Why This Fusion Tech May Be a Geothermal Energy Breakthrough

Why Fusion is the Key to the Future of Geothermal Energy. Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/undecided - Enter promo code UNDECIDED for 83% off + 3 months & Antivirus for FREE! Geothermal energy has the potential to power the world. However, it hasn’t been the hottest renewable energy option because drilling deep enough into the earth is difficult and costly. A startup has recently unearthed a solution: A gyrotron heat ray to melt rocks (sort of). This is a well-established nuclear fusion technology being reapplied to geothermal energy. Could it unlock the true potential of geothermal energy and make it a better renewable energy source than solar and wind?
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[@UndecidedMF]

Do you think this could make geothermal energy the future of our energy grid? Get Surfshark VPN at surfshark.deals/undecided - Enter promo code UNDECIDED for 83% off + 3 months & Antivirus for FREE! Watch Quantum Computers Are Coming … But Why Should You Care? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2HVgpJojMereZo

[@Albe3331]

Thanks Matt. At 70 yo I still like learning new things and you are a great teacher.

[@casperSH]

Thanks so much for this video. God I hope we could use this technology already. Here in Scandinavia, we rely on windpower mostly, so a second source of carbon-neutral energy would be perfect.

[@anthonylosego]

Heck, with this, we could draw off billions of joules of heat energy, thereby lowering the 10km deep rock by many degrees, creating condensing forces in many megatons of solid rock. Heck, I want to live near these. So I can ride the waves of the newly created shearing forces! Yeah! 9.4 super earthquakes in the midwest! yes! We never get the fun disasters. Basically, "they don't have the instabilities in other places" so we have a clean canvas to create all new instabilities! (Or it will be someone else's problems 30 years from now.) Also think of it this way. The fault areas are cracked and unstable. Much like a measure of sand. The stable zones that are not so cracked are more like a solid piece of glass. If you irregularly heat sand vs glass, which one will destabilize in a worse way? (Answer: the glass, as it has yet to crack up and is strong enough to hold a lot of initial stresses). So stable ground will cause the biggest problems, but a long time from now. This sounds good. But it may take a slightly different form once complete. If they keep at it, it will probably get there. Seems silly not to use free energy under our feet. Getting at it is the biggest hurdle.

[@kristiw.1823]

This is such an exciting development!

[@paperburn]

I never thought I would say this "DRILL Baby DRILL!"

[@justaguyfromreddit]

I don't know if you will ever read this, but your channel pushed me to start going to engineering

[@jaqueitch]

Go to engineering?

[@talldude1412]

Good for you, enjoy the ride and pride in creating things

[@justaguyfromreddit]

@@jaqueitch yeah, where I live it is a short form to say that you are going to the faculty of engineering

[@vennic]

Where I live, pushing is an automatic time out

[@MasterBlaster3545]

Good on you. A sensible person who acts. Good luck in your career if you get a good one 👍

[@JerryRigEverything]

Awesome! Hopefully all their tests go well. I'd love to see this succeed.

[@dann5480]

They won't go well.

[@electroflame6188]

@@dann5480 blind pessimism is just as stupid as blind optimism

[@UndecidedMF]

It’s really clever. I hope they have success with their tests and ramp up too.

[@unknown-unknown69]

Hey zack you are awesome dude I'm surprised you are here, you shocked me that you are interested in news

[@jurgens9867]

@@unknown-unknown69 Why?

[@Zappygunshot]

I remember reading an article about this guy only a few months ago when he published his results; it's amazing to see how quickly this has been picked up and how fast we're getting to industrial scale. Usually that kind of stuff takes ages. Also, using fusion stabilizing magnetron beams to drill holes to the centre of the planet is both mega sci-fi and reminiscent of the many technological developments that were made during the space race in service of taking a human crew to the moon and back, and how we're still using those technologies today for a wide variety of applications. These stories are always fascinating.

[@mnomadvfx]

A magnetron is not a gyrotron. Both produce EM waves within a similar range of spectra, but they are different in terms of design and the upper limits of their output. Gyrotrons are far more effiicent for super high energy use cases like this.

[@kenpeterson2511]

Hopefully, this works as it does in theory, and their testing so far works when actually getting down to the required depth. This would be a great renewable source that works 24/7 with no pollution.

[@gbsbill]

I like many aspects of this tech, geothermal replacing coal fired and reusing the existing infrastructure is a great plan. I hope this does come to commercial scale and get widely applied.

[@kybrancaccio]

speaking of Coal, It will ignite underground coal deposits which can burn without air. Ground surveys will have to be precise and careful before such an approach is to be used.

[@andrewallason4530]

@@kybrancaccio coal and other fossil fuels would be in the first 3-5km of the borehole, and won’t be a problem as this section is drilled conventionally.

[@robertkirchner7981]

That infrastructure can also be used to supply the drilling operation with the massive power it needs.

[@jeronimotamayolopera4834]

WE NEED MORE OIL.

[@generalharness8266]

@@jeronimotamayolopera4834 Deep fried chicken mmmmmmm

[@MahlenMorris]

If this pans out, one could even imagine power generation eventually becoming far more localized, with each metro area having power plants, thus reducing the energy loss on long transmission lines. Lots of "ifs" to get there, no question, but this is exciting.

[@rashkavar]

That would also have a big benefit in terms of reducing the reliance on interconnected complex power distribution systems. We've already seen a couple of massive blackouts where tens of millions lose power because a handful of things broke that, in combination, took down the entire grid for the region. Sure, at least some of the root causes of those would still have an impact (Coronal Mass Ejections causing an EMP that fries everything can knock out 20 local grids as easily as it can a single supergrid that covers everything from Quebec to Washington DC), but it does mean that the fallout from such surges wouldn't spread past the edge of the area effected by the CME or whatever itself)

[@yeetboi268]

but what happen if there is a natural disaster such as earthquake?

[@rolandwoltman7835]

@@yeetboi268 They drill another hole... after the shakes go away.

[@andrewallason4530]

@@yeetboi268 I think the earthquake would only affect the surface and shallow equipment. There are large deep underground tunnel systems being built in high risk areas to protect essential and high risk services.

[@Synthmilk]

@@yeetboi268 in high risk zones alternative power would likely be best, or simply bringing power in from outside the risk zone.

[@patrickbradshaw2358]

Very cool! I am eager to see the results from larger scale tests of this tech. One of my biggest concerns is related to insulating the electronics of the gyrotron. We currently struggle with the issue of electronic borehole instruments failing at ~150° C. 500° C is *very* hot and it seems there might need to be a robust cooling system at a level of sophistication that is hard to imagine without further research. Great video Matt, Carlos, and Paul!

[@rubikmonat6589]

The gyrotron remains on the surface. The "drill string" is a waveguide to carry the radiation down.

[@sclabhailordofnoplot2430]

@@rubikmonat6589 What about signal degradation of the gyrotron? The approximate 25% gain lose per every connection. Since well drilling pipes are a new connection every 27-32 foot. For that amount of energy and depth either your using Andrew LDF5 at a min (They don't make a reel that long in Chicago for depths mentioned) or polarized tubes like the DEW line. And would still have issues with rock like glass splatter coating at the end. Unless using an ungodly PSI and amount of inert gas like argon thus raising cost. Three Mile Island only reached something like 135 feet below ground due to ground table water. When the pellets and rods decided to leave the pressure vessel.

