Sources:
Title of article: "Mining for Heat"
Picture: http://tinyurl.com/28rjqua
Date & Publisher: ScienceDaily May 2, 2012
Article Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502112931.htm
Summary: Mining is obviousilly a very risky job. When too many things go worng, or the mine becomes usless it is left abandoned. Normally it just sits there useless and becomes a home for bats or another type of animal if there are any left around. Recentally scientests have come up with an idea of how to turn these abandoned mines into geothermal energy sources. The heat given off by the Earths mantle and their convection currents travel through the rock above and scientests have figured out that every kilometer of a typical deep underground mine could produce about 150 kw (Kilowatts) of heat. Thats enough to heat about 5 to 10 houses!! Scientests have also observed how the heat travles through water. Some abandoned mines are filled with water and then instead of the heat just being in the air, the heat is in the water. To figure out with way is better, scientests will be preforming certian tests in the near future on these and other heat extraction scenarios. Though they have figured out that while using the water method, people or a company would only be able to take the heat no more quickly than it could be replenished. Or else it would mess up the system. Also after extracting the heat from the water, the cold water would then be pumped back into the mine to be reused. A number of communities in Canada and Europe have already started useing geothermal heat from abandoned mines, and scientests estimate that up to one million canandians could benifit from the geothermal energy. Or even a greater benifit to the people living in Great Britian. This heat source provides heat all year round if needed, and so the colder regions of the world are taking thought to this idea as an alternative energy source.
Opinion/Reflection: Once I read this article it opened my eyes to all the simple things around us that could be used as an energy source. I would of never guessed how people would turn a useless old abandoned mine into an all out source of energy. This shows how eager some people are to find alternitive energy sources as we start to run out of our fossil fules. Although this atricle did not explan the inpact that a energyplant or powerplant would have on the surrounding land if built next to a mine, but I assume that it would impact the environment in some way or another. Otherwise than that I see this as a great idea to replace other methods of creating energy. I hope the whole world soon sees this idea and can help chip in and make this plan work globaly instead of only in the cold regions of the world where it is being used now.
Questions:
1. Do you believe that this is a clean alternitave energy source compared to other methods? Why?
2. If this method becomes popular around the world, do you think it would be safe to be building mines right next to (basically right under) populated cities and or towns?
3. If you were incharge of a mining company, would you mine for metals or mine for heat? Explain your choice.
4. Do you think mining for heat would be easier if mined on land or in the ocean? Why?
5. Is this a renewable or nonrenewable source of energy?
This would be an awesome way to reuse our sources to get more out of the resources we think that we already finished using. It would be a way to prolong our sources so that we are not left on earth without any fossil fuels. This would also help the environment because instead of leaving an abandoned mine, and using it to power homes. I am concerned about us running out of fossil fuels in our future and us not having any power or electricity to power our future. We need to use the most out of our resources or else we will just be wasting away what we already have. To answer number four, I think that it would be easier to drill for heat because you can actually go under ground to drill. Underwater you would be relying on a machine to drill. If there was an issue with spilling, there would be more damage to the oceans and marine life, than there would be on land. It would be better, safer, and more reliable to drill for heat on land.
ReplyDeleteI am always impressed by the way scientists are constantly coming up with new ways to get alternative energy. This is a very good idea in concept, but I feel like it would be dangerous to the environment to start and maintain. This is partially because of the water put into the mine could go through and become acidic. If it turned out to be safe, this would be a very good idea and could hopefully be implemented other places also.
ReplyDeleteTo answer number 3, I would mine for both. I would create a very big mine, and use half for the energy and half for the ore. When I ran out of ore on the one side, I would switch and get the ore from the other side. I would keep expanding my mine and use all the areas that are depleted of re for energy.
Reflection: I'm surprised how old abandoned mine could be used to help us usually I thought that the abandoned mines would be just harmful to the environment but even if it still does we can use the heat or energy in the mines for our uses. If scientists continue to find ways to use energy in already used objects or places then maybe we can reduce the carbon dioxide in the air.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I will answer 4 and I think it will be less dangerous because the caves could cave in still but there won't be coal that the miners would be breathing in which could literally destroy their lungs. In the ocean it could be dangerous as well because you would still have to go deep and if you go way too deep you could get crushed by the pressure of the ocean.
I think this is better than just leaving the mine abandoned, but I think if there is a flaw in the system to get the heated water there might be a flood. I think a flood would still be better than the affects that just leaving the mine alone would have.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 5: I think this is renewable because if you can recycle the water that goes through there it would be renewable because water is renewable, and so is heat from the mantle.