How does a turbine convert geothermal steam into electricity?

Geothermal power plants convert thermal energy from the Earth into electricity by using steam to drive turbines, which in turn power electrical generators. The specific mechanism depends on the plant design:12

• Dry Steam Plants: These systems collect naturally occurring steam directly from underground reservoirs and funnel it into a turbine.1
• Flash Steam Plants: Pressurized, high-temperature water is drawn from the ground into surface tanks. A sudden drop in pressure causes the water to "flash" into steam, which is then directed to the turbine.1
• Binary Cycle Plants: These plants use a heat exchanger to transfer heat from geothermal water to a secondary working fluid (such as ammonia or hydrocarbons). This fluid vaporizes at a lower temperature than water and drives the turbine in a closed loop.1

In all these processes, the kinetic energy of the expanding vapor forces the turbine blades to rotate, providing the mechanical energy necessary for the generator to produce electricity.12