A new and economically attractive type of geothermal resource was recently discovered in the Krafla volcanic system, Iceland, consisting of supercritical water at 450 °C immediately above a 2-km deep magma body. Although utilizing such supercritical resources could multiply power production from geothermal wells, the abundance, location and size of similar resources are undefined. Here we present the first numerical simulations of supercritical geothermal resource formation, showing that they are an integral part of magma-driven geothermal systems. Potentially exploitable resources form in rocks with a brittle-ductile transition temperature higher than 450 °C, such as basalt. Water temperatures and enthalpies can exceed 400 °C and 3 MJ kg(-1), depending on host rock permeability. Conventional high-enthalpy resources result from mixing of ascending supercritical and cooler surrounding water. Our models reproduce the measured thermal conditions of the resource discovered at Krafla. Similar resources may be widespread below conventional high-enthalpy geothermal systems.

Review of subduction and its association with geothermal system in Sumatera-Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladiba, A. F.; Putriyana, L.; Sibarani, B. br.; Soekarno, H.

2017-12-01

Java and Sumatera have the largest geothermal resources in Indonesia, in which mostly are spatially associated with volcanoes of subduction zones. However, those volcanoes are not distributed in a regular pattern due to the difference of subduction position. Subduction position in java is relatively more perpendicular to the trench than in Sumatera. In addition, Java has a concentration of large productive geothermal field with vapour dominated system in the western part of Java, which may be caused by the various subduction dip along the island. In order to understand the relationship between the subduction process and geothermal system in the subduction zone volcanoes, we examined several kinematic parameters of subduction that potentially relevant to the formation of geothermal system in overriding plate such as slab dip, subduction rate, and direction of subduction. Data and information regarding tectonic setting of Sumatera and Java and productive geothermal field in Sumatera and Java have been collected and evaluated. In conclusion, there are three condition that caused the geothermal fluid to be more likely being in vapour phase, which are: the subduction is in an orthogonal position, the slab dip is high, and rate of subduction is high. Although there are plenty researches of subduction zone volcanoes, only a few of them present information about its formation and implication to the geothermal system. The result of this study may be used as reference in exploration of geothermal field in mutual geologic environment.

Storage and production of hydrogen for fuel cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aiello, Rita

The increased utilization of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells as an alternative to internal combustion engines is expected to increase the demand for hydrogen, which is used as the energy source in these systems. The objective of this work is to develop and test new methods for the storage and production of hydrogen for fuel cells. Six ligand-stabilized hydrides were synthesized and tested as hydrogen storage media for use in portable fuel cells. These novel compounds are more stable than classical hydrides (e.g., NaBH4, LiAlH4) and react to release hydrogen less exothermically upon hydrolysis with water. Three of the compounds produced hydrogen in high yield (88 to 100 percent of the theoretical) and at significantly lower temperatures than those required for the hydrolysis of NaBH4 and LiAlH4. However, a large excess of water and acid were required to completely wet the hydride and keep the pH of the reaction medium neutral. The hydrolysis of the classical hydrides with steam can overcome these limitations. This reaction was studied in a flow reactor and the results indicate that classical hydrides can be hydrolyzed with steam in high yields at low temperatures (110 to 123°C) and in the absence of acid. Although excess steam was required, the pH of the condensed steam was neutral. Consequently, steam could be recycled back to the reactor. Production of hydrogen for large-scale transportation fuel cells is primarily achieved via the steam reforming, partial oxidation or autothermal reforming of natural gas or the steam reforming of methanol. However, in all of these processes CO is a by-product that must be subsequently removed because the Pt-based electrocatalyst used in the fuel cells is poisoned by its presence. The direct cracking of methane over a Ni/SiO2 catalyst can produce CO-free hydrogen. In addition to hydrogen, filamentous carbon is also produced. This material accumulates on the catalyst and eventually deactivates it. The Ni/SiO2 catalyst

Publications | Geothermal Technologies | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Publications Publications NREL publishes a variety of publications related to geothermal energy geothermal energy research. Featured Publications Mexico's Geothermal Market Assessment Report NREL Technical investment in the country's geothermal energy sector. Since 2013, Mexico has enacted comprehensive reforms to

A comparison of economic evaluation models as applied to geothermal energy technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ziman, G. M.; Rosenberg, L. S.

1983-01-01

Several cost estimation and financial cash flow models have been applied to a series of geothermal case studies. In order to draw conclusions about relative performance and applicability of these models to geothermal projects, the consistency of results was assessed. The model outputs of principal interest in this study were net present value, internal rate of return, or levelized breakeven price. The models used were VENVAL, a venture analysis model; the Geothermal Probabilistic Cost Model (GPC Model); the Alternative Power Systems Economic Analysis Model (APSEAM); the Geothermal Loan Guarantee Cash Flow Model (GCFM); and the GEOCOST and GEOCITY geothermal models. The case studies to which the models were applied include a geothermal reservoir at Heber, CA; a geothermal eletric power plant to be located at the Heber site; an alcohol fuels production facility to be built at Raft River, ID; and a direct-use, district heating system in Susanville, CA.

Low-temperature Stirling Engine for Geothermal Electricity Generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stillman, Greg; Weaver, Samuel P.

