YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

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Kooper
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註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Kooper »

Please watch the video clip and write an essay or summary about it. List one to three words or expressions that you think is worth learning.

Power From the Earth: The Largest Generator http://www.economist.com/blogs/multimed ... er_earth_0
Kooper
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Kooper »

Here is my summary.
Thanks to record oil prices between 2007 and 2008, a few renewable energy technologies that, for various reasons, could have slipped into oblivion are being revived. One of the promising techniques is called Engineer Geo-thermal System (EGS), which is aimed at making use of heat beneath earth crust and transforming the heat into electrical power. The operational theory of EGS is straightforward; a well is drilled until it reaches boiling hot rock; then cold water is injected into underground through the well; the heat of the rock will turn the cold water into hot stream; a second well is drilled to extract the heated water, which are used to drive turbines and generate electricity; the cooled fluid is afterward recycled and re-injected into the underground.

EGS looks promising for a number of reasons; in principle, EGS could be a close system and produce no waste - perfectly clean energy; a recent research by MIT says that there are large amounts of heat stored between the rocks from 3km to 10km under the surface. It is estimated that by simply extracting 2% of the stored heat can we produce much more amount of energy than the whole America need; The scientists also find that hot rocks exist everywhere and that’s the case not just in America but in Australia and Europe; a pioneering EGS power plant run in France has made a case for the concept and managed to produce 1.5 mega watts. Some other EGS power stations are being built in Australia and California. The largest one is expected to produce hundreds of mega watts by end of this decade.

EGS, however, is still facing strong challenges. It costs twice as much to build an EGS as a traditional geo-thermal system. Also, how to speed up the water circulation to make the EGS commercially feasible is still unresolved. A side effect that might make EGS unpopular is it will give rise to earth tremors in nearby areas; though no damage has been reported so far, the concern hasn't been cleared and is being closely watched.

The forms of alternative energy abound, but only few of them are expected to end up commercialized. EGS is getting an unusual second chance to prove its feasibility, tanks to spiraling oil prices before the 2008 global financial meltdown. Time will tell if it is going to turn the energy industry upside down in the near future.
最後由 Kooper 於 週六 9月 18, 2010 11:21 pm 編輯,總共編輯了 1 次。
jacksonwang
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註冊時間: 週五 2月 27, 2009 11:14 am

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 jacksonwang »

My summary,

Engineer Geothermal System (EGS) aim to create clean energy by the heat from the earth. The idea is sample, drill deep enough to earth crust and rock below is eventually hot enough to boil the water then collect steam and it can run turbine. So much heat stored and locked between the rocks from 3km and 10 km just below the surface. A suitable drilling location has to determine base on estimated hot rock formation below. Once location chosen, a well is drilled to access the rock from 3km to 10km below the surface. As long as desire depth is reached, cold water is injected down the well to fracture the top surface of rock creating a channel and allowing water to circulate. One or many production wells are drilled to exist newly created under ground water and provided the exit for hot steam. The super heat water can heat the second fluid which can generate the turbine provide electricity before cooling and renter the ground. Most EGS systems are closed loop meaning the fluid is recycled. EGS can provide continuous electricity as well as heat nearby home.

The EGS development is slow due to technical difficulty of work and persistent founding.Spiraling and more expensive oil price will potential drive the process forward more quickly. This EGS has been performed in Europe, France, Australia and American already. The side effect is that it will introduce a small earthquake.
Whether or not the price of oil changes, the next decay will be crucial for determining if EGS have their place to be the geothermal engineer production. Human may soon benefit from earth large battery itself in the nearing feature.
頭像
chiron
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註冊時間: 週三 10月 03, 2007 4:23 pm

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 chiron »

Guys:
My workload is too heavy recently. Allow me not to attend this week and next week (probably). I sincerely beg your forgiveness. :ccry:
Please call me Na'vi!
Sherry Liao
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註冊時間: 週五 12月 07, 2007 12:15 pm

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Sherry Liao »

Engineered Geothermal System (EGS), a developing yet promising new technology, provides an alternative source of energy in addition to existing energy resources like fossil fuels.

The idea of EGS is that, there are hot rocks everywhere between 3 and 10 kilometers below the surface of the Earth. By drilling deep enough into the crust and injecting cold water into the well, the water will fracture the rocks underneath, create permeable channels and circulate. Then drill other wells for the superheated water and stream to access and hit a device to drive a generating turbine, which proceeds to produce cleaning and constant flow of electricity. The plants can also supply heat to nearby homes.

