Solar Updraft Towers
Solar updraft towers were designed as an alternative to other current energy sources that are nonrenewable by using kinetic energy to transfer heat. The technology in a solar updraft tower is that it incorporates a large greenhouse-type structure, referred to as a collector, which generates heat from the sun and transfers the heat by convection out of a tall chimney tower that is at the center of the structure. As hot air rises and evacuates from the top of the tower, a turbine within the pipe produces electricity. Figure 1 provides a schematic on how the energy is sourced from a solar updraft tower.
Solar Updraft Tower Origins
In 1982, Manzanares, Spain, an experiment was conducted which developed the first solar …show more content…
This is an ideal feature in most developing countries that lack in water supply. In addition, the supplies needed to build a solar updraft tower is readily available and can be reproduced partially onsite.
The costs of running a solar updraft tower is very low as it is mostly dependent on a steady flow of air from implementing the mechanics of turbine. Further, it is not solely dependent on the amount of light radiated from the sun but also on the difference in air temperature, which allows it to generate electricity after sunset at low capacity. Currently, there are a few sites being consider for construction located in the U.S.A. Arizona and West Texas are the two main states that are working on having several sites built in their respective states. Each of these sites are considering building massive towers that can generate 200 kilowatts of electricity. Another important feature worth mentioning, is the ability of expanding agriculture to sustain livelihoods in future generations and the ability that the greenhouse will have on even barren land that can possibly thrive in the future with a greenhouse built over it that collects moisture and thereby changes the soils ability to become fertile …show more content…
Other concepts on how to build solar updraft plants more economically are being looked at, which introduce an inflatable tower theory that would allow the plant to inflate and deflate according to weather conditions. This concept would feature a tower made of fabric, which is estimated to cost considerably lower than the current estimated costs to build a solar updraft tower. The fabric tower will be able to deflate and inflate according to inclement weather and when repairs are
Solar updraft towers were designed as an alternative to other current energy sources that are nonrenewable by using kinetic energy to transfer heat. The technology in a solar updraft tower is that it incorporates a large greenhouse-type structure, referred to as a collector, which generates heat from the sun and transfers the heat by convection out of a tall chimney tower that is at the center of the structure. As hot air rises and evacuates from the top of the tower, a turbine within the pipe produces electricity. Figure 1 provides a schematic on how the energy is sourced from a solar updraft tower.
Solar Updraft Tower Origins
In 1982, Manzanares, Spain, an experiment was conducted which developed the first solar …show more content…
This is an ideal feature in most developing countries that lack in water supply. In addition, the supplies needed to build a solar updraft tower is readily available and can be reproduced partially onsite.
The costs of running a solar updraft tower is very low as it is mostly dependent on a steady flow of air from implementing the mechanics of turbine. Further, it is not solely dependent on the amount of light radiated from the sun but also on the difference in air temperature, which allows it to generate electricity after sunset at low capacity. Currently, there are a few sites being consider for construction located in the U.S.A. Arizona and West Texas are the two main states that are working on having several sites built in their respective states. Each of these sites are considering building massive towers that can generate 200 kilowatts of electricity. Another important feature worth mentioning, is the ability of expanding agriculture to sustain livelihoods in future generations and the ability that the greenhouse will have on even barren land that can possibly thrive in the future with a greenhouse built over it that collects moisture and thereby changes the soils ability to become fertile …show more content…
Other concepts on how to build solar updraft plants more economically are being looked at, which introduce an inflatable tower theory that would allow the plant to inflate and deflate according to weather conditions. This concept would feature a tower made of fabric, which is estimated to cost considerably lower than the current estimated costs to build a solar updraft tower. The fabric tower will be able to deflate and inflate according to inclement weather and when repairs are