Page 6 - Geothermal Energy Renewable Energy and The Environment
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Contents
Series Editor’s Preface ......................................................................................................................xi
Preface..............................................................................................................................................xv
Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................xvii
Series Editor ....................................................................................................................................xix
Author .............................................................................................................................................xxi
Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................1
The Global Energy Landscape .....................................................................................1
The Historical Role of Fuel .....................................................................................1
The Impact of Population Growth and per Capita Energy Use ...............................2
Fuel Emissions and Environmental Considerations ................................................3
Geothermal Energy as a Renewable Energy Source ....................................................4
No Fuel, Few Emissions ..........................................................................................4
Geothermal Energy Is a Flexible Energy Resource ................................................5
Electrical Demand and the Characteristics of Geothermal Energy .............................7
Generating Electrical Power for the Grid ................................................................7
Generating Electrical Power for Local Use .............................................................8
How This Book Is Organized .......................................................................................8
Synopsis ........................................................................................................................8
References ....................................................................................................................9
Further Information Sources ........................................................................................9
Chapter 2. Sources of Geothermal Heat: Earth as a Heat Engine ............................................... 11
Origin of Earth’s Heat ................................................................................................ 11
Heat from Formation of the Core .......................................................................... 11
Heat from Radioactive Decay of Long-Lived Isotopes .........................................12
Transfer of Heat in the Earth ...................................................................................... 14
Radiation................................................................................................................ 14
Conduction .............................................................................................................15
Convection .............................................................................................................19
Plate Tectonics and the Distribution of Geothermal Resources ................................20
Availability and Utilization of Geothermal Energy ...................................................23
Synopsis ......................................................................................................................26
Case Studies ...............................................................................................................26
Spreading Centers .................................................................................................26
Subduction Zones ..................................................................................................27
Hot Spots ...............................................................................................................27
References ..................................................................................................................28
Further Information ....................................................................................................29
Chapter 3. Thermodynamics and Geothermal Systems .............................................................. 31
The First Law of Thermodynamics: The Equivalence of Heat and Work and
the Conservation of Energy ........................................................................................ 31
Conservation of Energy ......................................................................................... 31
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