9

Science
Quarter 4 – Module 6:
Heat Energy Transfer in Heat
Engines
Science – Grade 9
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 4 – Module 6: Heat Energy Transfer in a Geothermal Power Plant
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education

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Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

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Writer: Jedidah J. Navarro

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Reviewer: Florenz T. Asinas
Illustrator: Jedidah J. Navarro
Layout Artist: Mark Anthony Paraguison
Management Team: May B. Eclar, CESO III
Librada M. Rubio, PhD
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Larry B. Espiritu, PhD
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Mary Queen P. Orpilla, PhD

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 9

Science
Quarter 4 – Module 6:
Energy Transfer in a Geothermal
Power Plant
Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, can
continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions,
exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different art. Each part shall guide you step-by-step as you
discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each SLM. This
will tell you if you need to proceed with completing this module or if you need to ask
your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for a better understanding of the lesson.
At the end of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check your
learning. Answer keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you will
be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are also provided
to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can best
help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part of this
SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And read
the instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answering the tasks
in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.

Thank you.
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the nature of energy. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with
the module you are now using.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe heat engine;

2. define geothermal energy and a geothermal energy plant;
3. identify the different parts of a geothermal energy plant;
4. differentiate the different types of geothermal power plants;
5. explain how heat transfer and energy transformation make heat engines like
geothermal plants work - S9FE-IVg-45; and
6. give ways of reducing thermal pollution in our environment that is produced
from heat engines.

1
 What I Know

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and write it in your notebook or on
a separate sheet of paper.

1. What is the function of a heat engine?

A. It converts chemical energy to mechanical energy.
B. It converts thermal energy to mechanical energy.
C. It converts mechanical energy to chemical energy.
D. It converts thermal energy into chemical energy.

2. What is geothermal energy?

A. It is the energy from food.
B. It is the energy from the sun.
C. It is heat energy from a fire.
D. It is heat energy trapped under the Earth’s Surface.

3. What causes thermal pollution?

A. Exhaust of different vehicles.

B. Exhaust from different industrial engines.
C. Degradation of water.
D. All of the above

4. Which of the following is the correct energy transformation in a heat engine?

A. Heat energy  solar energy  heat energy
B. Heat energy  mechanical energy
C. Mechanical  Heat energy
D. Mechanical energy  Chemical Energy

5. What do you call the thermal energy discharged into an area at a lower
temperature without being converted into useful work?
A. Waste heat C. Heat pump
B. Heat engine D. Essential energy

6. What do you call transfer of thermal energy from one object to another because
of a difference in temperature?
A. rising heat C. conduction
B. cooling heat D. heat

7. What happens if there is an increase in the volume of a material as its

temperature increases?
A. Convection C. Conduction

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 B. Thermal expansion D. Thermal Compression

8. What type of heat engine is present when the fuel burns outside the engine?
A. internal combustion C. External combustion
B. power D. thrust

9. What is in a cyclic heat engine?

A. net heat transfer to the system and network transfer from the system
B. net heat transfer from the system and network transfer to the system
C. dependency on the conditions of the cycle
D. none of the above

10. Which is NOT a part of a heat engine?

A. Boiler C. condenser
B. Turbine D. light

3
 Lesson
Energy Transformation in a
1 Geothermal Power Plant
Geothermal Energy is a form of heat energy that is present in the Earth’s
interior. The heat of the Earth warms up the water which is trapped in rock
formations beneath its surface. This heated water and/or steam is being used for
heating and cooling purposes or can be harnessed to generate clean electricity.
Generating electricity requires high temperature, thus geothermal energy plants are
located close to tectonically active regions like the Philippines.

What’s In

Directions: Find the hidden words shown in the word pool on the right side of the
illustration below. Write the correct position of the hidden words in your notebook
or on a separate sheet of paper then check if the positions of the words are correct.

4
 What’s New

Heat Engine

Heat engine is a device that changes thermal energy into mechanical work. All
heat engines make use of a substance inside them that undergoes cooling and/or
heating, compression and/or expansion, and sometimes change of phase. This
substance is called the working substance of an engine. For example, the working
substance in a steam engine is water; for the gasoline engine, it is the gasoline and
air mixture.

