A chimney a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the stack, or chimney, effect. The space inside a chimney is called a flue. Chimneys may be found in buildings, steam locomotives and ships. In the United States, the term smokestack (colloquially, stack) is also used when referring to locomotive chimneys or ship chimneys, and the term funnel can also be used.
The height of chimneys plays a role in their ability to transfer flue gases using stack effect, the dispersion of pollutants at higher altitude helps to ease down its influence on surroundings. In the case of chemically aggressive output, the tall chimney allows partial or complete self-neutralization of chemicals in the air before they reach the ground. The dispersion of pollutants over greater area reduces their concentrations in compliance with regulatory limits.
Read more about Chimney: History, Construction, Chimney Pots, Chimney Draught or Draft, Maintenance and Problems, Dual-use Chimneys, Notable Chimneys
Famous quotes containing the word chimney:
“When a daughter tries suicide
and the chimney falls down like a drunk
and the dog chews her tail off
and the kitchen blows up its shiny kettle
and the vacuum cleaner swallows its bag
and the toilet washes itself in tears ...”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;”
—Clement Clarke Moore (1779–1863)
“No; we have been as usual asking the wrong question. It does not matter a hoot what the mockingbird on the chimney is singing.... The real and proper question is: Why is it beautiful?”
—Annie Dillard (b. 1945)