Geothermal

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ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research

October 26, 2009

The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 37 energy research projects for $151 million in funding through the recently formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This is the first round of projects funded under ARPA-E, which is receiving total of $400 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Among the projects selected are an effort to develop new metal-air batteries using advanced ionic liquids with 6-20 times the energy density of Li-ion batteries at < 1/3 the cost; a project to produce a flow of gasoline directly from sunlight and CO₂ using a symbiotic system of two organisms; and a new type of engine for use as a genset in a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is five times more efficient than traditional auto engines in electricity production, 20% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture.

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New PNNL Geothermal Heat Extraction Process Optimizes Low-Temperature Resources; NYU Stern Study Finds Geothermal Most Efficient Renewable and Improving the Fastest

July 16, 2009

PNNL’s metal-organic heat carrier (MOHC) in the biphasic fluid may help improve thermodynamic efficiency of the heat recovery process. This image represents the molecular makeup of one of several MOHCs. Source: PNNL. Click to enlarge.

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources.

PNNL’s conversion system exploits the rapid expansion and contraction capabilities of a new biphasic fluid. When exposed to heat brought to the surface from water circulating in moderately hot, underground rock, the thermal-cycling of the biphasic fluid will power a turbine to generate electricity.

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Potter Drilling to Test Oxford Catalysts’ Instant Steam Technology in Drilling Geothermal Wells

May 21, 2009

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Potter Drilling, Inc., a google.org funded company, to explore the incorporation of Oxford Catalysts’ Instant Steam technology (earlier post) into Potter Drilling’s hydrothermal spallation technology for drilling geothermal wells.

Geothermal wells can be slow and expensive to drill using conventional rotary drilling methods because the wells are often sunk deep into hard crystalline rocks which are difficult and slow to penetrate and which quickly wear down the drill bits. Potter Drilling’s technology overcomes these problems by using superheated fluid to drill through the rocks, rather than relying on the abrasive cutting power of a rotating drill bit.

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