GEOTHERMAL HEAT HARVESTERS

• Main Authors: MONCARZ, PIOTR D, KOLBE, WALTER R, RYAN, KEANEN, CAPUANO, LOUIS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 30.03.2017
• Subjects: BLASTING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; WEAPONS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

Thermal energy is extracted from geological formations using a heat harvester. In some embodiments, the heat harvester is a once-through, closed loop, underground heat harvester created by directionally drilling through hot rock. The extracted thermal energy can be converted or transformed to other...