Monday, December 3, 2012

(2) Energy Efforts


The years roll by when one is working on projects that not 
only interest them, but also are worthwhile.  From rooftop 
parks and skyscraper forests in the midst of an urban setting,
I moved on to some interesting work out in our nearby desert.
Really different for me!

The local energy company had long ago tapped into geo-thermal
energy.  Even before the Third Millennium, a cluster of geo-thermal
plants had been built near the shore of the Salton Sea.  To make
a long story short, there was a call to develop a more modern
design that utilized advanced technology.  The plan was eventually
to build at least three more geo-thermal facilities in the area.

Using monastic terms I was a total novice when it came to
geo-thermal processes, much less designing a plant.   Again I
weighed in with the engineers who ran the existing facilities.  
Briefly I learned about how geo-thermal power is derived from
radioactive rocks beneath the Earth's surface.  These rocks
naturally emit heat.  The rocks are cracked open and water is
pumped through them and back up to the surface.  Really hot,
the boiling water produces steam, which in turn rotates a turbine.

As I already knew, a geo-thermal plant can take years to build.
At least building alongside the Salton Sea provided a desirable
location.  The computer technology involved in this process is
awesome, but the software has been in place for years.  So the
design of the new plant really wouldn't be as demanding as I 
once thought.  And, fortunately, I was a minor player in this
case, simply assisting the primary architect for this project.
Nevertheless, the project was incredibly time consuming.  Hence
I spent a lot of time out in the desert clime of the Salton Sea.

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