A very important component of heat engines, then, is that two temperatures

are involved. At one cycle, the system is heated, at another, it is cooled.
Heat SOURCE (TH)
Basically, all heat engines follow this pattern
QH
of operation:
(a) Heat (QH), which is relatively high
temperature, is supplied to the engine by an
W
external source called hot reservoir or heat source.
(b) Some of this heat is used to do work (W) on
Qc an object
(c) The rest of the heat (QC), waste heat, is
released at a temperature lower than the input
Heat SINK (TC)
temperature to an external place called the cold
reservoir or the heat sink.
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of a
heat engine

All engines follow a series of steps at the end of which, it is returned to its
initial state. This series of processes is called a cycle or cyclic process.

Heat engines may be classified into two major types: internal combustion
engine and external combustion engine. Whether combustion takes place inside or
outside the engine, both types of heat engines operate on the same principle. Hot
gases are made to expand. Then the hot expanding gases push against a moving
part.
Internal combustion engine burns fuel inside the engine. Gasoline engines and
diesel engines are an example of this. These engines operate on a four-cycle stroke
namely intake, compression, power, and exhaust.
External combustion engine burns fuel outside the engine. Steam engine is an
example.

Since ancient times, man has used heat in many ways. The oldest heat engine
was invented in 200 B.C. The steam engines triggered the “Industrial Revolution”
which later developed into modern engines.
Water is pumped into a boiler (heat reservoir) where it is heated by coal to
produce steam. Due to air pressure, the steam will transfer to a cylinder where it will

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expand. The expanding steam pushes the piston to do work in the process. The steam
is then discharged to a condenser (cold reservoir) and return to the boiler.

In a bigger scale application using the principle of heat transfer, the

geothermal power plant applies the pattern of operation of a heat engine particularly
that of the steam engines.
Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is heat energy that is stored within the Earth’s interior.
The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat).

Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source. Geothermal heat energy can

be recovered and exploited for human use. The estimated energy that can be
recovered and utilized on the surface is 4.5 × 106 exajoules, or about 1.4 × 106
terawatt-years, which equates to roughly three times the world’s annual
consumption of all types of energy.
Geothermal Power Plants
Geothermal power plants are built in a place that is particularly hot just below
the surface like near a geyser, hot springs, or somewhere with considerable volcanic
activity.
In the Philippines which is situated in a tectonic boundary or in the “Pacific
Ring of Fire”, there are 18 or so geothermal power plant stations that were built.
Geothermal power plants use geothermal energy which is a safer and cleaner way to
generate electricity.
Geothermal power plants apply the pattern of operation of a heat engine
particularly that of an external combustion engine. But instead of a piston, a
geothermal power plant has a steam turbine to generate mechanical energy which in
turn generates electricity.
There are 3 types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash steam, and
binary cycle. They may differ in design but they undergo the same process in
generating electricity.
The main components of a geothermal energy plant are the heat reservoir (heat
source), steam turbine, generator, and condenser (a cold sink).

Figure 2. Generating electricity from geothermal energy

Source:https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions
/technologies/geothermal.html

6
a. Hot water from the underground is pumped to a cooler temperature surface. The
sudden change in temperature causes the water to turn into steam.
b. The steam (heat energy) expands pushing the turbine to spin
(mechanical energy). The turbine is connected to a generator that transforms
mechanical energy into electrical energy.
c. A condenser then cools the steam and turns back into the water.
d. The water then is pumped back to the underground to be heated and the cycle
starts again.

Types of Geothermal Power Plants

Dry steam plant

These plants use dry steam that is naturally produced in the ground. This
steam travels from the production well to the surface and through a turbine. After
transferring its energy to the turbine it condenses and is injected back into the Earth.
These types are the oldest types of geothermal power plants. The first one was built
back in 1904 in Italy. Because this type of power plant requires the highest
temperatures, they can only be used where the temperature underground is quite
high but this type requires the least fluid flow.

