MXPA97009569A

MXPA97009569A - System for the geotermic production of electrici

Info

Publication number: MXPA97009569A
Application number: MXPA/A/1997/009569A
Authority: MX
Inventors: H Shnell James
Original assignee: H Shnell James
Priority date: 1995-06-07
Filing date: 1997-12-04
Publication date: 1998-10-15

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for capturing geothermal heat by the use of electrolytic reactions, said system comprising: a well having an upper part and a lower part, wherein said well is perforated to a depth sufficient to acquire geothermal heat; thermocoupler that resides at least partially in said well, said thermocoupler generates an electric current from said geothermal heat, an electrolytic device that resides at least partially inside said well, and means for coupling said electrolytic device and said thermocouple

Description

SYSTEM FOR THE GEOTHERMAL PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY Field of the Invention This invention relates to the production of electricity by the use of geothermal heat and, more particularly, to the use of geothermal heat to generate endothermic reaction products by a catalytic or electrolytic reaction device by a thermal pair device. Background of the Invention Current systems for the production of electricity from geothermal energy depend on heat in the earth's crust to vaporize water or other liquid; The steam is then used in a turbine to generate electricity. The geothermal heat is usually brought to the surface by means of wells that perforate the steam or brine deposits that circulate at depths in the crust, in a manner sufficient to collect a substantial amount of heat. An example is found in the patent of E. U. A., No. 3,786,858 (1974). However, modern steam turbines operate more efficiently at very high temperatures, substantially higher than the temperatures achieved in the steam and brine deposits, generally used to produce geothermal electricity. The heat present in the depths inside the earth, which can be obtained (for practical purposes) is not sufficiently concentrated. Therefore, steam turbines, geothermal energy, are less efficient. They are also limited in the operation by the fact that the heat removed from the earth can not be stored for later use. The heat must be used immediately or it will be lost. In addition, the brine or vapor loses a significant amount of its heat (usually 25 to 35%), as it is brought to the surface. The brine or vapor from the geothermal deposits is generally accompanied by hydrogen sulfide and other unwanted gases, which must be captured as they escape into the atmosphere. Because the temperature of the brine or steam is relatively low, a large amount must be transported to generate a sufficient level of electricity. Consequently, large diameter wells are required, which are expensive to drill. Likewise, the brine or steam that is brought to the surface is often highly mineralized and corrosive. If used directly in a turbine, this turbine must be modified to withstand these conditions, thus further decreasing the efficiency of the system. In one alternative, the brine or vapor can be used for the boiling of another fluid through a heat exchanger in a binary generator system. This alternative also loses some efficiency through the heat exchanger. Another problem that may be caused by the minerals in the brine or steam is aqugel from the inlays in the wells, which can be accumulated over time and should be removed periodically. The brine presents waste problems after it has been used, unless it is reinjected into the tank, which requires expensive pumping and can contaminate this deposit. Even if the brine is reinjected, some of the salts may be separated from the solution, as the brine cools before reinjection. These salts, which may be radioactive or otherwise dangerous, must be removed and discarded safely. The most significant limitation is that there are very few deposits that are both large enough and hot enough to make geothermal exploitation an economic prospect. The conventional method for the production of electricity is thus very limited in its application. The research is currently conducting the possibility of drilling in dry and hot rock "HDR") and injecting water to create a geothermal deposit that can be drilled to generate electricity. However, some systems face the same problems as conventional geothermal systems and are more expensive. HDR systems require drilling two wells, a water injection well to create a deposit and a separate production well to continuously bring the steam to the surface. The use of only one well to inject water and recover the steam will not be efficient, since too much energy would be lost when the injected water passes to the rising steam, or the steam will be recovered only intermittently, so that the energy will not be supplied to the generator on a continuous basis. The injection of water into the rock requires an amount of energy that represents a significant fraction of the energy that the system can produce, thus decreasing the efficiency of the system. Likewise, a certain percentage of the water that is injected is lost in the fractures of the rock, and will not be returned to the production well. The greater the amount of pressure that is used to drive the water from the injection well to the production well, the more water will be lost. The higher pressure in the injection well causes the fissures to expand, and the colder water, which causes the rock to shrink. Dilation is necessary in the production well, where it accelerates the release of energy in the rock. The tests showed that a short-term confinement of the production well improves overall well production by increasing its expansion.

With the technology of geothermal production, still in its infancy, the predominant method used for the generation of electricity is the combustion of hydrocarbons and the conversion of the resulting heat into electricity. Until the last decade, the majority of electricity was generated by the combustion of coal to produce steam. Recently, roughly half of all new electricity generation capacity has taken the form of combustion turbines that burn oil or natural gas and that use the power to create electricity through the direct link to a generator. In a system that uses a "combined cycle", the exhaust heat of the combustion turbine is used to create steam, which then generates additional electricity in a steam turbine. However, a combustion turbine uses a significant amount of the energy created to compress the air it takes in to sustain its operation. Each of the above combustion processes releases substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides that produce air pollution and potential acid rain. They also produce carbon dioxide, thus contributing to global warming. If coal or oil is used as the fuel, sulfur dioxide is also released into the atmosphere, which can produce additional acid rain, and the particulate matter can be released as well. The combustion of coal also produces ash, which must be disposed of properly. Likewise, these processes exhaust all limited natural sources. Other technologies used to produce electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar and wind generation. Nuclear generation is expensive and has serious emissions of waste and pollution. Hydroelectric, solar and wind generation face temporary and spatial limitations in terms of the areas in which they are effective, thus requiring extensive collection systems and causing environmental impacts. In addition, solar generation and wind generation are significantly more expensive than conventional technology. Much of the electricity produced today is generated by the condensation of steam turbines. The combustion is burned and the exhaust gas is released into the atmosphere, while the heat produces a superheated vapor. The steam passes through a steam turbine generator, to generate electricity and condenses at the end of the cycle. The drop in pressure due to condensation at the outlet end of the turbine allows this turbine to rotate more freely, but the overall process is still at less than forty percent efficiency, partly due to the need to convert the heat of combustion in steam energy. A significant amount of energy is also lost through the escape of the combustion process.