Up to 2700 terawatt-hours per year of geothermal electricity generation capacity has been shown to be available within North America, typically with wells drilled into geologically active regions of the earth's crust where this energy is concentrated (Huttrer, 2001). Of this potential, about half is considered to have temperatures high enough for conventional (steam-based) power production, while the other half requires unconventional power conversion approaches, such as organic Rankine cycle systems or Stirling engines. If captured and converted effectively, geothermal power generation could replace up to 100GW of fossil fuel electric power generation, leading to a significant reduction of USmore » power sector emissions. In addition, with the rapid growth of hydro-fracking in oil and gas production, there are smaller-scale distributed power generation opportunities in heated liquids that are co-produced with the main products. Since 2006, Cool Energy, Inc. (CEI) has designed, fabricated and tested four generations of low-temperature (100°C to 300°C) Stirling engine power conversion equipment. The electric power output of these engines has been demonstrated at over 2kWe and over 16% thermal conversion efficiency for an input temperature of 215°C and a rejection temperature of 15°C. Initial pilot units have been shipped to development partners for further testing and validation, and significantly larger engines (20+ kWe) have been shown to be feasible and conceptually designed. Originally intended for waste heat recovery (WHR) applications, these engines are easily adaptable to geothermal heat sources, as the heat supply temperatures are similar. Both the current and the 20+ kWe designs use novel approaches of self-lubricating, low-wear-rate bearing surfaces, non-metallic regenerators, and high-effectiveness heat exchangers. By extending CEI's current 3 kWe SolarHeart® Engine into the tens of kWe range, many additional applications are possible, as one 20

Oilfield geothermal exploitation in China-A case study from the Liaohe oilfield in Bohai Bay Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shejiao; Yao, Yanhua; Fan, Xianli; Yan, Jiahong

2017-04-01

The clean geothermal energy can play a huge role in solving the problem of severe smog in China as it can replace large coal-fired heating in winter. Chinese government has paid close attention on the development and utilization of geothermal energy. In the "13th Five-Year" plan, the geothermal development is included into the national plan for the first time. China is very rich in the medium and low-temperature geothermal resources, ranking first in the geothermal direct use in the world for a long time. The geothermal resources are mainly concentrated in sedimentary basins, especially in petroliferous basins distributed in North China (in North China, heating is needed in winter). These basins are usually close to the large- and medium-sized cities. Therefore, tapping oilfield geothermal energy have attracted a great attention in the last few years as the watercut achieved above 90% in most oilfields and significant progress has been made. In this paper, taking the Liaohe Oilfield in the Bohai Bay Basin as an example, we discussed the distribution and potential of the geothermal resources, discussed how to use the existed technology to harness geothermal energy more effectively, and forecasted the development prospect of the oilfield geothermal energy. By using the volumetric method, we calculated the geothermal resources of the Guantao Formation, Dongying Formation, Shahejie Formation and basement rock in the Liaohe depression. We tested the geothermal energy utilization efficiency in different conditions by applying different pump technologies and utilizing geothermal energy in different depth, such as shallow geothermal energy (0-200m), middle-deep depth geothermal energy (200-4000m), and oilfield sewage heat produced with oil production. For the heat pump systems, we tested the conventional heat pump system, high-temperature heat pump system, super high-temperature heat pump system, and gas heat pump system. Finally, based on the analysis of national policy

Compensated geothermal gradient: new map of old data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibrahim, M.W.

1986-05-01

Bottom-hole temperature measurement is one of the oldest forms of downhole information acquired by the oil industry. Old and new geothermal maps that are based on these measurements have invariably been drawn with an assumed constant or average ground surface temperature over the mapped areas. However, near ground-surface equilibrium temperature is a variable rather than a constant over any region; therefore, old and current geothermal gradient mapping methods give a false impression of the true thermal level of subsurface strata, and may lead to erroneous results of temperature-based calculations, such as the TTI. In this paper, a geothermal mapping methodmore » is presented in which extrapolated surface temperature is coupled with the corresponding geothermal gradient over the mapped area. The method was tested on areas in the Middle East and Africa. Results indicate that it is especially effective in delineating loci of vertical geothermal heat flux carried upwards by ascending subsurface fluids; such areas are preferential sites for hydrocarbon entrapment, especially in young sedimentary basins where migration is still in progress.« less

Geothermal alteration of basaltic core from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sant, Christopher J.

The Snake River Plain is located in the southern part of the state of Idaho. The eastern plain, on which this study focuses, is a trail of volcanics from the Yellowstone hotspot. Three exploratory geothermal wells were drilled on the Snake River Plain. This project analyzes basaltic core from the first well at Kimama, north of Burley, Idaho. The objectives of this project are to establish zones of geothermal alteration and analyze the potential for geothermal power production using sub-aquifer resources on the axial volcanic zone of the Snake River Plain. Thirty samples from 1,912 m of core were sampled and analyzed for clay content and composition using X-ray diffraction. Observations from core samples and geophysical logs are also used to establish alteration zones. Mineralogical data, geophysical log data and physical characteristics of the core suggest that the base of the Snake River Plain aquifer at the axial zone is located 960 m below the surface, much deeper than previously suspected. Swelling smectite clay clogs pore spaces and reduces porosity and permeability to create a natural base to the aquifer. Increased temperatures favor the formation of smectite clay and other secondary minerals to the bottom of the hole. Below 960 m the core shows signs of alteration including color change, formation of clay, and filling of other secondary minerals in vesicles and fractured zones of the core. The smectite clay observed is Fe-rich clay that is authigenic in some places. Geothermal power generation may be feasible using a low temperature hot water geothermal system if thermal fluids can be attained near the bottom of the Kimama well.

Retrofitting a Geothermal Plant with Solar and Storage to Increase Power Generation