AdvancedTopic 102 of 105Thermodynamics & Fluids
Geothermal and solar thermal systems
Renewable heat sources for power and heating.
In depth
Geothermal plants use hot water or steam from the earth (dry steam, flash, binary cycles); heat pumps use shallow ground. Solar thermal systems use collectors (flat plate, evacuated tube) for heating and CSP plants focus sunlight (trough, tower) to drive steam turbines with molten-salt storage.
Key points
- Capacity factors up to 90% for geothermal
- Collector efficiency curve
- Thermal storage
ExampleA CSP tower plant can produce power for hours after sunset.
What is Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
Renewable heat sources for power and heating.
Why is it important to understand geothermal and solar thermal systems?
Geothermal and solar thermal systems supply heat and power from renewable sources, so their design depends on temperature and resource availability.
What is a flat-plate solar collector?
A panel that absorbs sunlight on a dark surface and transfers the heat to a fluid, which is used for water and space heating.
Why does geothermal depend on location?
Heat sources near the surface and suitable aquifers or hot rock are needed, so resource availability varies a great deal by site.
How is Geothermal and solar thermal systems used in practice?
Typical applications include providing district heating from a geothermal well, generating power with a parabolic trough solar plant and preheating water for a building with a solar collector.
What should I learn before Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
Study "Fuel cells" first (topic 101 of 105 in Thermodynamics & Fluids). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
Capacity factors up to 90% for geothermal. Collector efficiency curve. Thermal storage.
Can you give an example of Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
A CSP tower plant can produce power for hours after sunset.
What comes after Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
The next topic is "Energy efficiency and sustainability", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Geothermal and solar thermal systems?
It is classed as Advanced in Thermodynamics & Fluids (topic 102 of 105). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Thermodynamics & Fluids.