Recent research could be the
opening for us to create opportunity in building the new power plant based on
renewable resources. Some of them are airborne in the earth for example carbon
dioxide and sunlight, and others are below the planet’s surface. Issues talked
about solar energy has been written on this blog, you can read it on artificial
photosynthesis: State of the art technology for producing fuels. But, how about
below the earth?
Degueldre and Fiorina presented a
paper about constructing the energy reactor based on geological views. They
mentioned about specific gas isotope which can be achieved in form of
crystalline rocks and it produced isotopic ratio in certain amounts. So,
basically it is not only fossil fuels or coal for generating energy from
machinery but also the composition of the earth. This natural resources can be
functioned as a transfer energy from heat into electrical energy and they are
popular as the name of geo-reactor.
The principle is the same with
common power plant. But, the raw material we used is totally different because
we do not have to convert the sources into energy with many processes. These
natural geo-reactors are classified into several categories based on the
location which are in the crust, earth’s core, and core-mantle boundary. All of
the locations deposit similar materials which is radioactive and they are
potentially generating chain reaction.
The issue in advantaging these
natural resources is how to get there. As we knew from table of periodic
element, radioactive elements are categorized in actinides and they emit
nuclide genesis in pulsars and neutron stars. This radioactivity characteristic
releases energy throughout chain reactions and produces decaying in order to reach
stability system. The study shows that this energy is the same reaction on what
was happened on supernovae in space. But, we face the same issue like space
does, the radioactive elements are in big amount, it is reported millions of
tons of uranium can be estimated in lower mantle and the core of the earth.
Consequently, the uranium itself
has potentially commenced the chain reaction from long time ago inside the
earth. And today, we intend to take advantage by functioning it as nuclear
sources for power plant. Instead of controlling the nuclear reaction like we
did on many nuclear power plants, we try to stop it for certain times and
constructing the building after stopping. Apparently, our temptation to make
this real is slowly decreased, however, it is not something impossible so we
must consider every hypothesis we could do.