The Remarkable Progress of Renewable Energy

[bilby]

Steam is a form of energy.

No it's not. Steam is a form of water. Steam can be hot (heat is a form of energy); And it can be under pressure (pressure is a form of potential energy). But steam is not a form of energy.

It is a good working fluid for a heat engine. But the energy in such an engine is, as the name suggests, heat.

Heat, work, and energy have the same SI units the Joule.

Indeed. While steam is not measured in joules, showing that it is not energy. It can be hot, but it's not heat.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Fervo Energy Drills 15,000-FT, 500°F Geothermal Well, Pushing the Envelope for EGS Deployment

The well was drilled to a true vertical depth of 15,765 feet and is projected to reach a bottomhole temperature of 520 °F after full thermal equilibration. Fervo completed the Sugarloaf well in just 16 drilling days, representing a 79% reduction in drilling time compared to the US Department of Energy baseline for ultradeep geothermal wells.

The report confirms that the Cape Station project area can support over 5 GW of development at depths of up to 13,000 feet. The new Sugarloaf drilling results are expected to increase Cape’s resource potential even further.

Various geothermal resource evaluation and grid modeling studies – including recent reports by the US Geological Survey, Princeton University, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory – have now aligned that there are hundreds of gigawatts of opportunity for geothermal deployment in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 feet and 400 to 600 °F.

And the money is flowing.

Investors feel that enhanced geothermal has passed through the commercial valley of death and is ready for widespread commercial adoption.

Wish I had some venture capital. All I got is a checking account.

I still don't understand how t, creating a heat exchangerhe fluid dynamics work for such a deep well. How do we use the energy that is that deep up top? IE / casing / fluids / etc...

Horizontal drilling, fracking, creating a heat exchanger, and a recovery well for the heated water.

But we are talking 15,000 feet of head, incredibly high temperatures (what is being used for casing?), and pressures.

I don't recall the company, Fervo Energy going into detail about this but it looks like the casing would typically be P110 or Q125 high strength steel. And then there are coatings for corrosives that might be present.
This looks like a good jumping off point for more detailed information: NREL Geothermal Research

 

[steve_bank]

One means of heat storage is by change of state.

In steam the total energy in Joules is the sensible heat plus the latent heat of vaporization. Latent heat is energy it takes to change state without changing the temperature of the material.

Sensible heat is the energy stored as a temperature difference, q = m*c*dT where q is heat(energy), m mass, c specific heat, T temperature

Energy is the capacity to do work, a test for energy is being able to do work where work is force x distance The equivalence of heat, work, and energy is a fundamental principle in thermodynamics. Demonstrated by Joule’s paddle wheel experiment.

At a top level to understanding energy systems conservation of mass and energy along with the equivalence of heat, energy, and work goes a long way. Moving electrons in a wire is work, force x distance.

Energy is just a unit of measure of a physical state. Like meters and kilograms

It may seem like smoke and mirrors, but it works.

An Inquiry Concerning the Source of the Heat Which Is Excited by Friction - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Eutectic salts can be used for heat storage. Like stem energy stored as a change of state.

Eutectic system - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

A eutectic system or eutectic mixture (/juːˈtɛktɪk/ yoo-TEK-tik)[1] is a type of a homogeneous mixture that has a melting point lower than those of the constituents.[2] The lowest possible melting point over all of the mixing ratios of the constituents is called the eutectic temperature. On a phase diagram, the eutectic temperature is seen as the eutectic point (see plot on the right).[3]

Non-eutectic mixture ratios have different melting temperatures for their different constituents, since one component's lattice will melt at a lower temperature than the other's. Conversely, as a non-eutectic mixture cools down, each of its components solidifies into a lattice at a different temperature, until the entire mass is solid. A non-eutectic mixture thus does not have a single melting/freezing point temperature at which it changes phase, but rather a temperature at which it changes between liquid and slush (known as the liquidus) and a lower temperature at which it changes between slush and solid (the solidus).

In the real world, eutectic properties can be used to advantage in such processes as eutectic bonding, where silicon chips are bonded to gold-plated substrates with ultrasound, and eutectic alloys prove valuable in such diverse applications as soldering, brazing, metal casting, electrical protection, fire sprinkler systems, and nontoxic mercury substitutes.

The term eutectic was coined in 1884 by British physicist and chemist Frederick Guthrie (1833–1886). The word originates from Greek εὐ- (eû) 'well' and τῆξῐς (têxis) 'melting'.[2] Before his studies, chemists assumed "that the alloy of minimum fusing point must have its constituents in some simple atomic proportions", which was indeed proven to be not always the case.[4]

"Solar salt", 60% NaNO3 and 40% KNO3, forms a eutectic molten salt mixture which is used for thermal energy storage in concentrated solar power plants.[10] To reduce the eutectic melting point in the solar molten salts, calcium nitrate is used in the following proportion: 42% Ca(NO3)2, 43% KNO3, and 15% NaNO3.

 

[bilby]

One means of heat storage is by change of state.

True, but not in steam turbines.