A portion that steadily increases new generation capacity, installed in recent years, is in the form of combustion turbines. These combustion turbines use the energy released from combustion to rotate the shaft in the turbine, which then turns on an electric generator. The turbine requires a large volume of air for combustion, which requires filtration and often heating or cooling. It also introduces dirt into the turbine and consumes energy. The exhaust gas is then released into the atmosphere and carries a significant amount of energy, as well as contamination with it. In addition, a combustion turbine uses a significant amount of energy to compress the inlet air, still only 16% (or less) of which is the oxygen used in the combustion process. Only recently, combustion turbines achieved efficiencies of approximately 40%, while operating in a "single cycle". Efficiencies of approximately 50% can be achieved by combustion turbines operating in a "combined cycle", in which the heat of the exhaust gas from the combustion turbine is converted into steam energy, which is then used to operate a steam turbine generator. This steam, however, is not overheated, like the steam that is commonly used in steam turbine generators. Consequently, the steam cycle of a combined cycle system is less efficient than a single steam turbine. The steam turbine and the combustion turbine (if they are single cycle or combined cycle) both cause the contamination of the release of products and byproducts of combustion in the atmosphere. They lose efficiency because they release a significant amount of combustion energy as escape. The steam generator and the combined cycle combustion turbine generator lose efficiency due to the conversion of heat into the vapor pressure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a system for the efficient generation of electricity from geothermal energy, where one or more substances are transported down a well to a depth at which geothermal heat (from deposits). of brine or steam or hot dry rocks) is sufficient to cause a thermal reaction, such as an endothermic reaction or an electrolysis reaction that occurs between these substances. The reaction products are then transported separately to the surface, where the products undergo a reverse (exothermic) reaction, and the energy from this exothermic reaction is converted into electrical energy, through a steam turbine, a combustion turbine or a combination of the two, in certain circumstances, a fuel cell can take the place of the turbine (s). The thermal reaction, such as endothermic reaction at the bottom of the well, can proceed slowly, at a relatively low temperature, with the products being created and collected over a large area. The exothermic reaction will proceed quickly and reach a high temperature, effectively concentrating the geothermal heat to make the most efficient production of electricity. In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, a catalytic device, having one or more conduits, such as porous tubes or rods, is used to collect one or more of the endothermic reaction products and transport these products separately from the other products. The conduits are nested within a permeable ceramic material by the products, where this ceramic material is surrounded by a thin film or mesh of a catalyst, such as a zeolite. Although the injected water is automatically subjected to the endothermic reaction when exposed to heat at the bottom of the well, the use of a catalyst on the surface of the catalytic device is convenient to accelerate the reaction. The tubes or conduits have a cross-sectional configuration that is effective for collecting the intended products. A duct or set of ducts is obtained from a material which is permeable to one of the products of the endothermic reaction, but not permeated by or repelled (eg chemically, the higher pressure) of the other products of the endothermic reaction and the reagents Another conduit or set of conduits receives the remaining products. The tubes will be assembled in a way that promotes the separation of the products, absorbing them separately as they form on the surface of the catalyst. In a simple form, the catalytic device is a conduit composed of a catalyst that is permeable by only one of the products of the endothermic reaction. The remaining products and reagents, if any, will be returned from the bottom of the well through a separate conduit. In the first preferred embodiment, the catalyst is porous to all products of the endothermic reaction. A selective material, which is porous to only one product, surrounds the porous tubes or ducts that are closest to the catalyst surface, so that the product is removed from the catalyst. The innermost tube or porous conduit collects the remaining product. For example, if the decomposition of water is the desired endothermic reaction product, the catalyst will be a suitable transition metal, such as, for example, palladium. The catalytic material is a thin film or mesh that surrounds the porous ceramic material, in which the ducts for the products are incrusted. In the preferred embodiment, a series of external conduits absorb hydrogen and an internal conduit absorbs oxygen. This internal duct can simply be a hole in the porous ceramic material, through which the oxygen diffuses. The series of conduits for receiving hydrogen exclusively can, for example, be made of palladium or other materials, which are sufficiently porous to allow hydrogen to pass through them, but not oxygen. As the respective tubes absorb the respective products, the endothermic reaction with the assistance of the catalyst will effectively decrease the total number of molecules outside the catalytic device. Since the porous catalyst device effectively removes the endothermic products from the tank, the high pressure in the tank does not oppose the endothermic reaction. In fact, the elevated pressure at the bottom of the well promotes the endothermic reaction. The optimal design for the particular catalytic device will depend on the nature of the endothermic reaction, its reactants and products, the type of the catalyst used and the conditions under which the reaction occurs.

A catalytic device, constructed in accordance with the present invention, will promote the endothermic reaction and, simultaneously, collect and separate the products of that reaction. The system of the present invention advantageously includes a mechanism for collecting the products of the endothermic reaction to transport them to the upper part of the well. The present invention will collect the products and, at the same time, segregate them in order to prevent unwanted reactions between the products or a product with some other material. The invention will also cause elevated pressures in the well to promote the endothermic reaction. The high pressures do not oppose the reaction, since the porous ducts receive the reaction products. In another embodiment, instead of using a catalytic device to catalyze the endothermic reaction, any of several reactions can be used to cause the endothermic reaction. The preferred endothermic reaction is the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The subsequent exothermic reaction will then produce pure water, which can be transported back down the well for another cycle. However, the temperature, ordinarily necessary for the thermal decomposition of water, is not present in the earth's crust at a depth that can now be obtained by practical means. Thus, the decomposition of water can be achieved in a sequence of reactions that have sufficiently lower activation energies (such as 4H20 + 2S02 + 21? 2H2SO4 + 4HI and 2H2SO4? 2SÜ2 + 2H2O + O2 and 4HI - * »2I2 + 2H2, resulting in a net reaction of 2H2O -> 2H2 + O2), to allow the decomposition of water to occur under the conditions obtained in the well. The decomposition products are then collected and transported separately to the surface, where they can be stored (separately) until they are used in the exothermic reaction. The product of the exothermic reaction is then returned to the well in a closed cycle. Another reaction that can be used, the reaction of "water gas", CH4 + H2O - »CO + 3H2, occurs spontaneously at 800 ° C. However, many of these reactions may require oxygen from the air to complete the exothermic reaction and (whether or not they require air) can produce, in the course of the subsequent exothermic reaction, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides or some other unwanted products. In addition, efficiency can be lost due to the need to use heat exchangers or other elements to handle certain reaction products. The second embodiment of this invention is a system for the efficient generation of electricity from geothermal energy, in which a connection of a thermal pair is transported below a well, at a depth at which the geothermal heat is sufficient to create a difference of temperature, in relation to the temperature of the other connection of the thermal pair. The difference in temperature will cause the thermal pair to produce electricity. In a simple embodiment, the thermal pair connection is transported down the well and the other connection is maintained at a relatively low temperature outside the well, on the surface, and the resulting electricity is supplied directly to the purchaser or user of the electricity. In another embodiment of this invention, a thermal pair connection is transported below one well and the other connection is maintained at a relatively low temperature outside the well, at the surface, and the resulting electricity is used to dissociate a compound (such as water) in endothermic products (such as hydrogen and oxygen) by electrolysis. The electrolysis can be conducted inside the well, in this case the products are transported to the surface by ducts, or the electrolysis can be conducted out of the well, on the surface. Endothermic products (for example hydrogen and oxygen) are then used as fuels, as discussed earlier, in order to generate electricity. In the second preferred embodiment of this invention, the thermal pair is used in conjunction with the conduits described above, but without a catalyst. A connection of the thermal pair is transported down the well on the outside of the ducts and the other connection is inside the ducts. The first connection, outside the ducts, is more affected by the geothermal heat than the second connection. The connection inside the duct is cooler because the pressure inside the duct is much less than the pressure outside the duct, resulting in a lower temperature inside the duct. Because the second connection inside the duct is at a lower temperature than the connection outside the duct, the thermal pair will generate electricity from the temperature differential. Electricity is used to dissociate a compound (such as water) in endothermic products (such as oxygen and hydrogen) by electrolysis, which are then transported up the well in the ducts and used as fuel to generate electricity, as It was pointed before. However, it is understood that other thermal reactions suitable for producing exothermic reagents are within the scope of this invention. The systems that generate electricity, constructed in accordance with the invention, often offer advantages over existing generation technologies. The primary advantage over existing geothermal systems is that the system of the present invention absorbs a greater amount of heat per unit volume, through the endothermic reaction, which can be captured by the heated brine or steam. For example, the decomposition of a given mass of water captures five to six times the amount of heat that is represented by the same mass of steam. In addition, higher temperatures (and, therefore, higher efficiencies) can be obtained in the exothermic reaction and generation of electricity. In addition, because the brine is not required by the invention, the use of geothermal energy to generate electricity, in accordance with the present invention, is not limited to these locations having economically viable underground deposits of the heated brine. In addition, no efficiency needs to be lost in the heat exchangers, in order to avoid mineral deposits in the generation mechanism. As long as the products of the endothermic reaction are kept separate, none of the energy gained at the bottom of the well is lost in bringing the energy to the surface. The products of the reactions will not be corrosive to the equipment. No toxic gas will be released into the atmosphere. The products of the endothermic reaction transport the energy in a much smaller volume and, therefore, the hole borehole drilled to create this well can have a much smaller diameter and thus be less expensive to drill. In addition, only one well is required instead of two, since the injected water will not react with the products of the endothermic reaction, which are elevated through separate conduits in the well. Any injection of water will be done through the "production" well. As a result, much of the pumping energy, which is now used to force the water from the injection well through the fractures to the production well, will be saved, the loss of water within the rocks will be less and the performance of the The well will be improved in the manner indicated by the confinement tests of the existing geothermal production wells. Also, mineral deposits will not accumulate and present problems in the well. The re-injection or disposal of the brine will not be required. To the extent that the endothermic reaction (on a net basis) is the decomposition of water, no pollution will be created, allowing release to the atmosphere, and no waste will be of limited resources. The products of the endothermic reaction can be stored and used when electricity is needed. If the products of the endothermic reaction leave the soil at high pressure, they can be stored and used at high pressure, avoiding the need to compress them before the exothermic reaction (a stage that requires significant energy in combustion turbines) or, if the exothermic reaction does not require compression, the excess pressure in the well will You can use it to generate additional energy.

