Enhanced geothermal systems

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20002766

McLarty, L; Grabowski, P

A vast amount of geothermal energy is stored in the upper portion of the earth's crust; this energy is accessible with current drilling technology. The US Geological Survey has estimated that in the US, the heat energy stored in the upper 10 kilometers of the earth's crust is over 33 {times} 10{sup 24} Joules. Only a small fraction of this energy could conceivably be extracted. However, just one tenth of one percent of this energy is sufficient to provide the US with all its current level of non-transportation energy needs for over 500 years. Current technology is being used widely to extract geothermal energy in areas where subterranean water contacted hot rock formations, became heated, and was trapped by an impermeable layer in the earth's crust, forming a geothermal hydrothermal reservoir. The water serves as a medium to transport the heat to the surface through a conventional well similar to an oil well. Unfortunately, hydrothermal reservoirs are not widespread and represent only a minuscule portion of the geothermal energy that is accessible with current technology. Scientists and engineers in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia, are developing systems that extract heat from the earth where there is insufficient permeability or water in the rock formation to transport the heat to the surface. Such systems are referred to as Enhanced Geothermal Systems.

• Research Organization: Princeton Economic Research, Inc., Rockville, MD (US)
• OSTI ID: 20002766
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
DESIGN
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
HEAT EXTRACTION
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS