Hot water rock drill by Potter Drill reduces cost of geothermal energy production

Posted by in Green on May 20th, 2010 | no responses

Geothermal energy production goes greener, with the use of a novel drill recently developed. Funded by Google.org, Potter Drill is busy developing the technology required to produce geothermal energy, harvested by capturing energy from hot rocks deep in the earth. Water is pumped deep into the earth, causing rock fractures, heating up the water, which is then pumped up and powers up turbines. The drill is inspired by a jet engine, using super heated water to carve into rock, making harvesting geothermal energy a tad cleaner. Environmentalists have also been eagerly awaiting the harvest and use of geothermal energy on a larger scale than it is today. A clean and carbon free way to energy production, geothermal energy can help satisfy the power needs of the world today to quite an extent. Projects like these have already sprung up in Austria, Iceland and Germany, and are generating a whole load of green energy, from the earth’s core. Our planet earth does have a green heart after all! [ Guardian ]