[@shadowtheimpure]

@@sclabhailordofnoplot2430 That is why the wave guide is an entirely separate entity from the well pipes. The well pipes are just there to line the hole when conventional mechanical drilling is being used. Below that, the tool vitrifies the rock so the hole is basically lined with volcanic glass.

[@rubikmonat6589]

@@sclabhailordofnoplot2430 think of the drill string as segments of rigid waveguide not coax, much lower loss and near zero loss at joints. Yes ungodly amounts of inert gas, not just for clearing the end but pressure to keep the hole open, you would need so much pressure you will likely blow out the glass casing at the shallower depths (you aren't able to use the gravity pressure gradient from the height like you get with mud). I don't think it will work, just from the pressure physics. Then you don't get the string buoyancy from the mud either, so the tensile strength will be eye watering trying to hang all that off a rig.

[@sclabhailordofnoplot2430]

@@rubikmonat6589 Thanks, So skipping investing. I feel old drilling methods, sandblasting, Water blasting, And brisance explosive carts would be more cost effective. Possibly a new Jack hammer style hydraulic drill head. Issues: The unsupported wave guide pipe (keeping straight in hole), Drill holes are never straight 100% Ridged wave guide can't work, (connections not discussed for signal gain loss Microwave, Laser, Electricity, and RF all have these issues), Heat issue, stronger drill rig for wave guide pipe (good point Rubik), amount of power needed at site, and removal of debris without splattering molten rock on the working end. High PSI means heavier pipe which compounds the line tension issue. Your going to have to keep to 30 foot sections to match the curve of the original drill pipe. These polarized wave guide high psi pipes are going to need stored to prevent oxidization when not in use. Dehumidified so you don't get a moisture block explosion. I'm out, not saying it can't be done. I just foresee someone calling a radar guy to fix the wave guide after its been dented, kinked, coverd in splatter, or broke off 2,000 feet down. Good luck fishing that back up. There going to have to use robotic/or psi driven external expanding open face ball bearings. on the pipe to keep it straighter and grip the sides of the shaft to lessen the pipe weight.

[@budshoot6951]

I LOVE your content! When I found you, I didn't care so much about green energy/renewables however as an engineer I was curious about the statistics as well as tech and design concepts behind a lot of your topics. Now that I've been watching you for a bit, I'm looking into geo-thermal cooling for my house and actually excited to buy my next house so I can go solar as well. Thank you for bringing such GREAT topics to this platform and for covering them in such an informative way.

[@erfquake1]

I particularly like the idea that you could just drill in the parking lot of an existing power plant & convert it over to geothermal very easily, with zero emissions and a pre-built power infrastructure already connected to it.

[@xniyana9956]

Yea, that's one of the best benefits as I see it.

[@0my]

I'm not a geologist. But what will happen in the moment that super heated water or gas is reached, will there be a blow out that engineering cannot cap? Will we have a hole spewing toxic gas into atmosphere? Will it destroy the drilling equipment?

[@erfquake1]

@@0my Well, I'm not a geologist either. It's my understanding that the wellhead maintains pressurization before, during and after drilling. Once the drilling is completed, the fusion drill gets removed, and a pipe assembly circulating some heat-exchanging fluid gets installed into the hole. None of the drilling processes are paticularly exotic or experimental. Iceland's been doing this for years with no procedural crises. In fact, so has the US. As I understand it, the only difference in process is the type of "drillbit," if you will, and the only physical distinction is the depth of the hole. At this point, if they struck oil instead, they'd be disappointed. But it wouldn't cause a disaster.

[@grn1]

@@erfquake1 Oil might actually be a bit of an issue when using a laser to super-heat rock but then again maybe it isn't, I don't know enough about the temperatures involved and the flash point of oil (or whatever else they may encounter). I presume they'll use some sort of sensing tool to get an idea before digging too far (some sort of sonar or radar system maybe).

[@paulwhite6648]

@@erfquake1 There are currently 7 US states that already have grid level geothermal generation of electricity. The FORGE project in the state where I live is one of the US Department of Energy's pilot projects to help overcome hurdles to geothermal energy generation. The challenges are many and varied, not just the drilling method. But it is very true that drilling technology has absolutely been the biggest hurdle. One thing this video mentions is that the water resources at depths like the ones he is referring to tend to exist in a supercritical state. My brother has a PhD in Chemical Engineering and his thesis was based on supercritical fluid research, so I asked him about it. Turns out, even very small amounts of sulfur added to supercritical water is extremely corrosive and sulfur is definitely present in the water down there. So dealing with water at that depth is no walk in the park. All of the problems have solutions. And those solutions are probably still a lot easier than anything associated with controlled nuclear reactions of any kind - especially fusion. So breakthroughs like the one described in this video are great news! Just a few more engineering challenges to go and it becomes inevitable. This will be our reality - and because of this breakthrough, it will be sooner not later.

[@yash_kambli]

This is the most promising renewable energy source i ever seen. It might have its own limitations or say side effects but compare to other renewable alternatives this is most reliable and very straight forward. Only efforts will goes into making the hole deep enough and prevent it from being collapsed. Apart from that nothing challenging as such.

[@michaelandrews4783]

The Challenge to build a geothermal power plant is always overblown

[@IaIaCthulhuFtagn]

As long as it doesn't increase earthquakes like fracking or end up venting toxic gases into nearby communities. Companies in the energy sector aren't exactly known for their safety standards. They prefer to let stuff break and pay small fines instead of maintaining equipment.

[@SaveMoneySavethePlanet]

Agreed. It’s extremely promising and will be revolutionary in the areas that meet the niche requirements. Unfortunately that won’t be all locations, but luckily we have other clean solutions for those locations.

[@SeeNickView]

@@michaelandrews4783 Agreed, critics are full of hot air

[@rainbowevil]

@@michaelandrews4783 that’s a ridiculous statement, if it were easy there would be a huge number of them out there already, as some companies would have gone for it for being able to undercut all the competition and make huge amounts of money.

[@geoffreykail9129]

Please keep us up to date on this. This is one of the most practical ways it seems to end some of the fossil fuel dependence. Since the drill rigs are all over the place and the lack of need for casing. Thanks, I enjoy all your research and presentations.

[@Gfbackflip]

It's these types of videos that remind me the world really isn't as bad as it seems. We might be having hotter summers every year, but we're creating technology now that will benefit us immensely over the next 100+ years.

[@ulrichraymond8372]

You could drill horizontal once you reach a certain depth if the temperature gradient is high. Also a lot of the cost can be offset if gas pockets like helium, argon, xenon,etc are recovered. It could also be used to set up seismometers and detect the depth of the earthquake and triangulate the location. You could even use the heat for desalination plants from such wells.

[@Merennulli]

I'm skeptical of how clearing the borehole will work over those distances and how the borehole will hold up with it relying solely on the result of melting the surrounding rock layers. They must have thought of these factors already, but that's a lot of pressure difference to rely on one mechanism for lifting debris, and the classic problem of drilling is going through transitions between layers of different types of rock. Not all types of rock will form the same sort of "glass" when melted, so transition boundaries are something that would be worrying to me, particularly when you repressurize the hole with acidic water. Even though I'm skeptical, I'm really hopeful this works. If it delivers on its promise and the boreholes prove to be sufficiently durable, this could be amazing.

