> You could however run one in reverse and use
> it as a heater, though I don't think that's
> terribly practical either.
Actually, that should work. I spoke with a contractor at a church
event who does geothermal installations. They basically drill a hole
200 feet down into the ground, throw some piping down there, then
circulate water. The amount of energy spent moving the water is minor
compared to the amount of heat which is extracted from that depth.
(At least during winter months.)
He claimed that due to the fact that temperatures at that depth are
relatively constant, these installations can keep a house at an even
temperature year-round.
Geothermal engine
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Response to Geothermal engine
Huh, I didn't think of that, but that sounds pretty sweet. It makes a lot of sense, all the constancy of a cave and it's massive volume without the cave bit. The earth as a cold sink, as in the reverse of a heat sink.
Well that's good to know, but you probably don't want to embark on that project without professional help.
Well that's good to know, but you probably don't want to embark on that project without professional help.
Re: Geothermal engine
What about using solar as the hot side, and just burry a loop in the ground simular to what they do for a geothermal heat pump system? Assuming the sloar can heat the fluid to 100 deg F the ground loop should always be at or very near 50 deg F. Just a thought
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Re: Geothermal engine - help a newbie out?
This is not a theoretical question for me. I have access to 160 degree F water. How do I get electricity out of it? It seems to me a Stirling engine ought to do it, but I am a housewife with only the vaguest clue about Stirling engines. Is there anybody here who knows exactly what they would do with that kind of resource?