Solar Tower – renewable energy green global warming
SolarMission Technologies (www.solarmissiontechnologies.com) and its Australian subsidiary, EnviroMission Limited (www.enviromission.com.au) produced this 5 minute video on the pilot plant in Spain. It is an older video (2000) but gives a decent understanding of the solar tower concept.
EnviroMission, Ltd. (US Market: EVOMY, Australian Exchange: EVM) is a renewable energy developer of sustainable "green" energy solutions for the energy market. EnviroMission aims to be one of Australia's leading producers of clean renewable energy. EnviroMission holds the proprietary rights to Solar Tower technology, a large-scale renewable energy technology based on simple fundamentals of physics — hot air rises. Solar Tower technology has the potential to offer competitive renewable energy with equal reliability to fossil fuel generators.
A single 200MW Solar Tower power station will provide enough electricity to power around 400,000 households. The energy output will represent an annual saving of more than 1,960,000 tonnes of greenhouse CO2 gases from entering the environment when compared to brown coal emissions in Victoria. The greenhouse savings equate to the removal of approximately 500,000 cars from the road. The Australian Solar Tower project consists of six distinct phases, the first two of which (project optimization and pre-feasibility commercialization) have already been completed. The third phase (final feasibility), paving the way for the implementation of the next three phases (final design, construction, and commercial operation).
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Comments on Solar Tower – renewable energy green global warming »
I think its Tedlar, also used as backsheet for solar modules. Insulating & very resistant plastic.
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Plus, there would be efficiency losses as the air rises, because the fact that the air is rising means that its energy is going elsewhere, and not ultimately towards turning the turbines blades.
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Once the heated air reaches the tower, it will not have much less force than at the exit of the tower. Yes airspeed will be geater at the top, but the air density will be lower resulting nearly same force. From simplicity aspect, the turbin at the bottom will produce the cheapest electricty per KW.
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that is 30KW an hour. Most homes use only 30KW a day. That would be at least 24 homes that can be powered from this tower.
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Just a thought. If the upper atmosphere wind speeds are higher than the wind speed in the vertical wind tunnel why not use that to increase power.
Cap the top of the tower with a 90 degree hood that can rotate to match wind direction by use of a stablizer vains and bearings. As upper atmostphere winds are blown by the vent hood, an venturi effect is created increasing the total wind speed of the tower. This will increase the power of turbin below.
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it would be much harder engineering wise to put it at the top. It was just a test run.
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between 1:15 – 1:20, What is the name of the material again that is use?
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I think the Turbine should be placed at the top. My reason is that if the turbine is placed on the bottom you only have the suction of the Chimney pulling air through the blades, But if the TURBINE is placed at the top then all the hot air trying to get out will have to go through the Blades. If you want to see what I am talking about try this with a shop vac. Hold you hand over the tube while you are sucking, and then try to hold you hand over the tube while you are Blowing. Which is harder?
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that's a good question, I thought the same! I guess that somehow every turbine would slow down the air reducing the energy production of the next turbine… but it sounds pretty lame…
does anyone know the reason?
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i wonder what the ramifications are of having all that heat energy focused in one place high in the atmosphere will be
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If the air continues to rise, why not have more turbines in the chimney?
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I say build it in death valley.
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i've seen so many moronic posts that i can't believe it. some of you need to go back to school. this is a cool idea, but 30kw will power a house, maybe two conservative ones. i seen a post about losing the land to other uses, we have a whole lot of useless desert for this type thing. they should have paved the collection area and probably get 10 times the output… well, its a start.. really cool idea
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its sayed that its 200m hight!!!!!!
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We can do molecular nuclear fusion from water: No CO2. What are you upset about?
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this one in spain is about 200 m,
the tower in aussieland is planned
with 1000 m
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"how high is it? does any one know something to scale?"
I read somewhere it´s planned to build the australian one up to 1000 meters.
This one in spain, which is only for the research about the technology, had about
200 m.
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I live in the SUV -HUMVEE capital of the WORLD . Miami Florida.
One easy way to cut back on these gas guzzling machines of unreal pollution is a HUGE registration fee on any vehicle that weighs over a certain weight or cost a certain amount to fill the tank.
They can afford it and the money can go to improving public transportation,etc.
atleast its a start
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hmmm, nice v neck
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how high is it? does any one know something to scale?
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Since there's a huge greenhouse underneath the plastic sheeting, I imagine there are other land uses besides building.
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The problem is that you have to keep enough air flowing up through the tower, so for a wider diameter it would need to be much higher (to get lower pressure at the top, drawing air up) and it would require a larger collection area at ground level.
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Good in a hot climate, but that's a lot of land you now can't use to build on…
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This is going to save the planet!!
Viva España y Don Quijote!!!
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That is going to save the planet!!
VIVA ESPAÑA!!
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