Related Ideas and Adaptations
- The inverse of the solar updraft tower is the downdraft-driven energy tower. Evaporation of sprayed water at the top of the tower would cause a downdraft by cooling the air and driving wind turbines at the bottom of the tower.
- The atmospheric vortex proposal replaces the physical chimney by a controlled or 'anchored' cyclonic updraft vortex. Depending on the column gradient of temperature and pressure, or buoyancy, and stability of the vortex, very high-altitude updraft may be achievable. As an alternate to a solar collector, industrial and urban waste-heat could be used to initiate and sustain the updraft in the vortex.
- Release of humid ground-level air from an atmospheric vortex or solar chimney at altitude could form clouds or precipitation, potentially altering local hydrology. Local de-desertification, or afforestation could be achieved if a regional water cycle were established and sustained in an otherwise arid area.
- Fitted with a vortex chimney scrubber, the updraft could be cleaned of particulate air pollution. The solar cyclone distiller could extract atmospheric water by condensation in the updraft of the chimney.
- This solar cyclonic water distiller with a solar collector pond could adapt the solar collector-chimney system for large-scale desalination of collected brine, brackish- or waste-water pooled in the collector base.
- A form of solar boiler technology placed directly above the turbine at the base of the tower might increase the up-draught.
- If the chimney updraft is an ionized vortex, then the electro-magnetic field could be tapped for electricity, using the airflow and chimney as a generator.
- Energy production and water desalination could be used to support carbon-fixing or food-producing local agriculture, and for intensive aquaculture and horticulture under the solar collector as a greenhouse.
Read more about this topic: Solar Updraft Tower
Famous quotes containing the words related and/or ideas:
“A parent who from his own childhood experience is convinced of the value of fairy tales will have no difficulty in answering his childs questions; but an adult who thinks these tales are only a bunch of lies had better not try telling them; he wont be able to related them in a way which would enrich the childs life.”
—Bruno Bettelheim (20th century)
“I had said to Mrs. Boscawen at table, I believe this is about as much as can be made of life. I was really happy. My gay ideas of London in youth were realized and consolidated.”
—James Boswell (17401795)