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Mother Earth's own Steam Engine?

Kasurin

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Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:02 am

So, yesterday I went traveling up north a ways to go to the biggest hotsprings area in Taiwan at Beitou, and I went to visit a place called Hell Valley- a green sulfurous hot spring, one of two in the world maybe? In any case. Big pond thing shooting off steam like it was trying to hotbox the place.

So I wondered, being who I am- has there been any documented, *successful* uses of hot springs as sources of energy?

Unsuccessful may be interesting to know as well =P

Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:46 am

(This is where my Year 9 Geography actually becomes useful!)

Yes! Indeed there have been plenty of recorded Geothermal energy sites. (Quite a lot, in fact).
Rather than relying on geysers, often they'll bore down until they reach really hot rocks, then pour water in - which then rapidly vaporises and shoots up to power turbines on the surface; before cooling and travelling down again.
There are plenty all over the world, but California has the largest field of geothermal plants, and Iceland gets much of it's energy from them.

Although I'm no expert, and I'm sure there's someone who knows more about them than I.

CapnAlex
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Strychnine Mime

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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:39 pm

This is completely off topic, but I must thank you. The title for this thread has given me a wonderful idea for a painting.

Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:48 am

I'ma sing the doom song now!

Vanghar; So geothermal energy is mainly used as a generic energy source then, for like electricity etcetera? Isn't pouring water into a hot hole a lot less efficient than utilizing the steam coming out of the earth already?

Maybe you don't know the answers to these questions, but that's cool, I'm going to start looking them up, now that I have a term for them =) Thanks a lot for the information!

Amarante; please show me when you're done! I bet it's going to be lovely =)

doom, doom dididoom, doomy doom doom, doomy doom doom, doomy doomy doom...