Wind Turbines Out West Part II

[rebewranger]

Wind Turbines Out West Part II
23 hours ago Guest Blogger 59 Comments
Kevin Kilty

This is a continuation of an earlier essay found here. I have repeated some background information for the convenience of the reader.

Background

Wind energy development has suddenly exploded in southeastern Wyoming. In just two counties we have now in operation, or permitted, some twelve wind projects involving 613,000 acres (958 square miles) and offering nameplate rating of 6,300MW. In this continuation of the earlier essay I am going to focus on the more technical uncertainties involved in permitting a wind energy conversion plant.

Completeness

The purpose of an applications process at the county level followed by a similar one at the State level is to ensure that a project not present hazards to the health, safety, or welfare of citizens or wildlife. Albany county zoning for example states its purpose as

“To assure that any development and production of wind-generated and solar-generated electricity in Albany County is safe, effective, and that it will minimize impacts to wildlife; … To acknowledge that these facilities are clearly visible and cannot be hidden from view, however, design consideration should include minimizing the degradation of the visual character of the area”

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/04/03/wind-turbines-out-west-part-ii/

[DefiantMassRINO]

Why don't they develop geo-thermal in the Yellowstone caldera?  All that geyser steam is wasted clean energy.

[Kamaji]

Why don't they develop geo-thermal in the Yellowstone caldera?  All that geyser steam is wasted clean energy.

Now there's a good idea!  How come nobody's thought of it yet?


On the other hand, here's the USCG's namby-pamby "reason" why not:  https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-we-use-heat-yellowstone-energy


Also, a discussion from Stanford from 2017:  http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph240/granja1/

[Smokin Joe]

Now there's a good idea!  How come nobody's thought of it yet?


On the other hand, here's the USCG's namby-pamby "reason" why not:  https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/can-we-use-heat-yellowstone-energy


Also, a discussion from Stanford from 2017:  http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph240/granja1/

Can it be done? sure, and likely without affecting the geysers that are so popular and thermal areas that are so deadly (car accidents are the only real competitor for killing people, one dip in the wrong pool and you're done --literally)

But will that happen? Of course not. No one is going to want to see, even in the 'off season' drilling rigs set up to drill into the hot fractured rock for a geothermal source, nor see the plant that makes electricity out of steam, the steam plume, condensed water cooling areas, or high tension wires wires to ship the electricity out.

All that industry in the midst of the groomed trails, walkways,  and handrails of the pristine wilderness is verboten!

[Elderberry]

Combating corrosion in geothermal wells

https://researchoutreach.org/articles/combating-corrosion-geothermal-wells/

Geothermal energy holds the potential to harvest vast amounts of energy from within the Earth’s crust. So far, however, exploitation of geothermal energy can be limited by corrosion – which damages the metal pipes required to carry high-temperature steam generated deep underground. In a new experiment, Andri Thorhallsson and Sigrun Karlsdottir at the University of Iceland show how the problem could be solved by building these pipes with a particular titanium alloy. Their results could pave the way for a more rapid expansion of geothermal energy in the near future.

The threat of corroding pipes

According to Thorhallsson and Karlsdottir, the technology is being held back by one particularly significant factor. The problem relates to the holes, or ‘wells,’ required to convey the steam pressurised deep underground back to the surface. ‘The drilled wells are cased with cylindrical pipes, which ensure the smooth discharge of geothermal fluid from the Earth’s crust towards the surface’, Thorhallsson explains. ‘In order to achieve high energy efficiency, it is highly important that the piping material retains its integrity.’

Currently, these pipes are often designed using carbon steel or low alloyed steel that have high strength but are prone to corrosion. The geothermal fluid discharged from geothermal wells contains several corrosive species: including hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Enlisting a new alloy

Recently, a lot of research in the geothermal industry has been dedicated to developing new piping materials, which can better withstand the highly corrosive environment of Earth’s crust. Promising advances in this area have been made using titanium, and titanium-based alloys. ‘Titanium is a relatively expensive material, but can be useful in geothermal systems where the corrosion is particularly aggressive’, Thorhallsson describes.

These durable properties are due to the metals forming thin layers of titanium dioxide on their surfaces, which increases the corrosion resistance of the titanium significantly. Since titanium is far less reactive to corrosive gases, it can be immune to corrosion in geothermal piping system. Yet in addition to their costs, the mechanical structures of titanium-based materials can deteriorate at high temperatures – making them less suitable for the high temperatures experienced deep within Earth’s crust. As a result, thorough analysis of the physical condition of the geothermal system must be conducted before design and construction of the piping system.

More at link.

[Smokin Joe]

Interesting. Thanks!