The hunt for heat: Drilling the deepest holes on Earth
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241129-drilling-the-deepest-holes-on-earth-how-to-bore-12-miles-into-our-planets-crust
The hunt for heat: Drilling the deepest holes on Earth
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241129-drilling-the-deepest-holes-on-earth-how-to-bore-12-miles-into-our-planets-crust
4 Comments
Geothermal energy is making progress, thanks to new deep drilling tech that could tap into a huge energy source deep underground. With ideas drawn from nuclear fusion and space exploration, these new methods are helping solve problems like extreme depths and tough conditions, making geothermal a strong option for clean energy.
The microwave laser proposed for drilling holes is seriously cool. Like something straight out of science fiction
“He and his colleagues are experimenting with millimetre-wave directed energy beams that vaporise even the hardest rock. It focuses high-powered beam of radiation similar to microwaves but at a higher frequency onto a segment of rock, heating it up to 3,000C (5,432F) so that it melts and vaporises. By directing the beam so it bores through the rock, holes can be created without the debris and friction created by traditional drilling techniques.”
There are some major problems with this plan. Mainly that the stuff that comes out the lower layers of the earth’s crust is often toxic, environmentally harmful, and/or explosive. What happens when a plasma drill hits a methane pocket? If this goes horribly wrong, we could end up creating an artificial volcano.
Give our current technology (and what we’ll likely have in the next century) what advantages does this have over nuclear? You still have toxic waste (and likely significant carbon emissions) from drilling, and this would run the risk of melting down, much like a nuclear plant. What huge advantage does this have over nuclear?
The hunt for heat: Drilling the deepest holes on Earth
Starring : Me and your mom.