Thread: Hawaii's Geothermal?

"Ditkof said, "Very shallow magma chambers mean there is a very shallow geothermal heat source that could be tapped," for example to generate steam to power turbines in electrical plants, she said.

"If someone could utilize that, you have amazing geothermal potentials."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ience-chamber/

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Given they import most of their energy making their electricity among the highest in the country this seems like a excellent place to develop geothermal.

The bad news: Hawaii's energy demand is puny. But perhaps they could take on smelting or somesuch? Would the postcard state allow that kind of industry?

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I'm rather interested in Hawaii's shallow magma as a potential heavy metal dump site. I mean dropping our nuclear waste into a refractory-lined well and watching it sink beyond reckoning...

Originally Posted by Pong

The bad news: Hawaii's energy demand is puny. But perhaps they could take on smelting or somesuch? Would the postcard state allow that kind of industry?

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I'm rather interested in Hawaii's shallow magma as a potential heavy metal dump site. I mean dropping our nuclear waste into a refractory-lined well and watching it sink beyond reckoning...

It doesn't matter the size of the energy demand, the demand is there, thus making it a candidate.

The cost of importing then exporting the product to be smelted would quickly and vastly outweigh the cheap smelting cost.

The magma is rising so what you would end up ,with a large volume of highly radioactive lava/rock as the containers of NW would melt and dispersed into the lava system rather then doing anything resembling sinking.

For Hawaii, micro-nuclear power generation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_4S

Paleoichneum,

Size of the energy demand does matter. If the demand is little, No funding for it will take place, and Geothermal energy will not be invested in. It may be a candidate, just not a promising one.

You've got the chemistry and enginnering to fit in too. New Zealand along with Iceland produce good geothermal. Heat transported by 15in shiny pipes 6ft off the ground?

Plus you need a river or reservoir to replenise the "fuel". A water source is pumped back into the ground to maintain output.

Where lucky in New Zealand that our longest river flows past a "supervolcano" on the way to our largest city.

Originally Posted by Pong

The bad news: Hawaii's energy demand is puny. .

I don't understand this one. The big island which is where the magma chamber is located has about a quarter of a million people. That's more than many conventional power plants provide for.

Originally Posted by Lynx_Fox

Originally Posted by Pong

The bad news: Hawaii's energy demand is puny. .

I don't understand this one. The big island which is where the magma chamber is located has about a quarter of a million people. That's more than many conventional power plants provide for.

I agree, the entire state at this point has to either log the native forests for wood to burn, or import gas/coal for power plants. at the wile they are on a stable and very rich geothermal source of heat

Originally Posted by Pong

The bad news: Hawaii's energy demand is puny. But perhaps they could take on smelting or somesuch? Would the postcard state allow that kind of industry?

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I'm rather interested in Hawaii's shallow magma as a potential heavy metal dump site. I mean dropping our nuclear waste into a refractory-lined well and watching it sink beyond reckoning...

Iceland will convert the extra geothermal heat to aluminum production. For those wanting a hydrogen economy, why not make hydrogen out of sea water?