The preferred apparatus for the exothermic reaction comprises the combination of a "combustion" turbine, in which two or more combustible reactants are combined in an exothermic reaction (the products of which can be condensed) and a condenser. In a preferred embodiment, the reactants are hydrogen and oxygen, which are produced by the endothermic reaction at the bottom of the well. Hydrogen acts as a fuel, which, when mixed with oxygen, burns to create steam. Following the final energy stage, in which the exothermic reaction is utilized by the "combustion" turbine, the products of the exothermic reaction condense, thus reducing the amount of back-pressure of the combustion turbine and increasing its efficiency. The preferred combustion turbine will use hydrogen and oxygen, which will burn to produce steam and will condense at the outlet end of the turbine. Such a combination turbine can be used as a part of the system of the present invention or can operate independently in other fuel sources. Alternatively, the system of the present invention can also employ any standard combustion turbine or a boiler combined with a steam turbine or fuel cell. Combination turbines, constructed in accordance with the invention, offer several advantages. By condensing the products of the exothermic reaction, the combination turbine will reduce the back pressure of the exhaust from the combustion turbine and increase the pressure drop through the final combustion stages of the turbine. Advantageously, the section of the power turbine of this combination turbine will generally have more power stages than the power turbines of the combustion turbines of the prior art, thus harnessing more the energy of the exothermic reaction and increasing the efficiency of the turbine and simultaneously making it easier to condense the steam at the turbine outlet. In addition, the combination turbine does not require a heat exchanger to generate steam, thus increasing its efficiency. In the extent that condensation creates a "closed circuit" (ie, all products are condensed or captured in another way) it will be possible to make productive use of some of the energy that would otherwise be lost through the leak, and thus increase the efficiency To the same extent, the combination turbine will prevent the release of pollution into the atmosphere. Further, if the combination turbine is supplied with fuel completely from captive sources, as in the preferred model using hydrogen and oxygen, the dirt and other impurities that are taken in most combustion turbines of the prior art (which cause wear and tear and force regular cleaning) are avoided and the energy used by the combustion turbines of the prior art, to conserve, filter and heat or cool the inlet air is conserved. Also, unlike solar or hydro-power systems, the combination turbine of the present invention can, depending on the storage volume of the reagents, operate on demand, as a consumption unit or a basic load unit. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the endothermic system of the present invention. Figure la is a schematic cross-sectional view, amplified, of the bottom of the well of the system of Figure 1. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an alternative resource for releasing water on a dry, hot rock. Figure 2a is a schematic, cross-sectional, amplified view of the bottom of the system, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the system of the present invention. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view, amplified, of the bottom of the well of another embodiment of the system of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an example of a tube used in coupling the chambers illustrated in Figure 4. Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 6- 6 of Figure 1, showing the elements of the catalytic device of the system. Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken on line 7-7 of Figure 3, showing an alternative embodiment of the system's catalytic device. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the electrolysis system. Figure 8a is a schematic cross-sectional, amplified view of the bottom of the system of Figure 8. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the electrolysis system of the present invention. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the electrolysis system of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the electrolysis system of the present invention. Figure 12 is a schematic view of the combination turbine used in the system of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Drawings The invention includes systems and methods of capturing and using geothermal heat, which uses a thermal process. This thermal process conveniently produces products that are exothermic reactants. The electricity can then be generated by the exothermic reaction of the products of the thermal process. Two preferred thermal processes are described herein. Geothermal Generation System with Catalytic Device Figure 1 illustrates a Generation system Geothermal 10 of the present invention. With the present system 10, a viable system of dry, hot rocks can now be efficiently used to convert geothermal heat into electricity. The present system 10 avoids the problems of contaminants, is less expensive and is greatly improved in operating efficiency. The system 10 comprises a well 12 coupled to a storage tank 14, shown as YES in Figure 1, for storing the reagents to be used for the endothermic reaction occurring at the bottom of the well 12 within fracture zones. from a dry, hot rock. It is considered that the system 10 of the present invention can also be used in other deep locations within the earth, such as in reservoirs, where the geothermal heat is sufficiently hot to induce the desired endothermic reaction. A catalytic device 22, which catalyzes the desired endothermic reaction, resides within the bottom section of the well 12 with porous chambers or chambers 2 and 26 (shown in Figure 6) of the catalytic device 22 coupled to standard conduits 25 and 27, respectively, which extend upwards through the well 12. Standard ducts 25 and 27 transport the products of the endothermic reaction at the bottom of the well 12 to the surface of the earth, where the products can be stored in storage tanks. 18 (S3) and 16 (S2), respectively, or delivered immediately to a generating plant 20 for conversion into electricity. The endothermic reaction products are transported separately through porous conduits 24 and 26, and then through conduits 25 and 27 of the present invention, to the combination turbine of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the energy is released from the products by undergoing an exothermic reaction, as will be explained below in more detail. In turn, this energy is converted into electrical energy.

