Abstract
ON July 22, Prince Ginori Conti gave a lecture to the International Union of Power Producers at the hall of the French Institution of Civil Engineers. The possibility of utilising the heat energy in the interior of the earth has frequently been considered by engineers, but in practice it is necessary that the heat be localised near the surface of the earth if this is to be done on a commercial basis. In Tuscany, not far from Florence, Prince Conti has an installation in a volcanic region where low pressure steam issues from cracks in the ground. A system of boring has recently been adopted to obtain the vapour at a higher pressure and increase its volume. The vapour is charged with sulphur, borax, and carbon dioxide. For many years borax has been obtained from the ground round the vent-holes, on which much of the vapour was condensed. Owing to the corrosive nature of the vapour, it was very difficult to design suitable apparatus. At one of the stations the steam generated in the boilers is used to supply suitable low pressure turbines. At another station high pressure steam is employed. Aluminium is used for the conductors in the stations, as copper corroded much too quickly. The total capacity exceeds 12,000 kilowatts, but there are several difficulties still to be overcome. The problem is simpler at Sonoma, in California, where the unwanted gases are easily eliminated from the vapour. The hot vapour is found at depths of between 100 and 200 yards. At present this station supplies 11,000 kw. to the surrounding district. According to World Power of July, there is a large quantity of power available in the volcanic regions of Bolivia.
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Volcanic Steam for Power Generation. Nature 130, 233 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130233c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130233c0