Figure 3. Dry steam power plant

Encyclopedia Britannica

Flash Cycle steam plants

These types are the most common due to the lack of naturally occurring high-
quality steam. In this method, water must be over 180°C, and under its own
pressure, it flows upwards through the well. This is a lower temperature compared
to what dry steam plants require. As its pressure decreases, some of the water
"flashes" to steam, which is passed through the turbine section. The remaining water
that did not become steam is cycled back down into the well, and can also be used
for heating purposes. The cost of these systems is increased due to more complex
parts. However, they can still compete with conventional power sources.

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 Figure 4. Flash steam power plant
Encyclopedia Britannica

Binary cycle plants

Binary power plants are expected to be the most commonly used type of
geothermal power plant in the future, as locations outside of the known hot spots
begin to use geothermal energy. This is because binary cycle plants can make use of
lower temperature water than the other two types of plants. They use a secondary
loop (hence the name "binary") which contains a fluid with a low boiling point, such
as pentane or butane. The water from the well flows through a heat exchanger which
transfers its heat to this fluid, which vaporizes due to its low boiling point. It is then
passed through a turbine, accomplishing the same task as steam.

Figure 5. Binary cycle power plant

Encyclopedia Britannica

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 What is It

Activity 1: The Power of Steam

Materials and Equipment:

aluminum pie tins (8”) cork
aluminum foil medium cooking pot
empty can burner
20 cm length of stiff wire or coat hanger duct tape
pliers with wire cutter scissors
nail
Note: Exercise caution when working with sharp edges of soup or coffee can and a
pie tin.
Procedures:
1. Using the hammer and nail, make a hole at the bottom of a can.
Make another hole directly opposite the first hole. Both holes
should be no larger than 1/8 inch in diameter.

2. Half - fill a medium saucepan with water and cap it with a secure
layer of aluminum foil. Be sure to wrap the edges under the lip
of the pan to minimize steam escape. Take another piece of foil
and place it on top of the first piece of foil. Crimp the second piece
to ensure that when the water boils, no steam can get out from
the edges. The foil-covered pot models the Earth. The aluminum
foil is the crust, covering the heat that is within the Earth.

3. Gently poke a hole in the center of the aluminum foil pieces using
the nail. Make sure that the nail goes through both layers of
aluminum foil. The hole should be no larger than 1/8 inch in
diameter.

4. Construct a turbine from an aluminum pie pan, making sure

that the turbine is smaller in diameter than the can.

5. Bend the stiff wire into a hanger for the turbine and duct tape it to
the side of the can, bottom side up.

6. Cut a hole in the center of a pie plate with the same diameter as
the foil. Place this over the foil to provide support for the soup
can. This is the steam generator. Push the cork onto the end of
the hanger. Pierce the exact center of the turbine with a straight
pin, then push the straight pin into the bottom of the cork to

9
 suspend the turbine over the can. The turbine should hang relatively horizontal
and spin freely.

7. Turn the stovetop on medium to medium-high and place the pot on top of the
flame or hot surface. The heat setting should be hot enough to boil water.
However, make sure that the water does not boil so heavily that water hits the
foil.
8. Make one large mark on the back of the pinwheel at the base of the spokes with
the permanent marker. You want to be able to see the mark clearly while the
pinwheel is spinning.
9. Wait for the water to boil. When you see steam coming out of the hole and the foil
cover is slightly inflated, you are ready to start the experiment.
10. Get your timer ready. Place the can and ruler on top of the hole in the foil. Let the
can sit undisturbed for 30 seconds. This represents a power plant collecting
steam from a reservoir in the earth.
11. Test your model.

Guide Questions:

1. Describe the result of the initial trial of your model.

2. If you add another hole at the bottom of the can, what happens to the speed
of the turbine?
3. If the height of the turbine is increased, what happens to the speed of the
turbine?

Criteria 4 3 2

Model accuracy The parts are The turbine The turbine is not
accurate and model is accurate accurate.
include all but there are
required parts. missing parts.

Durability The parts of the The parts of the The parts of the
turbine lasted the turbine lasted at turbine model fall
entire duration of half of the apart at the start
the activity. duration of the of the activity.
activity.

