Heating to white: avant-garde technology
Typical geothermal installations use rocks at around 200°C, but Quaise Energy wants to go much further by using rocks at 375°C. How is this possible? Thanks to microwaves capable of vaporizing the rock and releasing all the energy contained therein. The idea sounds futuristic, but Quaise developed this technology specifically to overcome the limitations of traditional techniques.
Potential beneath our feet that could change everything
An MIT study in 2006 previously estimated that just two percent of the geothermal energy present at depths of three to ten kilometers would be enough to cover more than 2,000 times the annual consumption of the United States. Quaise seeks to exploit these resources and transform the water into supercritical water, which would multiply the quantity of energy transported by three or four. For those wondering what this means: imagine a much more efficient way to heat our homes, with natural sources of energy, present right under our feet.
Technical challenges and innovative solutions
For Quaise, there is no shortage of challenges. High temperatures and extreme pressure render conventional drilling equipment unusable. This is where microwave drilling technology comes in. Imagine a sort of “thermal lance” capable of piercing all kinds of rocks, indiscriminately, to depths where no one had ventured before.
Understand the behavior of water in these extreme conditions
One question still remains unanswered: how does water behave at such high temperatures? Until now, this has never been tested in such extreme geothermal systems. Quaise is actively working on models to anticipate water reactions in these unique environments. The result could be a game-changer and open the way to new ways of harnessing renewable energy.
A new approach to fracking
The key, says Trenton Cladouhos, vice president of geothermal resource development at Quaise, is using microcracks instead of the usual large fractures. This “large cloud of permeability”, as he calls it, will make it possible to connect the different wells in a much more efficient way. This approach will be put to the test at Newberry Volcano, Oregon, where the necessary heat conditions can be achieved without needing to go too deep.
Towards a hybrid and more efficient model
Cladouhos also predicts that to best exploit these resources, a hybrid approach may be necessary: combining natural fractures with artificially created microfractures. This strategy could significantly improve the efficiency of geothermal installations and revolutionize the sector, providing cleaner and more abundant energy for a sustainable future.
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