It's no secret that one of the hardest problems for America today is how to sustain our energy needs in the age of declining oil supplies. This has nothing to do with politics or reducing our dependence on the Middle East; this is a real problem that college students of today will inherit tomorrow. The most challenging part of this problem is that there's no one type of alternative energy that the entire American public has rallied behind. Sure, solar energy is flashy, but there isn't a mass push to make it more of a dependable source. This is partly because of a lack of cheap, mass-produced technology.
So why not take advantage of another thing that the world is full of: hot air?
That's exactly the idea of Australian entrepreneur Roger Davey, who is going to use the hot air that naturally rises off the Earth to power turbines, which will translate that energy into electricity. In an official statement, EnviroMission, Davey's company, boasts that it can create up to 200 megawatts of power, which is enough to power 100,000 homes. This is an extrapolation from data already collected. The Hot Air Technique has been tested on smaller scales on the plains of Spain, where prototypes of the solar updraft tower created about 50 killowatts of electricity per day. Some external engineers are skeptical of the projected 200 megawatt power ratings, but not one of them can deny the sound engineering of his device.
The tower will be surrounded by a plastic dome as wide as a football field, which will help heat air. When it reaches 194 degrees, the hot air enters the tower and travels up to the turbines. The increased height will increase the strength of the air flow, which will make the turbines turn faster, which leads to more electricity generated. Because the Earth continues to cool after the sun goes down, this is an energy that will not cease at night.
Unlike solar power, which is scarce on a cloudy day, and wind power, limited both at high and low wind speeds, the capture of hot air is something that happens every day without fail because of earth's natural specific heat. This is a solution that can be used everywhere, but especially in Australia. Another advantage is the long projected lifespan of the hot air towers, which EnviroMission says will be up to 80 years, far longer than a solar panel's lifespan.
As of right now, EnviroMission is the only publicly traded developer working on this job, but even with the encouraging data from Spain, the entire plan is still in the planning phase. Understandably, Oil companies have reason to be nervous, but Davey says the Hot Air is not meant to replace anything, yet. The current idea is that hot air will come to be a low emission alternative to fossil fuels, and, if the sentiment sticks, a primary source of fuel.
So why not take advantage of another thing that the world is full of: hot air?
That's exactly the idea of Australian entrepreneur Roger Davey, who is going to use the hot air that naturally rises off the Earth to power turbines, which will translate that energy into electricity. In an official statement, EnviroMission, Davey's company, boasts that it can create up to 200 megawatts of power, which is enough to power 100,000 homes. This is an extrapolation from data already collected. The Hot Air Technique has been tested on smaller scales on the plains of Spain, where prototypes of the solar updraft tower created about 50 killowatts of electricity per day. Some external engineers are skeptical of the projected 200 megawatt power ratings, but not one of them can deny the sound engineering of his device.
The tower will be surrounded by a plastic dome as wide as a football field, which will help heat air. When it reaches 194 degrees, the hot air enters the tower and travels up to the turbines. The increased height will increase the strength of the air flow, which will make the turbines turn faster, which leads to more electricity generated. Because the Earth continues to cool after the sun goes down, this is an energy that will not cease at night.
Unlike solar power, which is scarce on a cloudy day, and wind power, limited both at high and low wind speeds, the capture of hot air is something that happens every day without fail because of earth's natural specific heat. This is a solution that can be used everywhere, but especially in Australia. Another advantage is the long projected lifespan of the hot air towers, which EnviroMission says will be up to 80 years, far longer than a solar panel's lifespan.
As of right now, EnviroMission is the only publicly traded developer working on this job, but even with the encouraging data from Spain, the entire plan is still in the planning phase. Understandably, Oil companies have reason to be nervous, but Davey says the Hot Air is not meant to replace anything, yet. The current idea is that hot air will come to be a low emission alternative to fossil fuels, and, if the sentiment sticks, a primary source of fuel.
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