Millimeter-Wave Technology Demonstration for Geothermal Direct Energy Drilling

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Program:
OPEN 2018
Award:
$3,872,589
Location:
Seattle, Washington
Status:
ACTIVE
Project Term:
09/09/2019 - 09/08/2024

Technology Description:

AltaRock Energy will overcome technical limitations to deep geothermal drilling by replacing mechanical methods with a Millimeter Wave (MMW) directed energy technology to melt and vaporize rocks for removal. This approach could increase drilling speed by 10 times or more, reducing costs while reaching higher temperatures and greater depths than those achievable with the best current and proposed mechanical technologies. Project R&D will include benchtop testing as well as larger scale demonstrations of directed MMW drilling at unprecedented borehole lengths and power levels. A detailed modeling and simulations campaign carried out with the experimental work will provide the basis for the design of larger, commercial-scale systems.

Potential Impact:

Successful completion of project objectives will advance the technological maturity of unique high-power MMW energy physics and engineering needed for geothermal energy mining in very deep, high pressure subterranean environments.

Security:

Just 0.1% of the heat content of Earth could supply humanity’s total energy needs for 2 million years. Accordingly, minor extraction of the energy available via geothermal energy could provide substantial contributions to U.S. energy needs long-term.

Environment:

Supercritical enhanced geothermal systems represent an untapped energy source that can produce carbon-free geothermal energy.

Economy:

Advances in MMW directed energy drilling could vastly improve the economics and reach of geothermal energy, which could become a more significant source of electricity.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Robert Mellors
Project Contact:
Geoffrey Garrison
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
ggarrison@altarockenergy.com

Partners

Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Quaise Energy

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Release Date:
12/13/2017