Geothermal energy company Quaise Energy has launched the first demonstration of its new drilling technique on a full-scale oil rig in Texas.
As Energy Global reported, the demo took place at an oil rig just outside of Houston in May.
"Deep geothermal energy is at the core of an energy-independent world," according to Quaise Energy. "Our mission is to bring this inexhaustible, renewable, clean energy source to future generations."
CEO and co-founder Carlos Araque explained that infinite, clean geothermal energy is available in enormous quantities worldwide.
"If you take all fossil, all nuclear, and all other forms of renewable energy combined, they are not even a millionth of a millionth of the thermal stores of energy below the Earth's surface," Araque said. "It's mind-boggling, and to get it, we only have to go down two to 12 miles."
In the past, geothermal energy has been written off as a viable contributor to the clean energy mix because of its inaccessibility. Oil and gas drilling mechanisms can't handle the intense heat and pressure required to drill miles below the surface.
Yet geothermal energy could be a highly efficient energy source if pumped to above-ground turbines and converted into electricity. This is where Quaise stepped in to use millimeter wave energy instead of standard drill bits to break up rock. Millimeter waves are electromagnetic frequencies with wavelengths between 10 and 1 millimeters, so between microwave and infrared waves.
Quaise is looking to prove its technology useful for harnessing the power of geothermal energy practically and affordably. The geothermal developer wants to access clean energy to be used globally.
The company has built upon 15-year-old MIT technology to drill deep holes with millimeter waves. Outside the lab, it proved successful in drilling a hole 10 feet deep and four inches in diameter. After inserting granite columns into the holes, it shot millimeter waves into the columns to deepen the holes.
Since then, the Quaise engineering team has been able to drill down to 30 feet; its next goal is 40 feet. Using a considerably larger gyrotron that can produce one megawatt of power, the team plans to drill multiple holes into granite at a depth of 425 feet at a demonstration site in Marble Falls.
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Should we be digging miles beneath Earth's surface? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
No way 👎 Geothermal energy breakthroughs such as this are transforming the future of how we source energy. Meanwhile, other innovations may speed the delivery and cut costs associated with delivering geothermal energy.
Experts predict that this type of clean energy could power the planet for millions of years with adequate funding in place to support its advancement. In conjunction with other clean energy solutions, including installing solar panels, geothermal energy has the potential to help individuals, companies, and cities save money on power while generating less pollution.
As geothermal energy solutions move forward, something you can do now is look into a solar setup for your home. EnergySage offers a free service to compare installation quotes and save up to $10,000.
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