[@plasmabazooka4403]

the same thought as well. I don't think the glass surface will stand hundreds bars of pressure. But I suppose to put some tubing should be easier than constantly change drilling head which can stuck.

[@gary.richardson]

I had the same concern for turning Martian soil into glass. Some kind of targeted float distillation may be implemented with remote sensing of suspect impurities.

[@TNoStone]

@@plasmabazooka4403 there is pressure inside and outside

[@shrimptopian3392]

Offcourse it won't work.... Its on undecided

[@sucherwild4915]

I am thinking the same. I was also wondering if they considered the impact of earthquakes on the stability of the "glass". I can see things going wrong there easily

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Thanks, Matt; one thing though - I was in the power system industry before I retired. We, that is, Los Angeles, had some geothermal resources. What we found was that drilling is one thing - using that heat was another: The water coming out of the ground was very caustic, resulting in high maintenance costs. On the other hand, any non-coal/gas resource is welcome. We (LA) also ran significant wind and solar, which has had a hard learning curve. Renewables, so far, have required expensive backup replacement energy (quick-start gas turbines), to fill in for the variability of wind and solar. (On a minute by minute basis renewables could swing hundreds of megawatts if the “farms” are large enough, which they are when these resources are scaled to utility levels .)

[@ronningonempty]

Well explained, and I like that you didn't cover it in fluff, but even talk of drawbacks or obstacles. I contacted someone from DOE years ago to posit an idea of storing waste heat, from some solar projects, underground to build a kind of artificial and lower temp geothermal source and use either motors that operated on temperature differential (like stirling), or low pressure steam generators to augment the electricity from the solar project. The answer was short, and essentially "we have been looking into geothermal, and it has some obstacles'.

[@donnh8004]

I was just looking at the web site for Iceland's geothermal power production. Pretty amazing. Many power plants and 70% of the electricity generated goes to making aluminum. The energy goes to things we don't think of like longer showers, heating the streets to keep ice off. Some drilling has been required but the sources are so shallow not a lot of drilling has been required.

[@donTeo136]

Imagine that- having such abundance we could be heating streets, no doubt that worlds coming, although from a current prospective it seems impossible .

[@chrisbraid2907]

Wairakei in NZ uses geothermal energy from closer to the surface as well as the Waikato River for a source of cooling water . Relatively shallow Geothermal energy is a good resource but will require careful management …

[@lubricustheslippery5028]

They also have hydropower with a great loss of nature in Iceland

[@sirnirvikingur]

@@lubricustheslippery5028 We dont have enogh of hydropower as we have to use hundreds of tons of disel to run our industry in my part of Iceland, is that better?

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@donTeo136 they constantly trickle warm water into ponds and lakes to make them more hospitable to the critters too. This type of reliable constant high output energy enables so many uses.

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

I took a course in geothermal energy in college and I really wanted to learn more towards it. But was disappointed as there was absolutely no geothermal energy production in India. The tectonically active areas in India is a convergence between two crustal plates and so the crustal thickness along those areas are extremely high as rocks pile up. That meant way too much drilling is needed to get to superheated water there. If this technology works and is adopted by India, it would be a game changer. That would mean there wouldn't be the need for those gigantic dams in Himalayas that are now under serious threat from mudslides and flashfloods from cloudbursts that are happening more frequently because of climate change. But I'm curious as to how the absence of seismic probe in conventional drilling could impact the process. It's kind of like driving blind. Though this might require using a separate probe after drilling to collect geological data, it will still help us research and understand a whole lot more about deeper earth. Then again, the lack of physical samples of rocks could still be a severe limitation.

[@cadelaide]

dont the dams supply water?

[@shukrantpatil]

@@cadelaide they do .

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

@@cadelaide They do, but when the need for energy production is reduced the dams won't be so big. Bigger dams can also cause reservoir induced earth quakes

[@-whackd]

Look up Eavor-Loop geothermal. They're able to generate electricity from any location by boring deep.

[@syauqiaqilm5692]

Could not agree more! it could be a game changer, but in geothermal or OnG drilling and exploration, geological data even just a drill cutting is crucial. We need samples of the formation to figure out what is happening inside the reservoir, there are a bunch of reservoir engineering works to be done that needs physical data of the subsurface formation. Luckily here in Indonesia we have an abundance geothermal energy potential, we dont have any problem with the thickness, its the economical aspects is the main limitation for us

[@roomtemp6374]

Assuming it works as intended, I wonder how differences in minerals might affect the integrity of the glass casing. I hope the project goes well. We need all the baseload power we can get.

[@scrapeteel920]

Same thought here. I should have trolled comments 1st.lol

[@lozoft9]

The term glass used here doesn't need scare quotes. Glasses are just amorphous, non-crystalline solids, often formed from heated rock cooling rapidly. They don't need to be silicates and some of the strongest glass is formed from doped silicates or non-silicate material. The only reason most human-made glass is silica-based is that silicon is readily available on Earth's surface in sand and silt.

[@roomtemp6374]

@@lozoft9 The quotes were meant to highlight the non-uniformity of the material in various strata causing potential strength differences down the column of the casing wall. I didn't mean to suggest that it wasn't glass at all. Fair enough. Quotes removed for clarity.

[@TheAnnoyingBoss]

I just don't understand how this glass is supposed to solve all the problems. I would've thought you couldn't prevent a tube collapse unless you filled it with something denser than they outside pushing in. Or even compressed, filling the tube with something that pushes out rather than a mud for example idk

[@jorgetlw12]

@@TheAnnoyingBoss you dont need density, you need compressive strength. and if you want to start a fracking operation, then sure start compressing

[@GoryionB]

Cheap clean energy has been promised my entire life. I keep hoping that one day our species will put our short -sighted ways behind us and throw our intellect into making sure we have a planet healthy enough to live on. Each year I lose a little hope though. I love seeing this new tech, I just hope that we can get it working fast enough.

[@TheAnnoyingBoss]

We're building all this junk Because no one knows all the solutions to figure out the best way to do things

[@Bill_CBR]

This is certainly a cool option. I think they'd definitely need to drill a deep test hole to demonstrate it's ability to withstand the pressure.

[@pjhalchemy]

Thanks Matt, Excellent presentation (with puns)! Also learned some about the gyrotron! So many promising things about this tech. The speakers were very well spoken and didn't spew Sales! Retrofitting current plants and the ability to put these in Non Unstable areas is the most appealing. The other big thing to me is not having to use Nasty slurry's with normal drilling techniques other than through the sedimentary layers. Probably the biggest benefit to me is recycling the steam on both sides of the plant, thereby not destabilizing the well and only having filters to clean/replace on the top end. Can't wait to see how their proto build goes!!

[@Xel_Naga]

I recently did a presentation on the geothermal topic for Uni looking at types of power production. One of the MAIN aspects besides location dependence was the initial cost of digging down. Talking with a Geology professor it can be usually upwards of 1 mill per km for a bore hole and Geothermal needs to be AT LEAST 5 km deep and usually 3 bores so the costs can get large very quickly.