In the preferred embodiment, the reagent or endothermic compound stored in the storage tank 14 is water, which decomposes to hydrogen and oxygen at the bottom of the well 12. The storage tank 14 maintains a water column inside the well 12 Due to the high pressure environment at the bottom of the well 12, created by the water column in the well 12, the high pressure forces the endothermic products through the catalytic device 22 inside the porous ducts or chambers 24 and 26, and up to the conduits 25 and 27. A separate conduit 11 , coupled to the storage tank 14 also goes down to the bottom of the well 12, where water from the water conduit 11 can be released from the well 12 to the fracture zone 50, through a one-way valve. in the well 12. To create the fracture zones 50, the water is injected into the hot, dry gunk to dilate the fissures and have access to a large volume of rock for a circulation medium. Since a percentage of the water is lost within the fractures in the rock, the water will necessarily be replenished to the fracture zone occasionally through the one-way valve 5. In the preferred embodiment, the water injected into the fracture zone 50 comes from the conduit 11 separated from water rather than from the water column inside the well 12, since the water to be injected into the fracture zones 50 is more easily controlled using the conduit 11 than using the water in the well 12. A pressure gauge 6 and a temperature gauge 7, outside the well 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 1, measure the pressure and temperature in the fracture zone 50, so as to notify to an operator when it is necessary to inject more water into the fracture zone 50. Figures 2 and 2a illustrate another modality which uses the water directly from the circulation of the water within the well 12 instead of a separate conduit 11. In to mode, a valve 5, a pressure gauge 6 and a temperature gauge 7 are also used in a manner similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 1. The embodiment of Figures 1 and the one that inject water are used, however, in situations where the pressure in the fracture zone 50 is greater than the pressure in the well 12. In such case, the conduit 11 is coupled with a pump (not shown) on the surface to drive the water. Referring to Figure 1, the endothermic reaction takes place in the horizontal section of the well 12, which is surrounded by the fracture zones 50. Instead of having a horizontal section, the well 12 can be angled downwards (not shown). The heat generated from the fracture zones 50 raises the temperature of the casing of the well 12, which correspondingly raises the temperature of the water inside the well 12. In this environment, the catalytic device 22 is able to induce the endothermic reaction and separate the endothermic products . Instead of being a continuous section, as shown in Figure 1, the catalytic device 22 can be divided into a plurality of sections connected in series, which are coupled together with a comparatively flexible pipe (not shown). Such a scheme is advantageous, since the flexible pipe, such as a standard pipe, will be less expensive than a continuous section of a catalytic device 22 made substantially of ceramic. Flexibility is also advantageous due to the need for directional drilling for access to fracture zones 50. Collectors (not shown) could be used to connect the flexible tubing to each section of the catalytic device, where the tubing would be located in areas where fracture zones 50 do not exist. Flexible tubing, such as a tube, should be impermeable to endothermic products and capable of withstanding temperatures up to 800 ° C. Referring to Figure 6, a cross-section of the bottom of the well 12 is illustrated to show a preferred embodiment of the catalytic device 22 in more detail. The catalytic device 22 is supported within the well 12 by a plurality of bars 34, to allow the endothermic reagents to circulate around the catalytic device 22. The bars 34 may also have buttons or other supporting devices, as is easily understood by those skilled in the art. As shown in Figure 6, the catalytic device 22 comprises a porous ceramic material 32, with the porous conduit 28 disposed substantially within the center of the ceramic material 32. This ceramic material 32 is selected to have a structure which is relatively permeable to the endothermic products, but, at the same time, will not stimulate the reformation of the reactants within the ceramic material 32. Surrounding the porous duct 26 substantially and within the ceramic material 32 are a series of porous ducts 24. The porous ducts 24 and 26 may be tubes or ducts and may be circular in cross section or may employ a different design that is more effective in collecting the products. The porous conduit 26 can be defined by a hole in substantially the center of the ceramic material 32. The porous conduit 24 is made of a material which is porous only to one of the endothermic products. In the preferred embodiment, where the water decomposes, the porous conduit 24 is made of a suitable transition metal, such as palladium, which is porous to hydrogen, but not to oxygen. The porous conduit 26 is indicated in Figure 6 by the letter A to represent the porous conduit 26 that receives the endothermic product A, and the porous conductors 24 are indicated by the letter B to represent those porous conduits 24 that receive the endothermic product B In the preferred method, product A may be oxygen, for example, and product B may refer to hydrogen. A thin film or mesh of the catalyst 28 in the catalytic device 22 is provided at the bottom of the well 12 to accelerate the series of reactions to produce the hydrogen and oxygen products. Thus, the water at the bottom of the well 12 reacts with the catalyst 28 on the surface of the catalytic device 22. The ceramic material is designed to be permeable to the endothermic reaction products so that the products diffuse into their respective porous conduits 24 and 26. The porous conduit 24 and 26 is assembled within the ceramic material 32 to promote the separation of the products by their absorption as they are formed in the catalyst 28. As shown in Figure 6, each porous conduit 24 is It makes a selective material 30, which has the property of being porous only with respect to the product B. Thus, the product B of the endothermic reaction permeates the ceramic material 32 and is collected by the series of porous conduits 24 after the product B is diffused through the selective material 30. Since this selective material 30 is specifically designed to block the entry of product A, as this product A diffuses. Through the ceramic material 32, the product A maneuvers around the locations of the selective material 30 and through the passages between the series of porous conduits 24 until the product A diffuses into the porous conduit 26. As a result, the products A and B of the endothermic reaction are kept separate in their respective conduits, 26 and 24. Such product B can, in fact, diffuse past the porous conduits 24 and finally inside the porous conduit 26, where this amount of the product B reacts with the product A. This reaction will not have a significant detrimental effect on the system. In the case of water decomposition, for example, porous conduit 26 is filled with oxygen and a small amount of water vapor can be dehydrated from oxygen to the surface. Another embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 3, where a different catalytic device 22 is employed. However, the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the horizontal section of the well 12 may be angled downwards (not shown). In Figure 3, the catalytic device 22 is shown with an open end tube 36 extending outside the end of the catalytic device 22. The open ended tube 36 extends through the catalytic device 22 and is coupled to a standard conduit 27, conveniently through a manifold (not shown). This embodiment of the catalytic device 22 is shown in detail in the schematic cross section of Figure 7. As in the embodiment of Figure 6, the catalytic device 22 is supported in the middle of the well 12 by a plurality of support bars or buttons 34. The catalytic device 22 comprises a hollow conduit made of a catalyst 28 and substantially inside the center of the catalyst 28 extends n tube 36. In the preferred case of decomposing the water, the catalyst 28 is made of palladium, which absorbs the hydrogen inside the hollow duct. Oxygen is not able to diffuse through the palladium tube and continues to be drawn to the end of the well, where oxygen eventually enters the open end of the extended tube 36 such as water, ozone and hydrogen peroxide. Oxygen, ozone and hydrogen peroxide will gravitate more easily to the end of the well 12, when the horizontal section of the well 12, illustrated in Figure 3, forms a downward angle. Oxygen, water, ozone and hydrogen peroxide are pumped back up to the surface through the extended tube 36 and then to the standard conduit 27. Oxygen and ozone as well as hydrogen peroxide, can be separated out of the mixture before going to the turbine and suffer the exothermic reaction. Such separation