MEGS Definition

While MEGSorg, Inc. is mainly concerned with the promotion and research needed to bring MEGS into widespread use, it is also a fact that at some point our research activity, plus site selection, finance, construction and the distribution of electric energy will require interaction with governments and the political activity associated with them. Engaging with governments and the general citizenry require that there be several levels of definition for MEGS. At the onset we propose three such definitions: Simple, Textbook and Working. As time goes on we may need to change the names of these or add others. For now here are the definitions.

A Simple Definition of MEGS.

MEGS is a way to use mass produced modules to create electric energy from heat miles below the Earth’s surface. Sometimes the flow of heat to a deep well must be enhanced by various methods.

A Textbook Defintion of MEGS

Modular Enhanced Geothermal Systems (MEGS) produce electricity using standard generators that are driven by turbines. They are binary systems in that the heat is carried to the surface by one completely enclosed heat transfer fluid and then a heat exchanger transfers that heat to a second fluid which expands to a gas and drives the turbine. Deep wells are used to bring 90 oC to 300 oC (or more) heated fluid to the surface. These wells can exhaust the heat from an area over time and so techniques are needed to Enhance (E) the flow of heat to the well from the surrounding reservoir of heat. The large number of Geothermal Systems (GS) that are needed to replace current fossil fuel base load plants, and the 100 additional plants needed to provide electric energy for all automobiles and light trucks, demand that mass production techniques be used to provide Modules (M) with the components needed to construct the MEGS generation facilities. The general name for this new way of producing energy from the Earth is Modular Enhanced Geothermal Systems (MEGS). For more see Detailed Descriptions – MEGS Definition.

A Working Definition for the Research for MEGS

MEGS facilities are brought into being by three distinct processes: drilling of a well several miles deep, enhancing the flow of heat to the well and the construction of a set of pipes, mechanical devices and control devices that circulate a fluid to bring heat out of the ground and circulate another fluid to drive a turbine that produces electricity.

The easy way to learn about something new is to have a real world example of the new thing to consider and learn about. The United Technology Corporation (UTC) product, PureCycle 280, fills that need for MEGS education. It is a mass produced set of components that generates .25MW of electricity from fluids from the Earth without any greenhouse gas or particulate pollution. One third of the MEGS effort will be to get larger (5 to 50WM) sets of components available for use in MEGS facilities. As presently configured most geothermal systems use what is available in the geothermal resource field they have chosen (hot water or steam, or a combination of both) as the fluid that brings heat from the Earth. They then return the cooled fluid back into the same general area when finished with it. Needing this resource field is what limits the geographic area where geothermal facilities can be sited. MEGS is different in that the fluid used to transfere heat to the surface will be an engineered fluid in an enclosed pipe system. A MEGS patent application was filed in July 2008 for a system of pipes and fluids that makes the MEGS method of generating electricity possible in more than two thirds of the US. Integrating the MEGS patent concepts and the mass produced components that PureCycle 280 represents will be a major thrust of the research that MEGSorg, Inc. desires to support.

Efficient, and less expensive, well drilling and more effective and robust enhancement techniques are two other areas that the MIT Study has identified as critical areas for the research needed to commercialize geothermal energy for widespread use. MEGSorg, Inc. will also support these research efforts.