Design The turbine The turbine The turbine

model is neat and model has flaws. model didn’t work
well built. at all.

10
Assessment 1

Directions: Read each sentence carefully. Write true if the sentence is correct and
false if otherwise. Do this in your notebook or on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The primary source of energy in a geothermal power plant comes from the sun.
2. The binary cycle plant requires very high temperature water to operate.
3. The most common type of geothermal power plant is a binary cycle plant.
4. An example of a working substance is water.
5. The energy transformation from heat energy to mechanical energy happens at
the condenser.

Activity 2: The Heat is On

Directions: Determine what is being described below. Write your answers in your
notebook or on a separate sheet of paper. Choices are given below.

Heat Internal External Heat engines Flash steam

combustion combustion plant
engine engine

Geothermal Binary cycle Gasoline Dry steam Diesel engines

energy plant plant

1. It is a device that converts heat energy to mechanical energy.

2. Combustion of fuel takes place inside the engine.
3. It is the energy transferred from one body to another as a result of the
temperature difference.
4. It is an example of a working substance.
5. Combustion of fuel takes place outside the engines.
6. An example of an internal combustion engine.
7. A type of geothermal power plant which uses dry steam that is naturally produced
in the ground.
8. It is energy from the Earth’s underground.
9. A geothermal power plant that uses another working substance to transfer heat
from the source to spin the turbine.
10. This type of geothermal plant is the most common due to the lack of naturally
occurring high-quality steam.

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 What I Have Learned

Directions: Complete the concept map below. Write your answers in your notebook
or on a separate sheet of paper. Choose your answers found inside the word pool.

Heat energy Converted to Mechanical energy

Types

Example Example

Steam Engine

Transform
s

into

to Electrical
Energy

Mechanical Energy Diesel Engine Geothermal energy Heat engine

Internal
External Geothermal Power
Gasoline engine Combustion
combustion engine Plant
Engine

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 What I Can Do

Direction: Make an informative poster about Thermal pollution in your notebook or

on a separate sheet of paper.

RUBRIC FOR POSTER MAKING

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1

The content The content The content The content The content
is accurate is accurate is accurate is either is
and all but some but some questionabl inaccurate.
required required required e or Information
information information information incomplete. is
are are missing are missing Information incomplete,
presented in and/or not and/or not is not inaccurate,
Content
a logical presented in presented in presented or not
order. a logical a logical in a logical presented
order, but is order, order, in a logical
still making it making it order,
generally difficult to difficult to making it
easy to follow. follow. difficult to
follow. follow.

The The The The

The
presentatio presentatio presentation presentatio
presentatio
n is neat, n is mostly flows well. n is
n has no
clean, well- neat and Some tools unorganize
flow.
organized clean. are used to d. Tools are
Insufficient
and Information show not used in
information
presented in is organized acceptable a relevant
and lacking
a creative in a logical understandi manner.
some of the
way. manner and ng. Lacking
member’s
Presentation It is colorful shows some Each some of the
information
and degree of member’s members’
.
creative. creativity. information information
Information The overall is / and or
is presentatio represented information
interesting n is and is not
and interesting. identified identified.
accurate. with their
name.

Drawn Drawn Drawn Drawn No drawn

Illustration artwork is artwork is artwork is artwork is artwork
colorful, mostly colorful and inappropria included.

13
and colorful and appropriate. te and
appropriate appropriate. The layout artwork
to the topic. The layout shows little shows little,
Layout may show creativity if any,
shows some degree and/or is creativity.
creativity, of creativity not The layout
and is but is not organized is messy,
pleasing to organized logically or disorganize
the eye. logically cluttered. d or
and/or is cluttered.
cluttered.

14
 Assessment

Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer in your notebook or on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. What is the function of a heat engine?

A. It converts chemical energy to mechanical energy.
B. It converts thermal energy to mechanical energy.
C. It converts mechanical energy to chemical energy.
D. It converts thermal energy into chemical energy.