can be achieved by conventional means readily known to those skilled in the art. The hydrogen that diffuses through the palladium catalyst 28 is raised to the surface through the hollow portion of the catalyst 28 and then the standard conduit 25, due to the high pressure at the bottom of the well 12. Referring to FIG. Figure 3, the catalytic device 22 provides two important functions; collects and separates the endothermic products and removes the products from the tank, so that the high pressure inside the tank does not oppose the endothermic reaction. A number of substances can catalyze the endothermic reaction. However, the products of the reaction are probably easy to re-collect in the reagents, under the conditions that exist in the well. In addition, the products of the endothermic reaction can be sufficiently reactive, especially at elevated temperatures, to react with the walls of the well or to react otherwise undesirably, once they escape from the surface of the catalyst. The products must, therefore, be collected and separated. Also, to the extent that the endothermic reaction supplies more moles of the product than moles consumed from the reagent, the reaction will be opposed by the high pressure environment that exists in the well 12. During the operation of the well 12, a water column will create a very high pressure at the bottom of the water column. Since every 1 meter is added 1 atmosphere of pressure, a well drilled about 3 kilometers deep, will create a pressure of about 300 atmospheres in the bottom of the well 12. This opposition by pressure will be a major impediment to the reaction in the bottom of the well, which will be at a considerable depth and at an elevated temperature, causing the pressure to be increased significantly. Because the ducts or chambers 24 and 26 are permeable to the endothermic products, however, the very high pressure will force the products through the respective ducts 24 and 26 and thus effectively decrease the number of molecules outside the catalytic device. 22. Thus, the elevated pressure at the bottom of the well 12 promotes the endothermic reaction. Additionally, the elevated pressure at the bottom of the well 12 will force the endothermic products up to the surface of the earth, through the porous conduits 24 and 26, and then the conduits 25 and 27. Thus, a pump is not required to transport the products up to the generating plant 20, although such devices can be used as pumps. Another means of inducing the endothermic reaction at the bottom of the well 12 is illustrated in Figure 4. Due to the temperature ordinarily required for the thermal decomposition of water, it is not present in the earth's crust at a depth that can currently be obtained by practical means . the system 10 illustrated in Figure 4 does not directly decompose water to hydrogen and oxygen. Instead, the system of Figure 4 achieves the decomposition of water through a sequence of endothermic reactions, which have sufficiently low activation energies to produce the desired products. Depending on the conditions (primarily the temperature and pressure existing at the point of the endothermic reaction, any of the various reactions can be used.) One such reaction series uses a first reaction of 2H2O + SO2 + I2 - * H2SO4 + 2HI and the products of this first reaction are then decomposed in separate reaction chambers as follows: 2H2SO4-2SO2 + 2H2O + 02 in one and 2H2O2 + ^ 2 'in the other.Thus, the general endothermic reaction requires only water, but also sulfur dioxide and iodine Therefore, in this embodiment, the water, iodine sulfur dioxide are transported to the bottom of the well 12 in a first reaction chamber 60 through individual tubes 62, 63 and 66, respectively. In the first reaction chamber 60 hydrogen sulfate is produced which is transported through a tube 70 to a second reaction chamber 68, where the hydrogen sulphate decomposes in water, sulfur dioxide and oxygen. geno The water and sulfur dioxide are recycled back to the first reaction chamber 60 through the tubes 74 and 72, respectively. The oxygen resulting from the second reaction chamber 68 is again transported back to the surface by a tube 76. The first reaction chamber 60 also produces hydrogen iodide which is transported through a tube 80 to a third chamber of reaction 78, where hydrogen iodide is broken down into iodine and hydrogen. This iodine is recycled back to the first reaction chamber 60 through a tube 82, and hydrogen is transported back to the surface via a tube 84. The rate of the series of reactions can be controlled by having valves (not shown) in the tubes that deliver the various compounds to the respective reaction chambers, where the valves are controlled from the surface. Although oxygen and hydrogen are the only end products that are transported to the surface, the remaining final products, water, sulfur dioxide and iodine, are continuously consumed by the series of reactions and re-enter the first reaction chamber. to produce more hydrogen and oxygen. Although sulfuric acid is produced in the first reaction, this acid is immediately decomposed in the subsequent reaction. Also, because the reactions occurring in the second reaction chamber 68 and the third reaction chamber 78 require a very high temperature, the second and third reaction chambers, 68, 78, can be placed in sections of the well 12 that are within the fracture zone 50. To further illustrate the mechanism of how a compound can be transported from one reaction chamber to another, Figure 5 is provided. Figure 5 shows a pump 90 and a valve 92 coupled to the tube. transport 94, where the pump 90 and the valve 92 are used to control the delivery of the gas inside, for example, a transport tube 94 to its respective reaction chamber. Although the pump has been shown, only in the form of an example, and depends on the various pressures involved, pumps (not shown) may be necessary to facilitate the transport of the gases. Pumps for transporting gases, oxygen and hydrogen, through tubes 76 and 84 are not necessary, since the elevated pressure at the bottom of well 12 must cause oxygen and hydrogen to rise to the surface . Another reaction that can be used, the reaction of "water gas", CH4 + H2O - > CO + 3H2, which occurs spontaneously at 800 ° C. However, many such reactions may require oxygen from the air to complete the exothermic reaction and (whether or not they require air) they can produce, in the course of the subsequent exothermic reaction, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides or some other unwanted products. In addition, efficiency can be lost due to the need to use heat exchangers or other resources to handle certain reaction products. The primary advantage of relying on the endothermic reactions in the system 10 of the present invention over the existing geothermal systems of the prior art, is that the system 10 absorbs a greater amount of heat per unit volume through the endothermic reaction that can be captured by the brine or steam heated. For example, the decomposition of a given mass of water captures five to six times the amount of heat represented by the same mass of steam. Due to the higher heat concentration in the present invention, higher temperatures are achieved which improve the efficiency of the exothermic reaction in the turbine and the subsequent generation of electricity. Additionally, the present invention requires only one well, in contrast to the two wells required in the prior art schemes. The endothermic reagents can be transported in the same well as the endothermic products, since there is no danger that the reactants and products will react internally. This is in contrast to previous systems, where the injected water can not be transported in the same well as the rising steam, because the steam would lose heat to the water, thus reducing the efficiency of the prior art system. Also, the well used in the present invention is less expensive to drill, since the products of the endothermic reaction transport the energy in a comparatively very small volume compared to the steam or brine of the past geothermal systems. For example, in previous well systems to capture steam or brine from a deposit, the cross-sectional area of the production well can only be 91.44 cm. Because the present system 10 requires approximately only one sixth of the space, the cross-sectional area of the well of the present system 10 may require, for example, only 30.48 cm. , 15.24 cm. to inject the water and another 15.24 cm. to transport hydrogen and oxygen. Geothermal Generation System with Thermal Torque Device Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of the geothermal generation system 10 of the present invention. The well 12 is substantially the same as that of Figure 1, except that the catalytic device 22 is replaced with a device connected to the conduits 25, 27 and contains a thermal pair 120. The part of the well 12 containing the torque device thermal or electrolytic 120 can be horizontal or tilted down (not shown). The conduits 25 and 27 are coupled to the porous ducts or chambers 24 and 26, within the thermal pair device 120. The conduits 24, 26 are