[@KD9-37]

Great Content always! Please dont Stop! I have been craving and searching for a channel that talks about exactly the content you share. ABSOLUTLEY LOVE YUR CHANNEL! THANKYOU SO MUCH.

[@alantupper4106]

This is an exciting development, it will be interesting to see how it makes its way into the field! I've seen research in the past looking into low(er)-temperature geothermal systems that use heat engine cycles that don't rely on steam. While not as efficient on a per-unit basis, they could be deployed far more universally. I wonder how those designs and these could mesh.

[@nos9784]

Interestingly, you don't even need high temperatures to run a steam engine or turbine, because they run into the vacuum of a condenser. So, you can boil of water at ambient temperature, as long as you have some colder reservoir to condense it and remove (dissolved) air from the system. Effiency is low at these small heat diffentials, of course. I also think "organic rankine"- cycles are better suited than water at these low temperature gradients.

[@nos9784]

Concerning meshing, at the temperatures implied in the vid, we don't really need to look for altertatives to water/ steam. Im curious, though, wether we could increase efficency in standard power cycles with another medium. I have read mercury would work really well, not sure if that is true or even relevant these days :D Helium was used in research reactors (thtr), and co2 in early british nuclear power plants (magnox), but only to carry heat from the fuel rods to the steam generator. Not sure wich medium promises most efficiency... il try to find a video on that :)

[@LOOGamala]

@@nos9784 cyclopentane is used

[@MrJamesb192]

Nothing quite says environmentally friendly like poisonous heavy metals. I think the Mercury should be passed over. Perhaps it'd be possible to site other plants nearby. I recall hearing of a steam plant powered with rice bran. Wind and solar would be typical and maybe nearby hydropower as well.

[@siesstad]

Excellent overview, thank you! I've been seeing articles about this promising tech and this video answered some of the questions I had (eg. lining/stability of the bore holes). Thanks!

[@thomasdavis8117]

It's so funny that fusion may not come to market in our grandchildren's lifetime but the gyrotrons used to operate fusion reactions might solve our energy needs before the end of the century.

[@electrified3407]

@Thomas Davis So true, I certainly hope so.

[@HansLemurson]

This reminds me of the drilling system in the hilariously bad movie: "The Core", only it's orders of magnitude more realistic. Having your heat-ray not be blocked by the vaporized material is another really important aspect of this, since that's actually one of the big technical hurdles in creating Giant Death lasers.

[@GameCyborgCh]

I wonder if that guy has seen this movie and thought "hey I think we could actually make something like that"

[@nasonguy]

Yeah, immediately thought of laser cutters having issues with offgassing/material diffusing the laser. Seems like there should be some way around it though.

[@xniyana9956]

I actually enjoyed that movie. Yea, it's pretty terrible in how it represents science but I found it entertaining despite this. I think I'll watch it again tonight.

[@GameCyborgCh]

@@xniyana9956 it's been a long time since the last time I watched it. But if memory serves correctly, yes the science was terrible but it was consistent in its own logic

[@xniyana9956]

@@GameCyborgCh I literally just finished re-watching it, like not even a minute now as of this comment and yes, it is very consistent and also quite frankly, way better than 90% of the woke rubbish being put out today. The bad science doesn't one bit make this movie unenjoyable.

[@MichaelJones-wj4mo]

As a big Subnautica fan, Im a believer in geothermal. In that game (SPOILERS), long-gone Aliens left behind massive geothermal plants that powered all their needs. It’s not just a smart use of the infrastructure and energy we already have available around the ground- it’s just downright awe-inspiring. I believe this will be our main source of energy before we ever hit anything like massive solar panel arrays around the sun

[@mnomadvfx]

Space borne solar has its own benefits for other applications though. Namely the obvious, power for large scale space based industry like mining asteroids.

[@mwmentor]

Very interesting technology, and definitely worthwhile investigating. It my not be the elixir that we are seeking, and it comes with a number of different risks and boundaries, but it is still a technology that remains very worthwhile investigating, especially if it can be used for creating geothermal energy sources anywhere around the world. Hopefully proportionally similar amounts of money will be invested into researching this clean energy source as is being invested into researching fusion technology. Happy days and thanks for sharing Matt, I really enjoy your videos... they are well researched, well presented, and thought provoking. 👍😄

[@StarrDust0]

Excellent vid, and I'm a fan of this technology. The beauty of it is that it can allow us to take advantage of the already built infrastructure of coal/gas plants to repurpose them for green geothermal energy. Not to mention it could be used for millions of years and has none of the negatives that nuclear energy does...just fantastic, I don't know why more people aren't jumping on this technology. Plus you can set up some plants inside cities to provide cheap district heating/hot water as well as power.

[@stevendobson9626]

I don’t get the comparison between the cost of electricity to drill the hole vs. the total cost of drilling a hole using traditional methods. It would make much more sense to compare total costs on both sides.

[@ingram2617]

Yeah seems a little unbalanced when comparing costs, but if they don't have to constantly replace drillbits and can just drill at a consistent rate that would save a massive amount on material and labor costs.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

@@ingram2617 that’s assuming there are no replacement electrical drill heads and of course the power needed for the system. That might be inverted from using to making once everything is running though

[@ADHDgonewild7]

Sounds like oil drilling just got much cheaper as well

[@cwillis92]

How?

[@propergander8509]

It’s all fun and games until the heat ray reaches the oil deposit and lights it all on fire

[@ADHDgonewild7]

@@cwillis92 cheaper access to deeper oil reserves

[@theodoremurdock9984]

It’s only (potentially) cheaper when you’re drilling through dense igneous rock, but oil is only found in sedimentary rock (like coal, it’s from dead plants)…not sure how common it is to have sedimentary rock with oil in it under a thick enough layer of volcanic rock that this technology would be superior to conventional drilling…this is cheaper when you go super deep, past the sedimentary layers.

[@ADHDgonewild7]

@@theodoremurdock9984 good point.

[@discombubulate2256]

i love it how sponsored videos these days have "most replayed" just after the sponsor message. this doesn't say anything about your content Matt, you make great videos.

[@ToIsleOfView]

Great find Matt. I like the way you brought up the drawbacks of creating the gas pressure and dealing with fault cracks but you did not mention the problem of extracting the heat. Pumping water down the hole will pick up high mineralization and this clogs pipes very quickly. If there is naturally superheated water in the hole it will also be full of minerals. And, creating a closed-loop pipe at this depth sounds very hard as well. I would consider the cost to build nuclear power plants with thorium a better alternative. It was done before and it can be done again. Geothermal for heat pumps is great but this deep drilling idea is a waste of time and money.

[@patrickmorse7549]

Your welcome for the idea. I am glad you contacted them and figured more out on the feasibility side. Only time will tell how successful their project will be.

[@mrdol]

this is really, really cool. If they work out the technical problems this could be the holy grail of renewables. I mean it fixes the largest issue with them - the unpredictability of when it shines and/or blows. Huge thing. Hope they'll make it work someday

[@HonesTristan]

I really respect how you say “Full Transparency:” I do the same thing, although I say “Full Disclosure:” I respect you very much. I went to school for renewable resources, as well as photo and solar thermal panels (or cells that make up panels).

[@arzosahsothy]

Being a somewhat drop-in solution to existing power plants could be such a game-changer. I hope this succedes.

