Clean Energy Australasia (CEA) plans to generate electricity by the integration of Hot Rocks Geothermal Energy and Solar Thermal Energy.
Hot Rocks Geothermal Energy
Graphic courtesy of ANU
- Water pumped into injection well
- Circulated through fractured hot rocks several kilometres below the surface
- Super-heated water / steam is then returned to the surface through production well
- Super-heated water / steam is used to generate electricity
Organic Rankine Cycle
The prime surface technology for converting geothermal heat to transmittable electrical energy is the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). An ORC plant has the capability of extracting usefull work energy from low temperature hot water in the range of 80 to 200 degrees C. To achieve this a secondary (binary) fluid that has a lower boiling point is used to drive the turbine generator.
Solar Thermal Energy
Solar Thermal Plant, Southern Spain
Graphic Courtesy Solucar PS10
- Mirrors used to focus solar energy
- Receiver generates super-heated steam
- Steam to generate electricity
- Electrical energy storage option to provide base load electricity