Geothermal Energy | A Student's Guide to Global Climate Change | US EPA - 0 views
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Geothermal power plants, which use heat from deep inside the Earth to generate steam to make electricity. Geothermal heat pumps, which tap into heat close to the Earth's surface to heat water or provide heat for buildings.
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At a geothermal power plant, wells are drilled 1 or 2 miles deep into the Earth to pump steam or hot water to the surface.
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hot springs, geysers, or volcanic activity, because these are places where the Earth is particularly hot just below the surface.
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Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a well under high pressure. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped, which causes the water to turn into steam. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity. The steam cools off in a cooling tower and condenses back to water. The cooled water is pumped back into the Earth to begin the process again.
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Geothermal heat pumps can do all sorts of things—from heating and cooling homes to warming swimming pools.
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heat by pumping water or a refrigerant (a special type of fluid) through pipes just below the Earth's surface, where the temperature is a constant 50 to 60°F.