With the improvement in wind turbines, an almost free power generation option which should be considered for cheap, sustainable power generation is is using the ‘chimney effect’ or the difference in air pressure at low and high altitudes. Chimneys are built to remove smoke from a fire (low altitude). A chimney above a fire goes to a higher altitude. The barometric pressure (air pressure) is higher at the fire level and lower at the top of the chimney. This creates a ‘sucking’ effect as the higher pressure air (and smoke) goes up the chimney seeking equilibrium with the lower pressure at the top. Put a power generating wind vane at the top and air displacement from lower to higher altitudes will create a perpetual breeze. You would need a high ‘chimney’ to get a respectable air velocity. Architecturally designed free air flow.
A free-standing ‘chimney’ structure is much too expensive, would be dangerous in high winds and would be a hazard to air traffic. Rather a number of these ‘chimneys’ are built up a local mountain or hill several 1000 feet high (following terrestrial contours). Closed ‘chimney channels’ are excavated up the mountain/hill – from high (bottom) air pressure to low (top) air pressure. A power station is built at the top to maintain the turbines and condition the power to feed into the national grid. A funicular gets the few 10’s of workers to the top. Administration and clerical functions would remain at the bottom. The only workers to go up and down the funicular would be different shifts of engineers, operators and maintenance personnel to maintain the turbines and condition the power to feed into the national grid.
Aside: *Burnelli’s Rule.
Burnelli was an aeronautical engineer and his theorem relates to how wings generate lift. An illustration of the principle is the ‘poor man’s supercharging’ on motorcycles (and muscle cars). We call them ‘velocity stacks’ in SA (I had them on my bike). The core principle of Burnelli’s Rule is that, “with an increase in velocity, there is a decrease in air pressure”. How this worked as a motorcycle supercharger are the trumpet shaped, megaphone type orifices fitted to the carb intakes. The m/c engine would suck air through the megaphones and the restriction where they bolted onto the carb intake would increase air velocity (physics). This (according to the rule) would create a low pressure at the carb inlet and it would suck air even harder. Rinse and repeat.
So you would have a perpetual breeze turning a wind turbine (generating electricity) as air moved from a low to high pressure area. On the power generating ‘chimney’ a variable restrictor would keep the air velocity constant and by manipulating restrictors and switching turbines in and out (mostly automated), variations in barometric pressure could be solved and a consistent power level supplied to the grid.
Secondary use: Because the land cannot be used for anything else (2nd rate land generally) and over the years, top soil will accumulate over the ‘chimneys’ it will become a nature preserve for local flora and fauna. A perimeter fence around the hill will keep humans out (because danger) leading to a pristine natural ecology.
A free-standing ‘chimney’ structure is much too expensive, would be dangerous in high winds and would be a hazard to air traffic. Rather a number of these ‘chimneys’ are built up a local mountain or hill several 1000 feet high (following terrestrial contours). Closed ‘chimney channels’ are excavated up the mountain/hill – from high (bottom) air pressure to low (top) air pressure. A power station is built at the top to maintain the turbines and condition the power to feed into the national grid. A funicular gets the few 10’s of workers to the top. Administration and clerical functions would remain at the bottom. The only workers to go up and down the funicular would be different shifts of engineers, operators and maintenance personnel to maintain the turbines and condition the power to feed into the national grid.
Aside: *Burnelli’s Rule.
Burnelli was an aeronautical engineer and his theorem relates to how wings generate lift. An illustration of the principle is the ‘poor man’s supercharging’ on motorcycles (and muscle cars). We call them ‘velocity stacks’ in SA (I had them on my bike). The core principle of Burnelli’s Rule is that, “with an increase in velocity, there is a decrease in air pressure”. How this worked as a motorcycle supercharger are the trumpet shaped, megaphone type orifices fitted to the carb intakes. The m/c engine would suck air through the megaphones and the restriction where they bolted onto the carb intake would increase air velocity (physics). This (according to the rule) would create a low pressure at the carb inlet and it would suck air even harder. Rinse and repeat.
So you would have a perpetual breeze turning a wind turbine (generating electricity) as air moved from a low to high pressure area. On the power generating ‘chimney’ a variable restrictor would keep the air velocity constant and by manipulating restrictors and switching turbines in and out (mostly automated), variations in barometric pressure could be solved and a consistent power level supplied to the grid.
Secondary use: Because the land cannot be used for anything else (2nd rate land generally) and over the years, top soil will accumulate over the ‘chimneys’ it will become a nature preserve for local flora and fauna. A perimeter fence around the hill will keep humans out (because danger) leading to a pristine natural ecology.
