Search results for "geothermal"

Microbiological evidences of methanotriphic activity in the soils of the geothermal area of Pantelleria island (Italy)

2012

Methane plays an important role in the Earth’s atmospheric chemistry and radiative balance being the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Methane is released to the atmosphere by a wide number of sources, both natural and anthropogenic, with the latter being twice as large as the former. It has recently been established that significant amounts of geological methane, produced within the Earth’s crust, are currently released naturally into the atmosphere. Active or recent volcanic/geothermal areas represent one of these sources of geological methane. Microbial oxidation in soils contributes for about 3-9% to the total removal of CH4 from the atmosphere. Recent studies e…

Western Sicily (Italy), a key area for understanding geothermal system within carbonate reservoirs.

2012

Solar heating and cooling systems versus conventional systems assisted by photovoltaic: Application of a simplified LCA tool

2016

Abstract Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an effective methodology to assess the energy and environmental impacts of energy systems during their life cycle, including manufacturing, operation and end-of-life. The aim of the paper is the application of a simplified LCA tool, developed in the framework of the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Task 48, for comparing different typologies of solar assisted heating and cooling systems. In detail, solar thermal heating and cooling systems located in Palermo (southern Italy) and in Zurich (Switzerland) were compared with conventional systems assisted by grid connected and stand-alone photovoltaic plants. A validation of the tool w…

The importance of iron speciation (Fe+2 /Fe+3 ) in determining mineral assemblages: an example from the high-grade aluminous metapelites of southeast…

2012

Metapelitic granulites from the Anosyen domain of southeastern Madagascar are exposed in three intercalated formations: the Amparihy, Bakika and Ihosy formations. Although mineralogically distinct from each other, the rocks from these formations show very similar bulk-rock compositions when measured on a FeT basis. The preserved mineral assemblages thus do not reflect differences in the ratios of the main rock-forming oxides (i.e. Al2O3:FeT:MgO), but instead reflect variations in the pre-metamorphic oxidation state of the protolith rocks. These differences in oxidation state are manifested via differences in iron speciation – either Fe+2 or Fe+3. The relatively reduced rocks of the Amparihy…

A geochemical traverse along the “Sperchios Basin e Evoikos Gulf” graben (Central Greece): Origin and evolution of the emitted fluids

2014

The studied area is a 130 km long fast spreading graben in Central Greece. Its complex geodynamical setting includes both the presence of a subduction slab at depth responsible for the recent (Quaternary) volcanic activity in the area and the western termination of a tectonic lineament of regional importance (the North-Anatolian fault). A high geothermal gradient is made evident by the presence of many thermal springs with temperatures from 19 to 82 C, that discharge along the normal faults bordering the graben. In the period 2004e2012, 58 gas and 69 water samples were collected and their chemical and isotopic analysis revealed a wide range of compositions. Two main groups of thermal waters…

Novel Wireless Sensor System for Dynamic Characterization of Borehole Heat Exchangers

2011

The design and field test of a novel sensor system based in autonomous wireless sensors to measure the temperature of the heat transfer fluid along a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) is presented. The system, by means of two specials valves, inserts and extracts miniaturized wireless sensors inside the pipes of the borehole, which are carried by the thermal fluid. Each sensor is embedded in a small sphere of just 25 mm diameter and 8 gr weight, containing a transceiver, a microcontroller, a temperature sensor and a power supply. A wireless data processing unit transmits to the sensors the acquisition configuration before the measurements, and also downloads the temperature data measured by the…

Methodological approach for evaluating the geo-exchange potential: VIGOR Project

2012

In the framework of VIGOR Project, a national project coordinated by the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG) and sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE), dedicated to the evaluation of geothermal potential in the regions of the Convergence Objective in Italy (Puglia, Calabria, Campania and Sicily), is expected to evaluate the ability of the territory to heat exchange with the ground for air conditioning of buildings. To identify the conditions for the development of low enthalpy geothermal systems collected and organized on a regional scale geological and stratigraphic data useful for the preparation of a specific thematic mapping, able to represent in a …

Volcanic steam output directly measured in fumaroles: the observed variations at Vulcano Island, Italy, between 1983 and 1987

1992

The mass of steam emitted by the fumaroles of the crater of Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) was evaluated by using a direct measuring method. Measurements were effected with this method between 1983 and 1987 in nine field campaigns, the results of which are given in this paper. The steam flux measurements were performed by an instrument expressly designed for steam condensation. The estimates of the thermal energy transported daily by the steam gave values of up to 10E12 J. The sharp variations in the total mass outputs recorded in 1984 and 1985 are here interpreted as being a consequence of the probable accumulation of fluid pressure at depth, during the evolution of volcanic activity. Th…

Medium enthalpy geothermal systems in carbonate reservoirs, the Western Sicily example.

2013

The multidisciplinary and integrated review of existing data (mainly acquired during oil exploration), specifically reread for geothermal purposes, and the integration with new data acquired in particular key areas, such as the Mazara Del Vallo site in the southern part of western Sicily, allowed us to better understand this -regional scale- medium-enthalpy geothermal system (with measured temperatures up to 100 °C), to reconstruct the modalities and peculiarities of fluids circulation, and to evaluate the geothermal potentialities of western Sicily. We suggest that these findings could be taken as exemplificative of the behavior of low-to medium enthalpy geothermal systems hosted in carbon…

LABORATORY INSTRUMENTATION TO STUDY CHANGES OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF ROCKS WITH CHANGES OF FREQUENCY, TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE*

1983

A laboratory instrument was developed to investigate the electrical properties of rock samples with respect to changes of frequency, temperature and pressure. The instrument can be used to obtain general trends and typical values for geological media. It should be of particular interest in geothermal studies and research in the geophysical properties of rocks. The design intervals for quantities under investigation were 20–300°C, 10 5 -4 × 10 7 Pa and 5 × 10 −4 -10 3 Hz. Certain limitations exist on the simultaneous use of the highest values of temperature and pressure. The main features of the instrument are: analog electrical outputs recorded by an x-y recorder or observed on a scope with…