[@Star_Skiing_Starskski]

Promising! I would love to look back on this energy crisis and think "never woulda guessed geothermal was the answer". Best of luck to the minds behind this and thanks for the video Matt.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

There is no energy crisis. We have 65 trillion tons of uranium and 195 trillion tons of thorium in the earth's crust. Energy "scarcity" is caused by people's hesitancy to embrace nuclear energy.

[@cheetothealmighty]

This is definitely a topic I'd like you to keep us up to date on, its so interesting. This was an excellent and informative piece!!! Thank you!

[@williammorgan8545]

Thanks Matt. One potential future topic: I would be interested to learn about geothermal electricity generation off-grid for a small remote community. Even if the costs do not seem all that feasible at the moment, it would be interesting to see where the available technology is currently. Maybe, pretend you have 500+ acres and truly want to be off-grid. I really appreciate learning about your new home project.

[@davidnewton2518]

Hearing about this tech being developed (or atleast being reapplied), its extremely reassuring to know that there is a possibility for renewable energy to become the norm in the foreseeable future. This can probably even help to speed up the development of fusion energy (not sure how tbh, might have something to do with the consumption of energy to fabricate and develope technologies atpleast in my mind)

[@collegedegree8506]

Okay so it’s costs 4x a solar farm that produces the same power output, but what is the square footage required for the solar farm vs geothermal? And I like the benefit of hooking straight into decommissioned power plants to reuse infrastructure rather than build new infrastructure. I would think that would be the best for the environment and land usage.

[@kerbodynamicx472]

Solar also have another problem: unreliability and you need expensive battery packs to make them usable

[@DavidHalko]

With 241 coal power plants in the United States… there is not much opportunity for new energy production. The electrical lines already being run is the most significant benefit to switching to new base power technology. This small number of geothermal plants, in a land mass area, makes me feel very good, to be quite honest. Drilling millions of bore holes to transfer thermal energy to the biosphere would create tremendous anthropomorphic global warming, with no opportunity to recycle the heat, that we get with carbon based carriers and 100% recyclability. Drilling millions of bore holes into the earth, to transfer the heat, would slowly cool the earth, slow the movement of molten iron, decrease the magnetic field protecting the atmosphere, allow the solar wind to blow more atmosphere from the globe, resulting in evaporation & blowing away of water, and finally resulting in our blue planet turning into a dead rock & no life existing. These are heavy prices to pay for A/C to stay cool for a little while.

[@mahatmagaand]

Hi Matt, thank you for the brilliant video yet again. In all my experience in drilling allow me to humbly state that the glass barrier tube that’s formed by the laser would do little in the event of a blowback or fracture. Any fluctuation at super deep levels releases ungodly levels of energy, forces that even make even tungsten carbide brittle. I’m still pretty sure you’d need drilling mud.

[@ingram2617]

Doesn't this technique use pressurized gas as a substitute for the drilling mud? Still needs a medium to counteract the hole collapsing, but one that doesn't lose effectiveness at lower depths.

[@beyondfossil]

I was also wondering about this. Even if the glass barrier were stable during and shortly after the drilling, would it be stable weeks or years into actual steam & liquid transfer that occurs while the geothermal plant is operating?

[@gary.richardson]

From what I take from this and my need to lookup blowback, the process doesn’t seem to have the same concern for blowback if it’s the same meaning I saw for oil rig drilling. These guys are melting rock similar to using a focused beam from a very powerful microwave oven that turns rock into molten steam, with high pressures. This high intense RF and pressure seems to border between pneumatic and hydraulic pressure that could be redirected toward deficient spots. Glass can also be formulated to be either tuned brittle or flexible and layered into composite reinforcements.

[@magsk6721]

I read about this a long time ago and often wondered why it wasn't being utilised .Greatcto see it could be the answer to a whole lot of problems !

[@alburdon]

I invested in geothermal exploration in the Cooper Basin in Australia some 14 years ago. The bore was 4500m deep and the proof of concept was established until embrittlement of the steel bore lining caused failure. I lost my money but I still see geothermal power as the nearest thing to a perpetual motion machine we will find. If those Cooper Basin bores had been drilled by this method the metalurgical issues would not have occurred and we might now be enjoying the fruits of clean baseload energy, and I would be enjoying the fruits of my investment. I was just too soon with it.

[@billybrant6818]

It always bothers me how the costs per kw of wind and solar energy don’t include all of the batteries, peaker plants and excess capacity needed to actually run these systems consistently. It seems like a clever lie that these industries use. I’m excited for Geothermal energy as it can be consistent and reliable without much added infrastructure

[@awdrifter3394]

The Green Industry has mastered lobbying and propaganda at this point.

[@ViggenCv]

Especially solar - the cost is infinite at night.

[@Danielle_1234]

That and the cost of moving energy long distances.

[@t.dubbya7000]

Excellent video as always. I've always found your videos on power production interesting.

[@AnthonyPDavis-of9ij]

I listened to QUAISE Carlos on the Insiders Guide to Energy podcast. I hope this works out. It could be a big clean large scale portion of the solution to our worlds clean energy transition. Thanks for bringing this forward Matt Ferrel.

[@thomascharlton8545]

I'll be watching for further developments on this. Thanks Matt for a great presentation on another new idea.

[@catfactsuk]

Really hopeful technology, cant wait to hear how its progressing.

[@JeanYvesHudon]

Very good video, well presented. Like that you included interviews.

[@mahavati3696]

Sounds a great idea and I wish them luck with their plans for deep drilling to release the unlimited energy at the Earth's core. But on the other hand my uncle used to work in the coal mines of Yorkshire and always remarked that there was a constant battle keeping it working because the surrounding rocks were always trying to fill the mine in. That was at 1 or 2 miles deep. If we are going to use the Gyrotron to drill hundreds of miles deep I would suggest the pressures at that depth will crush any void created by the Gyrotron which would make it impossible to extract heat.

[@BeautyOfGaia]

Thanks Matt, very interesting. The ability of drilling deeper in stable ground will make it more useful as energy source. However, i see also other use for that drilling technology. I mean for any kind of other holes or tunnels.

[@jimransom5684]

I am thinking that geo thermal boreing induced earthquakes could be a good thing. Inducing an earthquake prior to high buildup of techtonic stresses in theory would induce a lot of non critcal small earthquakes instead of a few catastrophic ones. After an area experiences a big quake, it might be a good area to start a tectonic stress relief project.

[@TarisSinclair]

It sounds good in theory, but in practice it probably wouldn't work that way. Even a 10km deep borehole still only grazes the lithosphere. That would limit this only to shallow crustal earthquakes. These are rarely the "big ones", those are almost exclusively the domain of tectonic plate interactions, too deep and too large in scale to be affected by drilling. Additionally, you'd have to be able to detect the stress in the upper crust faultlines, calculate its source and vectors, and calculate a model for such release. Then you'd have to drill on the designated spot.