They run on "dry steam", which is not allowed to cool to a point where liquid water is present until it has left the turbine; Liquid water would rapidly corrode and destroy the turbine.

 

[bilby]

It may seem like smoke and mirrors, but it works.

I know it works; But your explainations seem like "baby's first heat engine" kindergarten level stuff.

Everyone who is interested knows; Anyone who doesn't know at least this infant-school version of reality is (by definiton in the Internet age) disinterested.

Who is your target audience, and why do you imagine that that audience are reading your posts?

 

[TV and credit cards]

For better or for worse, the Dept of the Interior is fast tracking the permitting process for geothermal energy projects.
It is expected the Great Basin in Nevada will supply 10% of the nation’s energy needs.

 

[bilby]

In 2025, the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant underwent a major transformation. Over 1,500 tons of new equipment were delivered, including modern turbine components, safety systems, heat exchangers, and control units. This wasn’t just about keeping the lights on—it was a full-scale modernization aimed at boosting reliability, safety, and performance. As a result, Metsamor’s output increased from around 380 MW to 440 MW, and its operational life has been officially extended to at least 2036.

This upgrade came with major safety benefits too. New systems now meet the latest international standards, significantly reducing the risk of accidents. One key procedure—the annealing of the reactor pressure vessel—helped restore its structural integrity, extending its service life and allowing the plant to operate more securely. The changes make Metsamor more resilient and better prepared for the challenges of the next decade.

With the plant supplying about a third of the country’s electricity, its continued operation is critical for national energy stability. The modernization effort not only improves day-to-day reliability but also gives the government time to plan for future energy infrastructure, including a possible new power unit to replace Metsamor by the mid-2030s.

But what do you guys think? Will Metsamor’s upgrade hold off the need for a new plant, or is it just buying time? Can long-term energy security be built around a modernized but aging facility?

This reads like a cut-and-paste of a news article, from a source that assumes its readership are in Armenia, or at least are familiar with Armenia's geography snd energy systems. But it is not attributed to any source.

Where does it come from?

 

[ZiprHead]

GlenKirk has been banned for plagiarism and drive-by posting.

 

[James Brown]

Japan’s Yoroi Reactor Ushers In a New Era of Micro-Nuclear Power​

https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html
https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html
Key Takeaways:
https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html

• Japan has deployed the Yoroi Reactor, a sealed, shipping container-sized microreactor, in remote communities.
• Designed for disaster resilience and clean energy access, the Yoroi runs for ten years without refueling or onsite staff.
• Using molten salt cooling and low-enriched uranium, the reactor features passive safety systems and no meltdown risk.
• Two units are already operational in Hokkaido, displacing diesel generators and providing zero-emission power.
• Japan aims to install 50 more Yoroi Reactors nationwide by 2030 as part of its energy transformation strategy.

 

[bilby]

Japan’s Yoroi Reactor Ushers In a New Era of Micro-Nuclear Power​

https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html
https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html
Key Takeaways:
https://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-t...hers-in-a-new-era-of-micro-nuclear-power.html

• Japan has deployed the Yoroi Reactor, a sealed, shipping container-sized microreactor, in remote communities.
• Designed for disaster resilience and clean energy access, the Yoroi runs for ten years without refueling or onsite staff.
• Using molten salt cooling and low-enriched uranium, the reactor features passive safety systems and no meltdown risk.
• Two units are already operational in Hokkaido, displacing diesel generators and providing zero-emission power.
• Japan aims to install 50 more Yoroi Reactors nationwide by 2030 as part of its energy transformation strategy.

I would like to believe this, but the only source I can find is the blog you linked to, and social media re-posts referencing it.

It seems implausible that it could reach the deployment stage without significant media and industry attention. But such sources don't mention it, or if they do, Google isn't telling me about it.

 

[bilby]

The entire thing seems to be based on a single Facebook post made on July 11th.

There are tons on social media posts about it, and loads of pictures have been posted online since that time; But tellingly, there are at least half a dozen completely different pictures, all of which appear to be artificially generated.

This story is an example of the incredible breakthroughs made in recent years and months in the field of getting people to believe stuff that's complete bullshit.

I would be completely unsurprised if the ultimate origin of this story were to be the "hallucinations" of an LLM (the IT industry says "hallucinations" because the word "bullshit" scares the customers).

Such microreactors have been speculated about for a long time, but none has gone beyond speculation to my knowledge. No detailed final design has been built; No application for a licence has been begun, in Japan nor anywhere else; No prototype or proof of concept has been built or tested - not even of the non-nuclear components that convert the heat from the reactor core into usable electricity (which would be an esential step in obtaining regulatory approval).

The Japanese are very wary of all things nuclear, and for anything like this to be approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority would require years of discussion, public consultation, and testing before a prototype could even be built. Then there would be even more years, and lots of very vocal protesting from NIMBYs, before the first unit could be deployed.

The Japan Nuclear Safety Institute (JANSI) provide licencing information about all nuclear facilities in Japan, including power plants, enrichment facilities, reprocessing facilities, and waste disposal facilities. These "Yoroi" microreactors are not even mentioned on their website.

