Volcanos impact on Energy Crisis

Question to all?

If all the gases building up in the center of the earth use volcano's to exhale "Release", wouldnt it make sense to build a pipeline through..meaning allowing these gases to be pumped out of the core of a volcano to be used for our own energy and heating crisis. Look at the elements that make up natural gas and then look at the elements of the gases in the core of a volcano. Logic says the structure is the same which then can be used for the same purpose without having to drill and hurt the Earths ecological system.

Just a theory, seems to much like common sense to me but then maybe thier is something I am not seeing that would allow this proccess to happen.

any takers???

Sounds like a great idea but if im correct it would risk destabilizing earths core or the caldera involved. I may be totally wrong. Another thing is would man want to mess with something this sensitive? Its part of the earths natural resources and who know what would happend if we messed to much with it.


EDITED FOR STUPID SPELLING ERRORS.

[edit on 3/18/2005 by AndrewTB]

this is an interesting concept. perhaps you could channel the flow with a pipe. use the heat of the lava to heat water and create steam just like in a nuclear power plant. how though would you manage and calculate the pressure of the lava flow? mabye equalize pressure by means of explosive? also the plant would have to be built like a fortress to act against any eruptions.

The Pipeline would be channeled through the side of the volcano, thus leaving the top of the volcano to breathe as it always has. This would manage the pressure issues as lava rises. The gases would be extracted from the area between the core and the surface. I am working on a diagram so If any real scientist would like to assist. Please u2u me.

Oh yeah as crazy as it seems. I did make sure this idea was founded by myself in the legal manner just in case I can find the funding and scientist to help me prove that this theory is possible.

Think of it this way Bill Gates capitolized on computers, Im gonna capitolize on the theory to help in the energy crisis of the world.

Remember no idea is stupid, if it can be thought of, It most likely can be done.

I think it's a fine idea, but might be better to utilize the natural processes without disturbing them, for example, implant a gas driven turbine below the earth, that wouldn't restrict the flow of magma, or of gas (in any appreciable way) but would still generate electricity.

As far as using the heat to boil water and utilizing the resulting steam to drive the turbine, it's also a good idea, but I think it adds an unnecessary process, and wastes more energy in converting the water to steam. Why not use the gas that's already pressurized, and flowing?

As far as using the pipeline to extract gas, I think it would probably end up making the system more stable, but the truth is we just don't know. It could be a very delicate balance between upper level gas pressures and lower level magmatic gas pressures. In other words, draining the upper layer of pressurized gasses might be equivalent to taking the stopper out of a bottle of champagne, I just don't know, I don't think anyone does for sure, all we can do is theorize. And when messing with natural forces, it's best to have a good plan of action.

It's good to see people thinking though, it really is. We have a crisis in this country because the energy concerns monopolize their power base and drive the rest of us citizens into subservience. We've become so dependant on the favors of the state, we're unable to resist any demands it makes.

Do you have the relevant experience to produce technical drawings and aqquire the necessary patents? I personally hope your idea takes off, it would add one more technology to the stack of feasible alternatives.

Good post!

Creative concept, but not workable.


Here's your big problem... there are NOT any gases building up in the center of the Earth that cause volcanos. Instead, the gas forms fairly near to the surface.

Here is a good, quick, READABLE explaination about volcanoes:
news.bbc.co.uk...



The gas is UNDER the lava. We don't have anything that would a) drill down safely through the lava and b) survive lava temperatures for very long. And once you hit the lava, IT would come boiling out through the tube (you can't tell where the pockets of gas are.)

It would be a VERY dangerous technology. If the lava's thin, you might be able to get at the gas easily but if the lava is thick, then you risk explosive release of gas. This won't do a whole lot of good for the power plant.
news.bbc.co.uk...

We do a little touring of live volcanos and have been lucky enough to see the Mauna Loa erruptions and the Arenal (Costa Rica) erruptions. They are astonishing, but not something that can be controlled by our present technology.

We *do*, however, make use of volcanic hot spots for energy. Geothermal power is very common in some areas of the world:
www.worldbank.org...

oh well, just a theory, still dosent deter my thoughts though. Besides NASA probably already has the technology to produce the material to be used to make this a realistic proccess but a layman from the woods of NJ has no way of actually obtaining the materials to even try to build a prototype to test before ever trying to penetrate an actual volcano.

It's pretty impossible to say what would result from drilling hole to (near) magma so it's better keep hands of from that.
(it might lead to eruptions starting easier or then it might lower eruption activity by releasing pressure before it gets to dangerous level)

But like Byrd said there's no need for that.

And there's no need to drill hole even near to magma, just drill it to such depth where water starts to boil... which can be quit close to surface in areas with lot of geysirs.
Or then use water from geysirs directly to heating like they use in Iceland.

Gas rich magma comes from melted crust.

Places where magma comes deep from mantle, for example hot spots like Hawaii, magma has low viscosity and is gas poor (small amount of contained/absorbed gases are released easily) and erupts calmly.

But in places where plates of crust collide eruptions are often violent and explosive, that's because plate sinking under other is melted by heat from mantle forming high viscosity gas rich magma which retains all gases until surface where sudden pressure drop of magma causes explosive expansion/release of gases.

But of course also hot spot volcanoes can cause strong explosions if magma meets lot of water near surface.


volcano.und.edu...
vulcan.wr.usgs.gov...
hvo.wr.usgs.gov...
www.enchantedlearning.com...
www.nationalgeographic.com...