A geothermal hydrogen production system
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and environmental challenges of drilling for geothermal energy, coupled with the inability of solar and wind energy to provide affordable baseload electricity, hinder the widespread adoption of geothermal power for producing green hydrogen and freshwater, which is essential for sustainable energy solutions.
Innovation Solution
A geothermal hydrogen production system that utilizes geothermal energy to power an electrolyser directly or indirectly through a binary heating circuit, producing green hydrogen and freshwater without emissions, using thermal syphoning and waste thermal energy to drive turbines and pumps, reducing the need for supplementary electrical input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If geothermal drilling is performed using conventional oil and gas techniques, then geothermal energy can be accessed, but drilling costs become excessively high and environmental problems arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical drilling systems with a thermal drilling system that uses hot water injection to melt and erode rock formations. The drilling process utilizes thermal energy from the geothermal well itself to facilitate hole creation, eliminating the need for expensive conventional drilling equipment and reducing drilling costs significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The geothermal well serves multiple functions: it provides the heat source for energy generation, supplies hot water for thermal drilling of additional wells, and creates a self-sustaining system where the first well enables creation of subsequent wells at minimal cost. The system uses its own thermal output to expand its capacity.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If solar and wind energy are used to produce electricity, then emissions are low, but affordable baseload electricity cannot be delivered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of energy availability from intermittent (solar/wind) to continuous (geothermal). By utilizing the constant thermal energy stored in the Earth's crust, the system provides uninterrupted baseload power generation while maintaining low emissions, thereby resolving the reliability issue inherent in renewable energy systems.
3Productivity
If geothermal power is used to produce green hydrogen and freshwater, then sustainable energy solutions are achieved, but high drilling costs and technological limitations restrict widespread adoption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the geothermal energy system into modular components: individual wells that can be drilled independently, separate thermal drilling units, and discrete power generation modules. This segmentation allows for incremental deployment and reduces the complexity barrier to widespread adoption, as each module can be implemented separately rather than requiring a complete system at once.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves low-cost, zero-emission production of green hydrogen and freshwater, capable of meeting baseload energy demands with minimal environmental impact and reduced capital and operational costs, offering a scalable and reliable energy solution.
Implementation Method 1
The well is sustained by a thermal syphoning effect drawing liquid into the well to be heated as heated liquid is forced to the surface
Implementation Method 2
a first turbine driven by the heated liquid to produce a first mechanical output; a second turbine driven by the heated liquid to produce a second mechanical output
Implementation Method 3
the first mechanical output drives an electrical generator configured to power an electrolyser
Implementation Method 4
an electrolyser to therein disassociate the fresh water into its constituent parts, oxygen and hydrogen
Implementation Method 5
the second mechanical output drives a compressor to provide a compressed air supply
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a geothermal hydrogen production system, comprising; a primary liquid circuit circulating a liquid into a geothermal well and returning heated liquid from a well head of the geothermal well, the primary liquid circuit passing through a desalination plant; a first turbine driven by the heated liquid to produce a first mechanical output; and a second turbine driven by the heated liquid to produce a second mechanical output, wherein the first mechanical output drives an electrical generator, configured to power an electrolyser generating hydrogen via electrolysis of fresh water, and the second mechanical output drives an air compressor to provide at least one of a first, a second and a third compressed air supply, wherein the first compressed air supply drives a supply pump to supply salt water to the desalination plant, the second compressed air supply drives a start-up pump to initiate the primary liquid circuit, and the third compressed air supply drives a fresh water pump to deliver fresh water from the desalination plant to the electrolyser.