EGS provides a renewable and endurable way to produce electricity, and is free of pollution. Most EGS systems are in closed-loop, which means after producing electricity, the cooling water will re-enter the ground and be recycled. Also, an EGS plant is expected to produce power for a couple of decades before the temperature diminishes, provided that the surface structure below remains intact.

However, the progress of technological development of EGS has been slow in the past decades, due to the technical difficulties of the work. Also, persistence funding is crucial as the development of EGS technology is very expensive. So far projects are under way in Australia and Europe, and thanks to the stimulus package, the Congress of the United State has also granted 300 million dollars into improving Geothermal technology, with part earmarked to EGS projects. The projects in the US are still at the stage of testing and some problems remain to be solved, like how to increase the rate of water flow to reservoir to make the system economic revivable, and the side effect of seismicity when the fracturing of the rocks takes place.

According to a 2007 report by MIT, extract of 2% heating below the land of the United States would provide thousands of times the amount of energy the America will ever need. As human beings are confronting the scarcity of energy and the ill effects of carbon emission, a breakthrough in the development of EGS is highly-expected.
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Sherry Liao »

harness: (verb) to control and use the force or strength of sth to produce power or to achieve sth
Ex. Attempts to harness the sun’s rays as a source of energy
Ex. We must harness the skill and creativity of our workforce.

hurdle: (noun) a problem or difficulty that must be solved or dealt with before you can achieve sth
Ex. The next hurdle will be getting her parents’ agreement.
Ex. Well we’ve cleared the first hurdle; let’s see what happens next.
Kooper
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註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Kooper »

Sherry Liao 寫: According to a 2007 report by MIT, extract of 2% heating below the land of the United States would provide thousands of times the amount of energy the America will ever need. As human beings are confronting the scarcity of energy and the ill effects of carbon emission, a breakthrough in the development of EGS is highly-expected.
Hi Sherry,

It should be "As human beings are confronted with the scarcity of energy ...."
"Highly-expected" here conveys the meaning that people very much believe that the breakthrough of EGS will come true, which I believe is not what you mean. Here I would like to rephrase it as "a breakthrough in the development of EGS is much/badly needed.
Kooper
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文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Kooper »

jacksonwang 寫:My summary,

Engineer Geothermal System (EGS) aim to create clean energy by the heat from the earth. The idea is sample, drill deep enough to earth crust and rock below is eventually hot enough to boil the water then collect steam and it can run turbine. So much heat stored and locked between the rocks from 3km and 10 km just below the surface. A suitable drilling location has to be determined base on estimated hot rock formation below. Once location chosen, a well is drilled to access the rock from 3km to 10km below the surface. As long as desired depth is reached, cold water is injected down the well to fracture the top surface of rock creating a channel and allowing water to circulate. One or many production wells are drilled to exist newly created under ground water and provided the exit for hot steam. The super heat water can heat the second fluid which can generate the turbine and provide electricity before cooling and re-entering the ground. Most EGS systems are closed loop, which means the fluid is recycled. EGS can provide continuous electricity as well as heat nearby home.

The EGS development is slow due to technical difficulty of work and persistent founding.Spiraling and more expensive oil price will potential drive the process forward more quickly. This EGS has been performed in Europe, France, Australia and American already. The side effect is that it will introduce a small earthquake.
Whether or not the price of oil changes, the next decade will be crucial for determining if EGS have their place to be the geothermal engineer production. Human may soon benefit from earth large battery itself in the near future.
Revision is in blue.
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Sherry Liao »

Kooper 寫:
Sherry Liao 寫: According to a 2007 report by MIT, extract of 2% heating below the land of the United States would provide thousands of times the amount of energy the America will ever need. As human beings are confronting the scarcity of energy and the ill effects of carbon emission, a breakthrough in the development of EGS is highly-expected.
Hi Sherry,

It should be "As human beings are confronted with the scarcity of energy ...."
"Highly-expected" here conveys the meaning that people very much believe that the breakthrough of EGS will come true, which I believe is not what you mean. Here I would like to rephrase it as "a breakthrough in the development of EGS is much/badly needed.
You are right. Thanks.
janet12tw
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註冊時間: 週日 5月 31, 2009 6:13 am

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 janet12tw »

Vocab:

1. subterranean 地下的
2. permeable 有滲透性的
janet12tw
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註冊時間: 週日 5月 31, 2009 6:13 am

Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 janet12tw »

Hi Sherry,

I have checked the video clip again about how EGS works. I think you're right. Thanks for your explanation.

Regards,
Janet
Kooper
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100919 Power From The Earth: The Largest Generator

文章 Kooper »

Attendees at the meeting are Janet, Kooper, and Sherry.
People who have finished the assignment are Jackson, Kooper and Sherry
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