Solar Chimneys Against Tornados

Solar chimneys against tornados

The meteorological conditions of formation of tornados are complex but there is a constant: lower part of atmosphere is particularly hot and humid some hours before the beginning of a tornado. The thermal contrast between low hot atmosphere and upper cold atmosphere is instable and the mixture of these layers starts abruptly. The tornados are generated during this mixture.

Since the years 80, the German scientist Jorg Schlaich and his team propose an original way to convert solar light in electric energy: the solar chimney. A solar chimney works in three steps:
- solar radiation heats the air under an horizontal glass roof (the collector),
- at the centre of the glass roof, emerges the chimney ; the hot air flows to the chimney and rises, due to its lower density ; the cold air enters from the outer perimeter of collector as hot air is drawn in the chimney,
- at the base of the chimney, some turbines convert the kinetic energy of ascending hot air in electric energy.

In his book “Solar Chimney” (*), Jorg Schlaich describes some cases of solar chimneys:
- power 5MW, collector diameter 1110m, chimney diameter 54m, chimney height 445m,
- power 30MW, collector diameter 2200m, chimney diameter 84m, chimney height 750m,
- power 100MW, collector diameter 3600m, chimney diameter 115m, chimney height 950m,
- power 200MW, collector diameter 4000m, chimney diameter 175m, chimney height 1500m.

The case of the highest chimneys is particularly interesting. The data contained in the book show that these tall chimneys propel great amounts of hot air at altitude about 900m or more. At full power, a 100 MW solar chimney injects each second about 150000 cubic meters of air at altitude greater than 900m.

By its constant injection of hot air at high altitude, a solar chimney could reduce the thermal contrast between hot lower air layer and cold upper air layer. The reducing of this thermal contrast could diminish the power of the tornados in the region where is located the solar chimney.

Besides its electric production, a solar chimney could perhaps help to control tornados, one the most destructive meteorological phenomenon.


(*) Solar Chimney, Jorg Schlaich, Michael Robinson, 1995, Axel Menges GmbH, ISBN: 3930698692

In essence, yes. And you don't even need to protect a region: protecting a town is already most useful. I believe a tornado will change its path if the town is cooled down, as the tornado base is sort of attracted by the hottest place nearby.

Less clear to me: whether the artificial heat transfer can work early enough. Tornadoes develop in a stormy condition, when a cold front is passing over the region, and this takes little time.

Not completely clear neither: how significant the heat transfer is. As compared to human needs it's big, but the amount of crude heat a region receives from Sunlight is just huge.

And as far as I know, not a single of these Solar chimneys has been built in real size up to now. Or has it?

But sure, protection against tornadoes can be a big incentive - perhaps more interesting than electricity generation.

Since it's common knowledge that tornadoes are attracted to trailer parks, you can either ban their construction, or locate unoccupied parks away from populated areas.

Edit.

They could mess up the production of tornados even more if you had the trailer parks near the solar chimney.