[@jimransom5684]

@@TarisSinclair I believe the potential success of geo thermal anywhere will morph to be refered to as geothermal everywhere. The power is for use by the customer so economics should dictate construction of facilities near population centers. That removes the problem of power plant location if they are everywhere. So that may be a good thing if a fracking break up of the earth crust absorbs seismic activity. Because EGS did induce an earthquake in South Korea and an earthquake is the relief of internal stresses within the earth I have to believe (guess really.) that EGS areas will likely have more earthquakes at lower amplitudes of activity. This is apparently a phenomena on the San Andreas fault around Hollister California. (A lot of activity but usually at lower amplitudes) I did not know that the deep big quakes originate below geo thermal well depths. I used to work at a powerplant. We circulated deionized water in a closed loop system for a heat recovery steam generator using gas turbine engine exhaust heat. That was really to protect the heat exchanger but I think there would be a significant maintenance advantage in closed loop systems as opposed to circulating water through fractured rock. I would bet closed loop systems would have little effect on seismic activity.

[@daveansell1970]

Geothermal like this is interesting, because it isn't even just always on, it will behave like storage. You are limited by the rate heat can diffuse into your borehole, so you can get extra power out of it for a few weeks by pumping more water down if you then reduce the power draw later to wait for it to warm up again. So it is complementary to conventional renewables.

[@yawncmon139]

I completely agree. It would make sense to cycle geothermal down during high solar and wind power times and cycle up when they are low. Additionally, homes can be heated through a pipe grid. Not uncommon in many cities e.g. in Europe but they still run on natural gas mainly.

[@bennerdan]

Just wanted to say thank you for making great videos on such important subject matter. More people need to be informed of how important these topics are for our future. Thank you.

[@philtuffers6847]

This is the way to go! Turn all those steam driven coal/gas burning power stations into nice friendly geothermal powered stations and you get maximal use from your initial investment, then after the setup costs have disbursed, free electricity apart from the maintenance costs!! So I hope they get round to sorting out all the wrinkles soon. Great series of informative and interesting videos. Keep up the good work!

[@parth__agarwal]

Man, I love this channel!!! I get to learn about so much cool stuff. Thanks for the hard work, Matt.

[@andreas1337able]

Amazing. I love it when we as people get a step futher thanks to people like in your video. Amazing

[@global_nomad.]

great to see so much applied tech on this channel....looking forward to seeing you hut 1m subs - you deserve it.

[@ryanatkinson2978]

Very interesting. I'm interested in seeing how this plays out. I think a lot about how easy things would be if we could just have unfettered access to geothermal energy. Obviously that's sci-fi, but I'm glad people are coming up with realistic alternatives to mechanical drilling

[@boxingtherapy87]

This sounds like one of the best option for renewable energy. Gonna be great if this comes to light ✨️

[@mattw7949]

Is it really renewable? Large reservoir of energy for sure, but it is finite.

[@CrustedCheese]

@@mattw7949 As is our plantes life overall. If 0.1% of it are good for 2 million years of energy usage will it be really a concern for humanity?

[@mattw7949]

@CrustedCheese (love the name btw!), Valid point. I believe humanity will extinguish itself well before that time. Maybe this will let us keep the lights on while we do it. ;)

[@boxingtherapy87]

@@mattw7949 true its not renewable really. Guess that term is used on anything that isn't fossil fuels

[@CrustedCheese]

@@mattw7949 Sadly, I agree to that - and thanks :)

[@ingeniando3d219]

Technology and engineering are mindblowing Good video Matt!

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks!

[@someoneelse2106]

The drilling method described sounds a alot like The Core (2003) movie about drilling to the core of the earth with high powered light beams that vaporize the rock out of the way of the craft to reach the Earth's core to like save the world and stuff. This is cool!

[@ThomasAlisi]

Great stuff Matt, hope the pilots will further demonstrate this technology as a viable solution to produce extra capacity with cheap geothermal. FYI, I believe there's a little error at 13:53, the LCOE should show cost of energy, not power, so the copy should be "/ kWh", hope this helps!

[@brad9529]

He compares the total cost of physical drilling $30m to 'just' the cost of electricity ($500k) This new system will have MASSIVE costs other than just the electricity, the total cost would probably be more than conventional drilling & definitely more expensive in the beginning. I don't like the fact that he falsified the pricing, it makes it stink of scam.

[@chrisswartz2629]

We've seen plenty of technology come and go but it never makes it out of the lab, this sounds like one has all the characteristics of a technology that should. I'm cautiously optimistic

[@bensonboys6609]

I can’t put into words how cool this is! Thanks for bringing this technology to our attention! I still think molten salt reactors are underutilized however. You’re right, it’s good to pursue a wide range of clean options, I just don’t think that molten salt is getting the funding that it deserves. It’s super safe and the radioactive waste produced is only Radioactive for 500 years. The technology is already proven. But enough on that, I think this new geothermal technology is extremely deserving of funding.

[@AlfredoMazzinghi]

I'd love to see some test holes, I have some friends who work on geothermal wells in Italy and I know that there is plenty of things that can go bad for a well even at current depths, so it might be useful to test this new technique for existing depth to prove it works

[@Red_Pill_]

Another excellent video 😉

[@Ikbeneengeit]

Thanks for always being a dose of positivity Matt.

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks, Daniel.

[@markhaus]

This could be the silver bullet of renewables. Geothermal is constant, renewable and and has tons of side benefits like mineral extraction. The problem was always the cost of drilling in places that don't already have shallow geothermal vents. This might just make that a non issue. Crossing my fingers as hard as I can the first demonstration plants are a success.

[@DavidHalko]

“Geothermal is constant”… until the core cools, the magnetic field of the planet weakens, the atmosphere blows off from the solar wind, and everything on the face of the planet is dead.

[@scottmoore8854]

One of the thing that caught m you attention in this video was Matt's recited explanation of the heat that is in the Earth's core as being from residual planet formation heat along with nuclear decay. And often amazed at how the concept that the Earth could be inductively heated from the Sun is never considered.

[@sabata2]

The problems that I see with this drilling technique are purely related to maintenance and upkeep costs. Glass may have a strong factor against compression, but it is horrible against sheering. A single minor quake and *crack* goes your mining tube. Following that, what if your fluid line needs replacing, either through normal wear and tear or damage like said minor quake? This is promising, but all this is is a new way to drill. There are still a LOT of functional problems geothermal will need to combat.

[@byrond2184]

The glass would be a harden for of glass. Think like gorilla glass for your phone screen except for multiple times stronger b/c of the different types of resin used for the creation of the glass.

[@NJ-sx5hn]

Wouldn’t that affect any borehole even a conventional one? Geothermal is already in use so this must have been rectified or maybe they can just case the borehole with traditional methods?

[@2MeterLP]

Maybe coat the inside of the tube with a flexible material so cracks wont cause leakage? Keeping the tube somewhat intact would allow for repairs. Or just bore another hole, if the method costs 10 times less, you can do it ten times for the same cost.

[@edgewood99]

It would be a simple process to insert a pipe...which you wouldneed ANYWAY to pull heat fluid up and down...so two pipes really.

