Using magma as a power source...
Discussion
Having just read a report on magma being accidentally drilled into in Hawaii at a depth of just 2.5km I wondered how deep the UK earth crust is and whether it would be possible to drill deep enough into to use the hotter earth core as a heat exchange for creating steam to driver power turbines, or even just to heat water so that less gas/oil/coal energy was required to turn the hot water into steam.
I mean for example, in Tenerrife they have an exstinct volcano where small bore holes in the surface are hot enought to turn a bucket of water into steam vapour (violently!) in about 10 secs.
If you could drill a couple of holes down far enough, and then pump water through them, would you be able to drill far enough through the crust to reach an area warm enough to properly heat the water up?
If you could vapourise the water you have an almost endless source of power... completely free. Even if it only warms the water you would then have a much more efficient power station only needing to "top up" the water to boiling point.
Why is this not possible?
I mean for example, in Tenerrife they have an exstinct volcano where small bore holes in the surface are hot enought to turn a bucket of water into steam vapour (violently!) in about 10 secs.
If you could drill a couple of holes down far enough, and then pump water through them, would you be able to drill far enough through the crust to reach an area warm enough to properly heat the water up?
If you could vapourise the water you have an almost endless source of power... completely free. Even if it only warms the water you would then have a much more efficient power station only needing to "top up" the water to boiling point.
Why is this not possible?
Not possible in this country going to have to drill a LONG way through some think stuff to get to magma, hell they had enough trouble drilling the channel tunnel. Also you wouldn't want to get to the magma as it would erm come out?.
In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
BoRED S2upid said:
Not possible in this country going to have to drill a LONG way through some think stuff to get to magma, hell they had enough trouble drilling the channel tunnel. Also you wouldn't want to get to the magma as it would erm come out?.
In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
There is a small geo-thermal plant in Southampton. Obviously they dont go down to 'magma' but still use the warm roocks to generate heat.In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
Its in the City centre, next to 'mothercare' I think!!
BoRED S2upid said:
Not possible in this country going to have to drill a LONG way through some think stuff to get to magma, hell they had enough trouble drilling the channel tunnel. Also you wouldn't want to get to the magma as it would erm come out?.
In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
But you may not have to drill right down to magma, just deep enough to boil or significantly heat the water. In the UK, how deep would one have to go to reach earth temperatures of 100+ degrees?In volcanic regions in the world im sure they already use this method to provide free heat.
Directional drilling can go way in excess of 5K , not sure what the current record is but it's a long way!
The greenies would come out with 101 new planet killing scenarios 
If the molten centre cools because we've taken too much energy out of the core it's magnetic charge stops protecting the earth and we need a crack team of scientists in a new design of inner space ship to detonate nuclear bombs inside the core to restart the reaction, or maybe that was just a B movie… lol
If the molten centre cools because we've taken too much energy out of the core it's magnetic charge stops protecting the earth and we need a crack team of scientists in a new design of inner space ship to detonate nuclear bombs inside the core to restart the reaction, or maybe that was just a B movie… lol
Simpo Two said:
Ah but then the middle of the Earth would cool down and change the climate. Environmentalists don't want answers, they just want to inflict misery and cost on everybody else. Even when every car runs on hydrogen, they'll still find something to complain about.
Steam from the exhausts making their lentils soggy
ks, wouldn't we!?
MK4 Slowride said:
Isn't there one country that has lots of natural hot springs got that all tapped up now for human consumption?
So this magma power + my friends spraying of water in the arctic to make more ice we've saved the world.
Iceland probably. IIRC it will generate 100% of it electricty either through Geothermal or Hydro in the next couple of years.So this magma power + my friends spraying of water in the arctic to make more ice we've saved the world.
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