supported within the well by a plurality of bars or buttons (not shown) to allow circulation around the exterior of the conduits 24, 26. The electrolytic device 120 generates a current that can be used to produce electricity or electrolysis products that can be stored and used for the generation of electricity. The electrolytic device 120 is thus a device for converting the thermal energy in the well 12 into electrical energy. In a preferred embodiment, the electrolytic device 120 is a thermal pair device which resides in the bottom section of the well 12, with a connection or seal 124 (high temperature connection) to the outside of the porous conduits 24, 26 used to transport the product and, therefore, a higher temperature than the other connection or joint 128 (low temperature connection) of the thermal pair 120, which is inside one of the conduits 24, 26. Figure 8a shows the connection 128 inside the conduit 24. The two connections, 124, 128 are connected by a wire or an element carrying current 130. The resulting electric current is supplied to two separate areas of the surface of the conduits 24, 26, creating an anode 134 (duct 24) in which one of the products (e.g., hydrogen) is produced by the electrolysis process (electrolytic reaction), and a cathode 138 (duct 26) in which another electrolytic product (e.g. oxygen) is produced by the electrolysis process. The electrolytic reagents (electrolyzable compound) are stored in the storage tank 14 and are supplied from the top of the well 12 to the thermal torque device 120. An example of the electrolysis of an electrolyzable compound is the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen , which will be the products of the electrolysis. It will be understood that other types of electronic devices can be used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy. The connections 124 and 128 of the thermal pair 120 are respectively connected to the anode 134 and the cathode 138 by wires or current carrying elements 142 and 144. The conduit 24 comprising the anode 134 is conveniently made of a material which is permeable to the product. electrolytic created by the anode 134 (palladium, for example, if the product is hydrogen) and the conduit 26 comprising the cathode 138 is conveniently made of a material that is permeable to the electrolytic product created by the cathode. The conduits 24 and 26 are preferably not permeable to the compound undergoing electrolysis (for example water), so that the electrolytic product is formed on the surface of the duct 24 or 26 at the elevated pressure of the well 12 and forces the respective product into the duct 24 or 26. As the product passes inside the duct 24 or 26, the fall of pressure causes a drop in product temperature in line 24 or 26, which cools connection 128 of thermal pair 120 which is inside line 24 or 26. The pressure within lines 24 or 26 will nevertheless be high enough to push the products to the top of the well 12. The products of the electrolysis are transported separately through the porous conduits 24 and 26 and through the conduits 25, 27 to, for example, the storage tanks 18 and 16, or to the generating plant 20 for conversion to electricity. As in the previous modalities, the energy of the electrolytic products is released when suffering an exothermic reaction and they are converted into electrical energy. The generator system 10 can use water directly from the water circulating inside the well 12. The conduits 24 and 26 have semicircular cross sections in Figure 8a and form a wall 146 therebetween, which is impermeable to the electrolytic products. The two ducts 24 and 26 form a circle inside the well 12. This circle advantageously minimizes the size of the well 12 that needs to be built. For a given size of the well 12, therefore, the semicircular canals 24 and 26 have a maximum internal volume. This volume in turn maximizes the pressure differential between the region within ducts 24, 26 and the outer region. The pressure differential is convenient because it forces the respective product into conduit 24 or 26 and causes a maximum fall in product temperature. in conduit 24 or 26, which cools connection 128 of thermal pair 120, which is inside conduit 24 or 26. The pressure in conduit 24 or 26 remains high enough to drive the electrolytic products to the surface. Although Figure 8a shows a double wall formed by the walls of the two ducts 24 and 26, it will be understood that a single wall that is impermeable to both products can also be used in place of the double wall. However, the conduits 24, 26 can have any configuration in addition to the semicircular one. For example, these conduits 24, 26 may be circular (not shown). The internal volume of the ducts 24, 28 will be half the volume of that of the mode shown in Figure 8a. The pressure differential between the area within the ducts 24, 26 and the outside area will thus be less than that of the mode formed by the semicircular ducts, 24, 26. Another embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. Figure 9. In this embodiment, the system 10 does not depend on the colder temperature inside one of the ducts or chambers 24, 6, to cool a connection 128 of the thermal pair 120. Instead, the connection 128 resides in the surface, outside the well 12, where it is maintained at low temperature and connected by two wires, a wire 152 to the high temperature connection 124 of the thermal pair 120 that resides outside the conduits 24 and 26 at the bottom of the well 12, and the other wire 154 to the anode 134 on the surface of one of the conduits 24 and 28 at the bottom of the well 12 (similar to Figure 8a). The cathode 138 and the anode 134 will produce their respective electrolytic products (eg hydrogen and oxygen) by electrolysis, and these products will be collected. Another embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 10. In this embodiment, the connection of the thermal pair 120 which are maintained in the high temperature connection 124 (similar to Figure 8a) is placed in the bottom of the well 12 and connected to the wire 152 to the connection 128 of the thermal pair 120, which is to be maintained at a lower temperature, which is placed outside the well 12 on the surface. The two connections 124, 128 are respectively connected by wires 162 and 164 to a cathode 138 and n anode 134 out of the well 12 on the surface, where the electrolysis products are collected and used as fuels in the generation of electricity. In this alternative, well 12 does not contain any conduit.

Still another embodiment of the system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 11. In this embodiment, also the connection 124 (similar to Figure 8a) of the thermal pair 120 is to be maintained at a high temperature and placed at the bottom of the well 12 and connected by a wire 152 to the connection 128 of the thermal pair 120 to be maintained at a lower temperature, which is placed inside the wall of the well 12 on the surface. The electricity produced by the thermal pair 120 is carried by the wires 172 and 174 to the purchaser or user of the electricity. The electrolytic reagents, the conduits and the combustion turbine or other generating device, indicated below, used for the above generator modes, are not necessary. However, it should be noted that other thermal processes that can produce reagents, such as exothermic reagents for generating energy, known to those skilled in the art, are also within the scope of the invention. Combination Turbine Referring to Figure 12, there is illustrated a schematic drawing of a combination turbine 240 that produces the exothermic reaction to release the geothermal heat. The combination turbine 240 comprises a turbine compressor stage 241, a turbine fuel injector and a combustion chamber stage 243, a turbine power stage 242 and a condenser. The turbine stages 241, 243 and 245 and the condenser 242 are advantageously constructed in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The combination turbine 240 is coupled to a generator 246 by a generator shaft 244, where the mechanical energy of the rotary shaft 244 of the generator is converted into electricity in the generator 246. Step 241 of the turbine compressor receives the exothermic reactant A, which is product A from the endothermic (or electrolytic) reaction from storage tank 16 or directly from well 12 through conduit 27 (Figure 1). Depending on the type of exothermic reagent A (endothermic or electrolyte product A) reagent A may not need to be compressed and thus stage 241 of the compressor may not be required. In the preferred embodiment, the exothermic reagent A is oxygen. Since the oxygen coming from the well 12 is already compressed due to the pressure in the well 12, this oxygen must be compressed sufficiently to obviate the need for the step 241 of the compressor. The turbine fuel injector and stage 243 of the combustion chamber receive the exothermic reagent B, which is the product B of the endothermic (or electrolytic) reaction, from the storage tank 18 or directly from the well 12 through the conduit 25 (Figure 1). In the preferred embodiment, the exothermic reagent B is hydrogen.