 

[Swammerdami]

"Tell me about Japan's Yoroi Reactor."

It appears that the Yoroi Reactor, as described in recent viral reports, is not a real technology. These stories—claiming Japan has deployed shipping‑container‑sized, ten‑year autonomous microreactors named “Yoroi” across Hokkaido—are unsubstantiated and widely regarded as baseless speculation or fabrication

Not long ago I watched a YouTube where an AI expert voiced serious worries of AIs attacking each other. I didn't understand details, but perhaps one AI could flood its rival with fake news or otherwise induce the rival to "hallucinate."

 

[bilby]

"Tell me about Japan's Yoroi Reactor."

It appears that the Yoroi Reactor, as described in recent viral reports, is not a real technology. These stories—claiming Japan has deployed shipping‑container‑sized, ten‑year autonomous microreactors named “Yoroi” across Hokkaido—are unsubstantiated and widely regarded as baseless speculation or fabrication

Not long ago I watched a YouTube where an AI expert voiced serious worries of AIs attacking each other. I didn't understand details, but perhaps one AI could flood its rival with fake news or otherwise induce the rival to "hallucinate."

Oh, great. Now we are using AI to tell us what AI has gotten wildly wrong. What could possibly be the problem with that approach?

 

[Tharmas]

I would like to believe this, but the only source I can find is the blog you linked to, and social media re-posts referencing it.

The Washington Post recently ran this article on micro nukes. They are apparently fairly far along in the development phase.

The nuclear industry aims to miniaturize, looking to place hundreds of small power plants across the nation.

They generally don’t require water for coolant, instead using helium gas, molten salt or air-cooled alkali metal pipes to carry heat away from the core. For fuel, they rely on a novel type of uranium pellet that the Energy Department has declared “meltdown-proof.” It’s an attractive prospect for remote energy customers seeking cheaper and cleaner alternatives to diesel generators and coal boilers.

But the Energy Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations has promoted the technology as a viable on-demand clean energy alternative. Now the government is pushing ahead with tests — at a fortified lab in Idaho — of multiple competing microreactor designs.
If one or more emerges as successful, it could be the first new commercial nuclear reactor design used in the U.S. since the early years of the Cold War. Developers of the technology hope to get the first of them running as soon as 2028 and envision installing them widely by the early 2030s.

 

[bilby]

The Washington Post recently ran this article on micro nukes. They are apparently fairly far along in the development phase.

This appears to be yet another article written by someone who doesn't really understand the technology. (Most journalists, even "science journalists", know very little actual science).

And of course, even it doesn't suggest that any such reactors are at the deployment stage, in Japan or anywhere else.

I am particularly amused by:

For fuel, they rely on a novel type of uranium pellet that the Energy Department has declared “meltdown-proof.”

Most of the serious small reactor designs currently proposed use liquid fuels; They are meltdown proof by dint of already being molten in normal operations.

Solid fuel pellets are a really poor design choice on a number of levels, and are used mostly for historical reasons having to do with a minuscule number of high-ranking US Naval personnel wanting to keep things simple (that is, within their personal ability to comprehend).

"Meltdown proof" fuel is a daft solution to a self-imposed problem, and only sounds like a good idea to the badly informed (eg journalists, politicians and Pentagon desk-jockeys).

And a meltdown is not the disaster Jane Fonda would have us believe. It results in the destruction of an expensive reactor, so it's something to be avoided; But the death and injury toll from the only actual meltdown in an actual first generation reactor (at Fukushima Daiichi) was zero. Second and subsequent generations of design are even more resilient; We are currently running Generation 3+, and designing Generation 4.

 

[TV and credit cards]

California Senate committee to consider streamlining geothermal energy projects
As near as I can figure from this article, currently in California, a geothermal company wanting to set up a facility has to do a lengthy environmental review prior to any exploratory work then would have to have an environmental review after that/prior to building the facility.
So the California State Senate will try and streamline the process but not if Earth Advocacy, Defenders of Wildlife and the California Native Plant Society has anything to say about it.
The streamline:

Specifically, AB 527 would exempt qualifying geothermal test projects from the California Environmental Quality Act, colloquially known as CEQA. AB 531 would expand the types of facilities eligible to be certified as environmental leadership development projects by the California Energy Commission to include geothermal power plants -- effectively fast-tracking the certification process.

The boondoggle:

"California has a permitting process for geothermal that is so risky that developers are saying we're going to go everywhere else first and California last," he said, noting that the state requires a full environmental review that can take anywhere from two to eight years. "You don't even know if you want to invest in building a resource at the end of that, because you have to do the exploration before you can start your next environmental review."

The constipation:

Kim Delfino, a lobbyist and founder of Earth Advocacy, summarized her three issues with AB 527 to center around 1) the impact of temporary roads and electrical lines through rivers and riparian areas, 2) fracking technology risks, and 3) the size of "undisturbed" land allowed under the CEQA exemption. Delfino noted that 12 acres for CEQA exemption, as written in the legislation, is too large since geothermal exploratory projects in California typically average 5 acres, and the term "undisturbed" is unclear.