Underground Heat to power generators ( no water or steam)

[wizeguy]

I've just read an article about a local businessman who claims to have found a way to use "underground heat" to power generators,to produce electricity refered to as "dry-wells".
The system doesn't extract or use underground water or steam, and they don't inject water to create steam either.

"The system used a 38cm bore to tap into heat underground and drive a generator. The bore would probably need to be 300 to 350m deep depending on the depth of the heat field. .... We are using ground heat"

Does anyone know how to generate electricity from heat alone, without using water or steam??

cheers
vin

 

[MJCronin]

wize.....

A cheap device to directly convert heat to electricity...??

Let me know when you find it.....

The reason why we engineers have developed boilers, steam and gas turbines, condensers and cooling towers is that they are the most efficent ways of coverting heat into rotating (shaft) energy and then into electricity.

We would love to convert the heat of burning coal/gas/oil directly into electrical energy, but have never found a way to do it cheaply and efficiently.

Perhaps if the Republicans in congress announced a ten-year "Manhattan Project"-like effort, poured oceans of money into the effort it could be done.....!!!?????????

NNNnnaaaaaaa......

Review your elementary thermo and Google "thermionic converter"

-MJC

 

[wizeguy]

The article was vague in it's description of the proposed method of generation that prompted my question.

If it was me... "I'd be sitting on a beach earning 20%!"

cheers
vin

 

[ilan7]

Guys, I agree that if there was an easy way we would not build all those turbines, gen's and so on.
BUT I already heard about a system to produce electricity from heat, using Thermocouples.
Thermocouples are used to measure temperature, as they have hot junction and cold junction and creates voltage differential between those two points. The original T/C creates only millivolts but if you put a lot of them together you might and with some power. Do not belive it will be MegaWatts, but some.
We are also working on the use of dry geothermal wells but we limit ourself to the treditional water heating or boiling process.