In step 243, exothermic reagent B, i.e. hydrogen, acts as a fuel and burns when mixed with exothermic reagent A, ie oxygen, to create a large amount of heat and produce steam. The resulting energy released by the exothermic reaction is adapted to rotate the leaves within the energy stage 245, which, in turn, rotates the generator shaft 244. After the exothermic product (steam) has passed through the turbine power stage 245, the exothermic product is immediately condensed in the condenser 242, where the exothermic vapor product is changed to a liquid. The efficiency of the turbine is improved by the condensation of the exothermic product to remove the retrogression from the turbine 240. The condensation of the exothermic product can be achieved by means known to those skilled in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the steam is condensed to water, which is inserted into the storage tank 14 of the endothermic reagent (electrolyte), for reintroduction of the water into the well 12. Combining the combustion turbine 240 with the condenser 242, the combination turbine of the present invention achieves greater efficiency than the previous combustion turbines, where a steam turbine is also used in conjunction with a combustion turbine and a condenser. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the efficiency is increased, since the combination turbine does not require a heat exchanger to convert the heat of the exothermic product into steam. In past systems, the arrangement of the combination turbine of the present invention may not be employed because the exothermic product is a highly non-condensable pollutant, as opposed to the condensable vapor produced in the combination turbine 240 of the present invention. Also, to the extent that the condensation creates a closed loop system, where all the exothermic product is condensed or captured in another way, it is possible to make productive use of some energy that was lost in the prior art systems with the gases of escape, thus increasing efficiency. To the same extent, the combination turbine 240 of the present invention avoids releasing contamination to the atmosphere, in contrast to prior art systems. In addition, because the combination turbine 240, in the preferred embodiment, burns hydrogen and oxygen, which are captive sources, dirt and other impurities, taken in most combustion turbines from the air, are avoided. Since the present invention depends on the endothermic (or electrolytic) products for transporting the geothermal heat, the products can be stored for use at a later time, in contrast to the previous systems where the captured steam or brine has to be used immediately. Accordingly, the combination turbine 40 of the present invention has the added flexibility of operation, since the consumer load unit can be activated or deactivated according to its demand, or as a base load unit, operating at a constant regime. Alternatively, the system 10 of the present invention can be used with a conventional combustion turbine, or a boiler with a steam turbine, or the endothermic (or electrolytic) reaction products can be used in a fuel cell. It will be further evident that the endothermic (or electrolytic) reaction products such as, for example, hydrogen and oxygen, are of value and the invention can be used to collect these products and store them on the surface of the well 12, for others uses in addition to producing electricity. Likewise, the invention has utility in environments other than geothermal wells 12 and is useful in any environment, natural or artificial, having an adequate temperature and pressure. Scope of the Invention The foregoing represents a description of the best considered mode of carrying out the present invention and the manner and process of obtaining and using it, in a complete, clear, concise and accurate manner in its terms so that any skilled person in the field I can make and use the invention. However, the invention is susceptible to modifications and alternative constructions of those discussed above, which are completely equivalent. Therefore, no attempt is made to limit this invention to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, it is tried to cover all the modifications and alternative constructions that are within the spirit and scope of the invention, as they are generally expressed in the following claims, which particularly indicate and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A system to capture geothermal heat and release this heat through exothermic reactions to convert it into electricity, this system includes: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, this well was drilled to a sufficient depth to acquiring energy from geothermal heat, when entering reagents are inserted into the well, to cause the reactions of these reagents; a device, which resides within the bottom of the well, this device captures the geothermal heat to collect and separate the products produced; a first and second driver, to transport the products produced to the top of the well; and a resource, coupled to the first and second conduits, to use the products produced to create exothermic reactions to generate energy.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the well is coupled to a first storage tank, for storing the input reagents.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein this system further comprises a second storage device, coupled to the first conduit, for storing a first produced product.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein this system further comprises a third storage device, coupled to the second conduit, for storing a second product produced.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the resource coupled to the first and second conduits comprises a combustion turbine, coupled to a condenser.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the turbine further comprises a compressor, coupled to the inlet of this turbine.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the condenser outlet is coupled to a first storage tank, for storing the reagents.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the well is drilled down to the dry, hot rock fracture zones.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the products produced are endothermic products, obtained by endothermic reactions.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the endothermic reaction is the decomposition of water.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein the device is a catalytic device.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the catalytic device comprises a porous catalyst to both the first and second products of the endothermic reactions, a first porous conduit, inside the catalyst, to receive the first product, a second porous conduit , inside the catalyst, to receive the second product, and a selective material surrounding the second porous conduit, where the selective material is porous only to the second product.
The system of claim 12, wherein the first porous conduit is coupled to the first conduit, for transporting this first product to the upper part of the well, and the second porous conduit is coupled to the second conduit, for transporting the second product to the top of the well.
The system of claim 11, wherein the catalytic device comprises a porous catalyst only to the first product of the endothermic reactions, a first porous conduit, within the catalyst, to receive the first product, at least a second porous conduit, attached to the catalyst, to receive a second product of the endothermic reactions, and a selective material surrounding the second porous conduit, where this selective material is porous only to the second product.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the catalytic device comprises a porous catalyst only to the first product of the endothermic reaction, and a return conduit, which extends beyond the end of the catalytic device, to recover the remaining products of the reaction endothermic, this return duct is impermeable to the first product.
16. The system of claim 1, in which the products produced are electrolytic products, obtained by electrolytic reactions.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electrolytic reaction is the decomposition of water.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein the device is an electrolytic device.
The system of claim 18, wherein the device is a thermal pair device.
The system of claim 19, wherein the thermal pair device comprises a first porous conduit, for receiving the first product, a second porous conduit, for receiving the second product and coupled to the first porous conduit, a selective material surrounding the second porous conduit, where this selective material is porous only to the second product, an inner connection of low temperature, connected through a first wire to the surface of one of the first and second porous conduits, a high temperature connection to the outside of the porous conduits and connected through a second wire to a surface of the other of the first and second porous conduits, and the low temperature connection and the high temperature connection are connected through a third wire.
The system of claim 20, wherein the low temperature connection is connected through the first wire to the surface of the first porous conduit, to form an anode, and the high temperature connection is connected through the second wire to the surface of the second porous conduit to form a cathode, these connections supply a current to the first and second wires.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second porous conduits are semicircular in cross section, with flat wall portions that mate with each other.
23. The system of claim 19, wherein the thermal pair device comprises a first porous conduit, for receiving the first product, a second porous conduit for receiving the second product and coupled to the first porous conduit, which is porous only to the first product, and the high temperature connection to the outside of the porous conduits, this high temperature connection has a first wire that connects to a surface of a second porous conduit and a second wire that connects to the low temperature connection, arranged in the top of the well, the first porous duct has a surface which is connected to a low temperature connection, arranged in the upper part of the well.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first porous conduit is coupled to the first conduit for transporting this first product to the upper part of the well, and the second porous conduit is coupled to the second conduit, for transporting the second product to the upper part. from the well.
The system of claim 19, wherein the thermal pair device comprises a hot connection including a first current carrying element, which is connected to the cathode, and a second current carrying element, which is connected to a cold connection, this cold connection is connected through a third element that carries current to an anode, this cathode, anode and cold connection are arranged in the upper part of the well.
26. The system of claim 1, wherein the element coupled to the first and second conduits comprises a fuel cell.
27. The system to capture geothermal heat, which uses endothermic reactions and that releases heat through exothermic reactions, to convert it into electricity, this system includes: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, where the well is drilled at a depth sufficient to acquire geothermal heat through endothermic reactions, when reagents are inserted into the well; a first chamber, placed at the bottom of the well, to receive a plurality of reagents, where these reagents produce a first product and a second product; a second chamber, placed at the bottom of the well, to receive the first product from the first chamber, where this first product is decomposed to produce a third, fourth and fifth products, the third and fourth products are transported to the first chamber and the fifth product is transported to the top of the well; and a third chamber, placed at the bottom of the well, to receive the second product of the first chamber, where the second product decomposes to produce a sixth product and a seventh product, the sixth product is transported to the first chamber and the seventh product is transported to the top of the well.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein this system further comprises a turbine, to receive the fifth and seventh products, to create exothermic reactions to generate power.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the fifth and seventh products are oxygen and hydrogen.
