Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems for drilling and operating a well which may have dual uses. The well may be drilled and operated as a geothermal well using a hybrid approach where a heat transfer fluid is injected into a hot rock formation but is not removed, and heat is extracted using a closed loop method. The geothermal well is then evaluated for use as a carbon dioxide sequestration well. In other embodiments, the well is drilled as a carbon dioxide sequestration well and then evaluated for its potential for generating geothermal energy using a hybrid approach where supercritical carbon dioxide is injected into a hot rock formation but is not removed, and heat is extracted using a closed loop method. Both horizontal and vertical wells are disclosed, in sedimentary rocks and in basement granite.

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems for drilling and operating a well which may have dual uses. The well may be drilled and operated as a geothermal well using a hybrid approach where a heat transfer fluid is injected into a hot rock formation but is not removed, and heat is extracted using a closed loop method. The geothermal well is then evaluated for use as a carbon dioxide sequestration well. In other embodiments, the well is drilled as a carbon dioxide sequestration well and then evaluated for its potential for generating geothermal energy using a hybrid approach where supercritical carbon dioxide is injected into a hot rock formation but is not removed, and heat is extracted using a closed loop method. Both horizontal and vertical wells are disclosed, in sedimentary rocks and in basement granite.

A geothermal heat extractor includes a heat transfer fluid and a heat transfer fluid supply conduit. The heat transfer fluid is maintained in the supply conduit in a liquid state at a pressure above its saturation pressure. The geothermal heat extractor further includes a heat transfer fluid return conduit, a geothermal heat source coupled thereto, at least one flow control valve configured to control the flow of the heat transfer fluid from the supply conduit to the return conduit, and an external load coupled to the return conduit. As the heat transfer fluid is provided to the return conduit in the liquid state, the heat transfer fluid vaporizes in the return conduit by heat supplied to the return conduit from the geothermal heat source. The vaporized heat transfer fluid is supplied from the return conduit to the external load.

A heat pipe and a geothermal energy collecting device. The heat pipe includes a sealing member which is provided with channels; a first pipe body, one end of the first pipe body has an opening, and an other end of the first pipe body is sealed by the sealing member, which has a first chamber, first heat transfer members which are connected to the sealing member and located at one side of the sealing member, each of the first heat transfer members has a first cavity; and second heat transfer members which are connected to the sealing member and located at an other side of the sealing member, each of second heat transfer members has a second cavity configured to communicate with the first cavity of a corresponding one of the first heat transfer members via a respective one of the channels.

A heat pipe and a geothermal energy collecting device. The heat pipe includes a sealing member which is provided with channels; a first pipe body, one end of the first pipe body has an opening, and an other end of the first pipe body is sealed by the sealing member, which has a first chamber, first heat transfer members which are connected to the sealing member and located at one side of the sealing member, each of the first heat transfer members has a first cavity; and second heat transfer members which are connected to the sealing member and located at an other side of the sealing member, each of second heat transfer members has a second cavity configured to communicate with the first cavity of a corresponding one of the first heat transfer members via a respective one of the channels.

Methods for thermalsiphoning supercritical CO.sub.2 within a geothermal formation includes providing a geothermal energy system that includes an underground hot rock reservoir, a production well, and an injection well that together form a fluid path suitable for circulating supercritical CO.sub.2. The supercritical CO.sub.2 flows by thermosiphoning. Thermosiphoning is maximized by maintaining a pressure between 1400-4000 psia, an injection temperature in a range from 50-200 C and a production temperature in a range from 150-600 where injection temperature and the production temperature differ by at least 50° C.

A heat pipe or a bundle of heat pipes for transporting geothermal heat in a well is provided. As the temperature rises at one end of the heat pipe, the operating fluid turns to a vapor which absorbs the latent heat. The hot vapor within the heat pipe flows to the cooler end of the heat pipe where it then condenses and releases the latent heat. The condensed fluid then flows back to the hot side of the heat pipe and the process repeats itself.

A system designed to introduce fresh air ventilation into the living space, eliminate contaminants, and add fresh air to augment a building's HVAC system. This is done in order to save energy, and the costs associated with heat loss or gain in a building. The system employs the use of geothermal energy conferred to air via a cavity which is constructed in the basement, on the slab, foundation, in the crawl space and/or attic of a building. This cavity is created to circulate, absorb and store/release the geo-solar characteristics of a building, taking advantage the consistent subterranean temperature of the earth and/or sun, in order to warm air from outside during the winter minimizing the foundation heat sink, and cool air during the summer. One or more heat exchangers are used to transfer the energy from contaminated air in the cavity to clean air destined for the HVAC system.

A geothermal heat delivery system supplies geothermal heat for various residential, surface heating applications, including heating driveways, paths, sidewalks, homes, roofs, swimming pools, and commercial applications, including heating roadways, parkways, highways, airport runways, parking lots and sidewalks. The geothermal heat delivery system includes a series of heat pipes that are used to provide geothermal heat from a borehole to a structure or a surface, which can for example, melt precipitation on a road, driveway or roof, without the use of a ground source heat pump.

A geothermal heat delivery system supplies geothermal heat for various residential, surface heating applications, including heating driveways, paths, sidewalks, homes, roofs, swimming pools, and commercial applications, including heating roadways, parkways, highways, airport runways, parking lots and sidewalks. The geothermal heat delivery system includes a series of heat pipes that are used to provide geothermal heat from a borehole to a structure or a surface, which can for example, melt precipitation on a road, driveway or roof, without the use of a ground source heat pump.