[@alenngk]

Is it glass or cooled down magma? I think that the success to one project is proper research and risk assesment. Sure you could pick one drilling spot between tectonic plates, but why :)

[@arjovenzia]

very interesting, and I always love it when we develop some super crazy lab hardware for some very esoteric reason, but once we have it, find a bunch of other neat things to do with it once it becomes cheap and easy. 2 things from this family of tech are magnetrons (super secret through WW2, but now used to casually reheat your lunch in a $100 microwave) and lasers (which were a pure science invention, no practical intent, but serve humanity in the highest level, the best cat toy ever. fibreoptics are overrated). I particularly like with this that its main consumable is electricity, and its main resulting product is electricity. In my part of the world, about 50% of our power comes from ~6 coal power stations within about 30km of each other, but wire all that power a good 300km to where 80% of the populations power is used. there is alot of infrastructure built over 200 years to support that. the town has little other industry other than coal. would be nice if we could use surplus power (we are rolling out wind and solar elsewhere, but will keep the coal plants alive because we need the base load) to drill bores to convert at least part of the infrastructure, gradually, over to something like this. looks like a triple win to me.

[@jimmyrussle3255]

Curious, whats your country?

[@tomizatko3138]

how about nuclear power aswell?

[@tonyrobinson1623]

I haven't heard anyone from Quasie talk about hove they are going to connect the down and up bore holes. The need for an ultra straight waveguide eliminates directional drilling, and I doubt you can frack at those pressures.

[@LalliOni]

You briefly mention pumping the toxic water back down. Iceland has just recently had to start pumping the water back down into the ground which has resulted in sizable (but perfectly safe) earthquakes. The point is that the wastewater is a problem everywhere, Iceland is just far ahead working on these problems. A bit more than just baking bread in geysers (a word you got from Icelandic, we are working on licensing the word so people have to pay 1 iskr. each time it is used)

[@michaelsallee7534]

Theoretically, this sounds good. It does need testing, one item that needs to be ruled out … would reduce stabilizing stress due to depth yielding unwanted results.

[@MasterBlaster3545]

What? Why are you asking a question like that? Email the man in the know in the video for those answers. Also if you are so into the science of this geology why are you not working for a big company that is dealing in this science? Me personally wouldn’t ask that question because if I did I certainly wouldn’t be sitting around asking such questions, I would be in the thick of it and trying to get a job as I would feel competent as you do and applying to work one of these experimental digs. Or are you just winging it as if you are in the know?

[@stbuchok]

@@MasterBlaster3545 Are you upset at something in your life? Did you lose all your money in Bitcoin? Why do you seem so upset about a simple question? Do you need a hug? Maybe you're upset because you were turned down for that promotion. If that's the case, I would think it has something to do with your interpersonal skills. Anyway, try to cheer up. Who knows, maybe you'll come up with a really harmful thing to say to me and then you can feel better about your life. Looking forward to hearing back. Have a great day.

[@johanzijlstra7435]

sounds like you are undecided

[@michaelsallee7534]

far too many "egg spurts" know until pet theories are found faulty

[@stbuchok]

@@michaelsallee7534 You sound like an egg farmer yourself there. How many chickens you got? Or is it duck? Maybe quail? Aaaaany who... how's your bitcoin doing? Don't worry mate, it'll rebound.

[@johnkeck]

Thanks for this penetrating video, Matt! Awesome prospect! I'm not convinced the rock-glass walls could sustain the high pressures though. We're talking LOTS of pressure. How thick do the walls have to be? Can the gyrotron melt walls to that thickness (without the liquid pooling inconveniently)? Lots of questions.

[@gary.richardson]

I had similar concerns but see potential in devising a impurity injector and remote stirring mechanism as one potential repair/patching mechanism. Another is to have a press mechanism that pushes outward to allow composite layering against physical, chemical and thermal threats. This expansion technique may also widen the door, pun not intended, to concentric bore widening, steerable boring, remote architecture, and geological stabilization. I was more shocked by the $1,00/meter cost.

[@jamesgreen2495]

This sounds amazing! Best technology I have heard in a while. Actually made me feel slightly positive about our future and getting rid of fossil fuels.

[@mick21778]

Don't stop with this information flow, ever. Even if it means you have upset those Hydra chaps that would rather burn the world than change course to a truly intelligent future. Thank you for your efforts Sir

[@fuzzy-02]

I love your extensive caption list. I love discussing tech stuff with my father but he doesn't speak English so having arabic captions became the bridge for us to watch your videos together. Thank you!

[@AvyScottandFlower]

I've always wondered, why Yellowstone isn't used as a GIANT thermal powerplant, While eventually learning and helping to release its potential excess pressure.

[@curiodyssey3867]

dude FR

[@Neon-ws8er]

bro its pretty leave it alone

[@MasterBlaster3545]

@@Neon-ws8er pretty is no good when there is nobody around to see it. Are you one of these types that would rather humans were not on the planet? If so then why are you here adding to the problem? I would rather have all of America’s power produced by the pretty park and life survives than life gone. Anyway this tech is going to solve that, but if we had to use Yellowstone I would be there to counter protest you into submission if it meant doing so to save the planet.

[@addohm]

National Parks... Can't be touched.

[@JaegerDreadful]

@@addohm For obvious reasons. If you are trying to save the planet, popping a factory in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world isn't exactly the way to go.

[@oscarbanana6159]

Sounds pretty amazing. I hope all goes well with future experiments.

[@glennshrom5801]

I wonder why one of addressed downsides is not the potential for magma to rise up through the channel, not to mention the increased heat being brought to the surface that had been neatly insulated down where we don't feel it. That said, I am really glad we are looking into better ideas than the traditionally touted green energy sources.

[@penpal5900]

I would ask a number of questions. 1) How far has the drill done so far, what depth? 2) How could you work out the cost before you have some idea of the cost per depth? So many of these new ideas are turning out to be totally impossible. Too good to be true.

[@kapytanhook]

But it is fusion inspired lol.. all hype

[@fredd4526]

Yep, some potential downsides, just like our current portfolio of energy sources. The more experimentation, the more answers are generated and the more possible refinements or obstacles are encountered. Such is science. Or, we can stick with 1950s tech. Our choice. I recall being shocked that when petroleum was in its infancy, an unstable and highly dangerous byproduct of making kerosene was a real problem. The industry wasn't sure what to do with it, and it was often dumped in rivers and ground. It was too hazardous to handle. Should of quit then, right? That substance was gasoline.

[@nagualdesign]

@@fredd4526 Nice story but I very much doubt that it's true. All products derived from coal and oil have rapidly been put to one use or another. There are sources online which claim that gasoline was often "discarded" before the invention of the automobile, but it's more likely to have been the subject of a lot of research and used for various purposes in the intervening decades - just not by the companies set up to produce kerosene.

[@cm52311]

how would something like this handle an aquifer? Or are those typically only in the sedimentary rock layer that would be done with conventional drilling before inserting the heat ray?

[@CmputrAce]

Gotta love "happy path" research and idea sales. Even the cost comparison isn't good, comparing just the electricity cost of the proposed method vs. the entire cost of drilling conventionally to the same depth. Lost me right there.

[@michaelmiller5177]

@@CmputrAce because telling the world all the ways it could go wrong would bring in all the investors. I mean is there a CEO of any company that is going to detail all of the ways their new product could fail? It's an idea, and a pretty great one at that, if they are right about it they could transform the energy paradigm. While they are not talking about all the risks I'd be willing to bet they have a board full of all the ways this will go wrong, contingencies for those risks, and new plans to overcome.

[@DocWilco]

Of course, once you have one dug and generating electricity, power from that can be used to dig others nearby. But definitely need to see the test work. There are probably plenty of things that they don't even know can go wrong

[@hotsaucebeliever]

This is amazing. I'd be very interested in knowing what the fuel cost is for the electricity, this would vary the cost by a LOT and the emissions levels.