30. The system of claim 27, wherein the turbine comprises a combustion turbine, coupled to a condenser.
31. A catalytic device, to collect products of an endothermic reaction, this device comprises: a catalyst for producing an endothermic reaction, where this catalyst is porous to at least one of the products of the endothermic reaction; a first and second porous conduits, in contact with the catalyst, for collecting and separating the first and second products of the endothermic reaction; and a selective material, surrounding the second porous conduit, where this selective material is porous only to the second product.
32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first and second porous conduits reside within the catalyst.
33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first porous conduit resides within the catalyst and the second porous conduit resides at the perimeter of the catalyst.
34. A device of thermal pair, for the generation of electricity by the geothermal heat of a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part and which uses electricity to perform an electrolytic process, this device comprises: a first connection, maintained at a first temperature and disposed at the bottom of the well; a second connection, maintained at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; an element carrying current, coupled to the first and second connections; in which the second connection is arranged in a first conduit, in the bottom of the well, the current-carrying element includes a wire that couples the first connection to a cathode, and another wire that couples the second connection to an anode, these anode and Cathode perform an electrolytic process.
35. The device of claim 34, wherein the anode is formed on a surface of the first conduit.
36. The device of claim 34, wherein the cathode is formed on a surface of a second conduit at the bottom of the well.
37. The device of claim 36, wherein the first and second conduits are semicircular in cross section, with flat wall portions that mate with each other.
38. The device of claim 37, wherein the first and second conduits are porous, to receive, respectively, a first product and a second electrolysis product, the first porous conduit is porous only to the first product.
39. The device of claim 34, wherein the second connection is arranged in the upper part of the well, and the current-carrying element comprises a first wire that couples the first connection with the second connection, a second wire, which couples the first connection to a cathode and a third wire that couples the second connection to an anode.
40. The device of claim 39, wherein the anode is formed on a surface of a first conduit at the bottom of the well, and the cathode is formed on a surface of a second conduit at the bottom of the well.
41. The device of claim 39, wherein the anode and the cathode are disposed at the top of the well.
42. A combination turbine for use in a system for the geothermal production of electricity, in which the geothermal heat produces a first and second product at the bottom of a well, at a depth at which the geothermal heat is sufficient to cause an endothermic reaction, this turbine comprises: a combustion turbine, to separately receive the first and second products from the bottom of the well and is driven by the energy released by the exothermic reaction between the first and second products; and a condenser, coupled to the combustion turbine, to condense the product of the exothermic reaction and reduce the back pressure at the outlet of the combustion turbine.
43. The combination turbine of the claim 42, in which this combination turbine further comprises a compressor coupled to the inlet of the combustion turbine.
44. The combination turbine of claim 42, wherein the products received by the turbine convert hydrogen and oxygen into steam.
45. The combination turbine of claim 42, wherein the condenser converts the vapor into liquid water and returns this liquid water to the system.
46. A method to capture geothermal heat for the generation of electricity, this method includes the steps of: inserting a reagent into a well, this well is deep enough to acquire geothermal heat through thermal reactions; perform a thermal reaction inside the well, with the use of the reagent; and recover the products of the thermal reaction to the surface of the well, these products produce electricity through exothermic reactions.
47. The method of claim 46, wherein the products are endothermic products, produced by endothermic reactions.
48. The method of claim 46, wherein the products are products of electrolysis, produced by an electrolysis process.
49. A system for capturing and using geothermal heat that uses endothermic reactions and that releases heat through exothermic reactions, to produce electricity, this system includes: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, where this well was drilled to a depth sufficient to acquire sufficient geothermal heat to promote endothermic reactions; a catalytic device, which resides within the bottom of the well, this catalytic device collects and separates the products from the endothermic reactions; an element for supplying water from the top of the well to the catalytic device; a first chamber, within the catalytic device, having walls that are substantially porous to the first endothermic reaction product and substantially impervious to the second endothermic reaction product; a second chamber, within the catalytic device, having walls, which are substantially porous to the second product of the endothermic reaction; a first and second conduits, coupled, respectively, to the first and second chambers, to transport the products of the endothermic reaction to the top of the well, the high pressure environment into the well into the depth of the catalytic device, is used to force the products through the catalytic device and through the first and second conduits to the top of the well; and a combination turbine, coupled to the first and second conduits, to use these endothermic reaction products to create exothermic reactions and generate electricity.
50. A system for capturing geothermal heat with endothermic reactions, this system includes: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, where this well is drilled to a depth sufficient to acquire the geothermal heat through the endothermic reactions, when the reagents are inserted into the well; a catalytic device, which resides inside the well, this catalytic device collects and separates the products from the endothermic reactions; a conduit, to transport the products of the endothermic reaction to the top of the well; and an element, coupled to the conduit, to take advantage of the products of the endothermic reaction.
51. A system to capture and use geothermal heat, which uses an electrolysis process and releases heat through exothermic reactions, to produce electricity, this system includes: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, where this Well is drilled to a depth sufficient to acquire sufficient geothermal heat to promote the electrolysis process; a thermal pair device, which resides within the bottom of the well, this thermal pair device picks up and separates the products from the electrolysis process; an element for supplying water from the top of the well to the thermal pair device; a first chamber within the thermal pair device, having walls that are substantially porous to a first product of the electrolysis process and substantially impermeable to a second product of the electrolysis process; a second chamber, inside the thermal pair device, having walls which are substantially porous to the second product of the electrolysis process; a first and second conduit, coupled, respectively, to the first and second chambers, to transport the products of the electrolysis process to the top of the well, the high pressure environment within the well to a depth of the thermal pair device is used to force the products through the thermal pair device and through the first and second conduits to the top of the well; and a combination turbine, coupled to the first and second conduits, to use the products of the electrolysis process to create exothermic reactions to generate electricity.
52. A system to capture geothermal heat, that an electrolytic process, this system comprises: a well, which has an upper part and a bottom part, where this well is drilled to a depth sufficient to acquire the geothermal heat through the electrolytic process when at least one electrolyzable compound is inserted into the bottom of the well; a thermal pair device, which resides, at least partially, inside the well, this thermal pair device picks up and separates the electrolysis products from the electrolyzable compound; at least one conduit, to transport products from the electrolytic processes to the upper part of the well; and an element, coupled to the conduit to take advantage of the products of the electrolytic process.
53. A system to capture the geothermal heat to generate electricity, this system includes: a well, which has a part. upper and a bottom, where this well is drilled to a depth sufficient to acquire the geothermal heat; a thermal pair, which resides, at least partially, inside the well, this thermal pair generates an electric current from the geothermal heat; and an element coupled to the electrolytic device, to supply electricity.
54. The system of claim 53, wherein the electrolytic device comprises an anode and a cathode coupled to generate the electric current
55. The system of claim 54, wherein the element includes electrical wires, coupled to the anode and the cathode to carry the electric current.