2. What is the process that occurs in a heat engine cycle?

A. Heat is transferred from furnace to boiler.
B. Work is produced in turbine rotor.
C. Steam is condensed in a condenser.
D. all of the above

3. What is the function of a heat engine cycle?

A. to produce work continuously at the expense of output to the system
B. to produce work continuously at the expense of heat input to the system
C. to heat input continuously at the expense of heat input to the system
D. to heat input continuously at the expense to produce work to the system

4. What do you call a thermal energy reservoir that transfers heat to a system and
the one which receives heat?
A. source, sink
B. sink, source
C. sink, sink
D. source, source

5. Which of the following plants runs on a binary cycle?

A. Vapor dominated plant
B. Liquid dominated high-temperature plant
C. Liquid dominated low-temperature plant
D. All of the above

6. Where does a turbine place in a thermal power plant?

A. before the boiler
B. in between boiler and generator
C. after the generator
D. any of the above

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7. Which is NOT a component of the thermal power plant.
A. Condenser C. Turbine
B. Cooling tower D. Fuel Tank

8. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using geothermal energy?

A. Does not produce carbon dioxide
B. Reliable and provides a constant energy supply
C. renewable
D. expensive to install

9. What type of geothermal plant uses a secondary loop that contains a fluid with a
low boiling point, such as pentane or butane?
A. Dry Steam Plant
B. Flash steam Plant
C. Binary Cycle Plant
D. Fossil Fuel Plant

10. What is the advantage of a binary cycle power plant among the various types of
geothermal power plants?
A. It uses steam from the Earth.
B. It requires a lower heat temperature to work.
C. It requires a higher heat temperature to work.
D. It is more expensive.

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 Additional Activities

Directions: Read the paragraphs below about steam and internal combustion
engines and then answer the items that follow by filling in the blanks. Write your
answers in your notebook or on a separate sheet of paper.

Steam is created when water is turned into a vapor or gas as it is heated by a

combustion chamber. The steam expands the volume of water by about 1600
times. The force caused by this expansion is the source of all steam-powered
engines.
The water pressure drives a piston back and forth. The piston is attached to
the crankshaft. The crankshaft changes the back-and-forth motion of the piston to
a turning motion that drives the steam engine.
1. _____________ expands the volume of water by about 1600 times.

2. The combustion (or burning) that powers a steam engine comes from ___________
or wood.
3. A __________is attached to a crankshaft.

4. The combustion that powers a steam engine occur _____________ the engine.

5. Steam is created when water is turned into a vapor or gas as it is heated by

a __________________ chamber.

17
 18
Additional Activity Assessment
1. Steam 1. B
2. Vapor 2. D
3. Piston 3. B
4. Outside 4. A
5. Combustion 5. A
6. B
7. D
8. D
9. C
10. B
What I have learned Activity 1
1.The turbine will turn as the steam from the can
that hits the turbine.
2. The turbine will spin faster.
3. The turbine will have the same speed but if it is
too far enough, the turbine spins slower.
Activity 2 What I Know What's More
1. Heat engines 1. B
2. Internal combustion engines 2. D
3. Heat 3. D
4. Gasoline 4. B
5. External combustion engines 5. A
6. Diesel engine 6. D
7. Dry steam plant 7. B
8. Geothermal Energy 8. C
9. Binary cycle power plant 9. A
10. Flash steam plant 10. D
Answer Key
References
Alvarez, Angeles, Apurada, Carmona, Lahorra, Marcaida,, Olarte, Osorio,
Paningbatan, Rosales and Delos Santos. 2017. Science Learners Module 9.First
Edition( Reprint). Department of Education
Lund, John W.,Geothermal Energy, Britannica, accessed February 15,2021.
https://www.britannica.com/science/geothermal-energy.
Geothermal Energy ( 5 Activities), Office of US Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, accessed February 15,2021.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/education/downloads/geothermal-energy-5-
Activities

Geothermal Energy, International Renewable Energy Agency, Accessed

February 8,2021. https://www.irena.org/geothermal.

Geothermal power plants, Energy Education, accessed February 15,2021

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Geothermal_power_plants

19
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