[@ripfire4]

I've always had geothermal energy on my mind as a renewable source of energy. Back then, I thought going down 200m into the ground would have been enough. I was so wrong by a magnitude. But this new drilling method sounds promising. Can't wait to see their POC project. Did they get the idea from "Dr Braz"?

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

2 orders of magnitude, in fact, 20,000m! 200m is a good depth for ground source heat pumps though, but then you at the only getting slightly warm water and have to use electricity to extract useful heat from it. As opposed to geothermal where the heat is so concentrated too can get electricity out. I don't like when Matt says geothermal for ground source because they are such different things that it can lead to some confusion to use the same name.

[@gary.richardson]

I remember the movie but forgot the character’s name. These guys are a little older than me, perhaps the book that inspired the movie may have had its influences. It might be better to race toward being the highest producing open source product than to get bogged down in too much intellectual property.

[@absalomdraconis]

Rocket drills have been a known technology for decades and haven't taken off anywhere, so I'm not convinced that this will get picked up either. Still, interesting idea.

[@BoB-Dobbs_leaning-left]

"Rocket drills have been a known technology for decades and haven't taken off anywhere," They are not supposed to take off, if they were they would just be called rockets. ;-)

[@raykillorn4950]

Matt, Some time ago - long enough for my memory to not serve me accurately, I saw your take on where nuclear fission fits in your vision of our energy future. The demand for abundant, cheap energy will expand exponentially very soon. My memory tells me that your thoughts were guided by the current nuclear reactor design, which employs a solid fuel and uses water as a controlling medium. (Light Water Reactor LWR) A few years ago, a tested and operating liquid salt fuel with reaction control methods compatible with the melted salts was resurrected from Oak Ridge Laboratory work done in the nineteen forties. The result was a breeder reactor that used Thorium as a radiation shield/blanket. Neutron flux from the shielded fission reaction converts the fertile Thorium through a sequence that ultimately becomes fissile U233. Since this relatively recent upsurge in activity, more straightforward interim configurations of liquid fuel nuclear fission have been brought forward, which have the worthy objective of 'burning' the waste of our present nuclear light water reactors and other nuclear waste. The reason LWRs produce large amounts of waste is because the solid fuel pellets are very poor conductors of heat. Thermal stressing of the fuel pellets makes it necessary (because of mechanical integrity issues) to remove the fuel from the reactor well before it has released one percent of the potential heat implied in the fissionable load within it. Recovering the fissile uranium from that waste stream allows the production of Uranium salts to be used as liquids with no structural limitation associated with heat transfer. Once orders of magnitude more fissile heat from more efficient nuclear power plants, waste disposal is easier to manage than waste streams produced by obsolete PV and wind power technologies. Other fissile waste streams can be solved by subtle modification of this fissile reactor design. LWRs have been forced up our nation as an inviolable design choice. The original reason for that design choice is that processing of the waste stream readily produced fissionable plutonium. A liquid salt plutonium burner removes weapons-grade plutonium as soon as the preparation of the burner salt is completed. LWRs are accidents waiting to happen. Liquid salt reactors yield the necessary process temperatures (1000+ degrees) at ambient pressures. These temperatures are higher than LWRs produce, making the heat to mechanical energy conversion much more efficient. Accidents with Liquid salt reactors produce solidified crystalline fragments, not radioactive gasses. To state briefly - Liquid salt fission reactors are NOT "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) innovations.

[@darkisland04]

What an interesting idea! And continuing to use existing de-commissioned power plants--but with this new power source-- would definitely be a plus.

[@Timmays]

I love that "we" are fumbling our way into the future and discovering better, faster, cheaper ways of solving problems. I didn't hear anything about hitting water, oil, or gas during drilling. I would assume that a very hot laser & a large pocket of gas will not be friends. Water might cause problems but I think a standard drill setup with encasement through to the bedrock might be a solution. BTW, if you want a side hustle, I suggest narrating books for Audible. You have a wonderfully soothing velvety voice. Also, your channel selfie makes you look like an old man. You're obviously not.

[@SharienGaming]

i suspect the gas problem might solve itself due to lack of oxygen (though i dont quite know how the glass sealing reacts to large pockets of empty) and if it vaporized rock...water will vaporize just as well...its just going to be part of the overall mix that needs to be evacuated up the tube

[@willhaney96]

@@SharienGaming There is a coal mine that is ritch in Oxygen that has been burning for like 80 years at this point, it's some where in amrica, i'm not sure what it is called though but if you google it im sure you can find it.

[@roscothefirst4712]

How deep have they been able to drill with this system? I spent 45 years in Alberta drilling wells as deep as 2,800 meters Your glassy rock is probably also VERY brittle As an experienced Geoscience professional, I hope you are right, but I hope you have a way to circulate the material to the surface. This is more complex than you can imagine. Failures in procedures can kill people, ask me how I know. 😔

[@JonMartinYXD]

It says at 11:35 that they've drilled three feet. Alberta would be an ideal place to do a pilot of this idea: lots of drilling expertise, lots of existing unused boreholes, thoroughly mapped geology, etc., etc. But like you I'll retain some healthy skepticism about this until they demonstrate "drilling" into the Precambrian basement.

[@nicklockard]

Yes. I'm not experienced in this field, but I can do basic mass balance equations. The work that it takes to lift the vaporized rock is mass * g * height. If their plan is to use flushing gas, they'll either need insanely high differential pressures to achieve high specific thrust (like high pressure gas on input side aided by massive vacuum on output side) OR mechanical removal like auger conveyance which is probably not practical at these depths. Needless to say, the challenges seem big.

[@eaaeeeea]

The glass lining of the hole. also got this layman's attention. I'd imagine if the drill makes any contact to those glass walls, it might break. I'd be very interested in a proof of concept to let's say 1km of depth!

[@benwilms3942]

@@JonMartinYXD I feel like the best way to circulate out 'cuttings' would be to pump water down string, and out port it at various depths, and use similar devices to the gyrotron to vaporise the water as it passes from string to annular to make sort of hot gas boosting stations up the hole, that should at least keep the vapourised rock media piping up to surface without slowing down or cooling down and precipitating minerals in the annular. But redunculously complicated.

[@benwilms3942]

@@eaaeeeea it would be mote like rock than actual glass. but it wouldn't have any tensile strength, so bore wall in push would pretty easily create problematic shearing.

[@denniscloutier957]

I'd love to know how they plan to contain the pressure at the surface. In conventional drilling the density of the mud is tailored so that the hydrostatic pressure of the mud column is enough to hold back the pressure in the formation. So you can essentially have an open wellhead at the top to feed the drill string into. In this case gas would be used to remove the waste, so there would be no hydrostatic head to hold back the pressure of hot water, natural gas or oil pockets that you run into. You would need some kind of seal mechanism at the wellhead to allow you to feed in the drill string while still maintaining the pressure of the circulating gas. I wonder what that would look like. I don't think it's a show stopper but coming up with something reliable would be an interesting challenge.

[@vilefly]

Finally, a tech break hrough that supports one of my high school ideas. Drilling with a tungsten bit can get really expensive quickly.