TV Schedule

Energy Tower inventors claim generating capacity of 15 Earths


  3. curleysound
  4. related topics
Hot air cooled by water jets falls down the tower, and the resulting wind turns turbines, which turn generators.
curleysound

19 responses // Energy Tower inventors claim generating capacity of 15 Earths

  • No way, could it be this simple?
    Galileo999
  • "They've been working on the concept since 1983, and together have spent more than 150 man-hours researching, designing, testing, and analyzing."

    There have been 8760 days since 1983, and they've only worked 150 man hours? They only worked for 60 seconds a day at this rate!

    These guys must be geniuses!
    phillyharper
  • I'm curious to know if anyone has put together an investment model that, like Internet-based fundraising for political campaigns and disaster relief, would allow individuals also to make contributions to this project in addition to the venture capitalists. Perhaps the Alliance for Climate Protection could do something on the scale that would be needed to fund projects like this. We could kill two birds with one stone: get people to stop spending ten bucks here and there on disposable "consumer goods" and kick in toward solutions to global warming at the same time. Or contribute what they would have spent on gasoline to drive to the mall instead of driving to the mall and buying more stuff.
    dkistner
  • actually, it's 150 man years, not man hours
    corasynth
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower
    This is a similar concept with actual working full scale prototypes and large scale working towers in the building process.
    mhcj
    • mhcj
    • 10 months ago
  • This is extremely feasible, and could prove to be the most important contribution to humanity in a long time. Reversing global warming AND getting more energy than we already use? Wow. If this is real, I'm willing to put in my fair share of money.

    Anyone care to share ideas on financing and send them to the Isreali Technion?
    Bakor24
  • Well, let's see. It's going to take energy to pump all that water up 1200' to be injected to get the air to fall.

    The air is cooler at 1200' up than it is at ground level, so there is a natural convection.

    Mother Nature has already invented convection, which is what this is with the added kicker of the weight of water / cooling.

    We'll see.
    VoyagerFilms
  • It is great to see people dreaming this stuff up. BUT....I am not in support of any mega-tower-energy anything. It puts too much political/economic/energy in one location. All of that open to corruption, manipulation and physical attack. The concept of Solar Energy worked before humans existed. Each living plant takes in the energy it needs from the sun. There is no GREAT SUNFLOWER that provides for all of the little plants around it. As someone said (I forget where I heard this but it makes a lot of sense), “It is more profitable to copy nature than to destroy it.”
    twodee
  • I agree totally, no I mean TOTALLY with what you are saying twodee.
    VoyagerFilms
  • OR one could have this tower built on a piece of land that a state would donate, similar to the way the state of New York has donated the UN headquarters to international territories. Then there wouldn't be any conflict around the question of territoriality ; it could be considered part of humanity's heritage, and heavily protected by international forces. If this thing could do as much good as it's inventors say it can, control by international powers is a very realist solution.
    Bakor24
  • damn, this idea sounds good. if that works of course you can build it anywhere w international monies, under international jurisdiction.
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 10 months ago
  • 3000 feet is totally feasible

    http://www.joelertola.com/grfx/grfx_update_feb_05/tall_...

    ps: that is not the final freedom tower design, here it is
    http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/gallery/alb...
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 10 months ago
  • We need to develop small scale, individual size energy sources, anything else is inviting corruption and monopolization.

    There is no reason money should be invested in such a huge monstrosity where 40% of the investment capitol is bleed off to make someone more millions of dollars.

    Humanity would be better served by small, individual energy sources in many many ways this and other centralized systems can not.

    Tesla said we didn't need to generate energy, it was all around us. Think about it. Edison wanted to monopolize for his personal fortune, Tesla was advocating and developing / or had developed free energy sources.
    VoyagerFilms
  • my turn to TOTALLY agree with you VoyagerFilms! It is a luv fest. Hey. and thanks for supporting our newest POD.
    twodee
  • small wide spread mini solutions are much better than any mega idea, of course, one would avoid economical and social issues, but it seems that given the urgency of our current situation, it would be very likely that such big projects would be a substantial part needed to turn around our constant use of energy that comes from any kind of thing being burned (even w emissions capped, it still has to go somewhere)

    like everything, its up to us to make it work for common good.
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 10 months ago
  • While I whole heartedly agree with twodee and VoyagerFilms, I also think something like this would be much better than nuclear power. Would it be as good as local, small scale power generation, such as solar, hydro, and wind? No, I don't think so. If we all generate out own power, think of how much we wouldn't lose transmitting that power over long distances.
    Why is nuclear power still on the table when we're just now dipping our toes into the possibility of alternatives?

    P.S. Solar power, wind power, hydro and geothermal are all realities now, while this is a pipe dream. It's a nice pipe and I wouldn't mind having a toke, but my bong is already here and working fine.
    covelogibbs
  • Thanks for posting... sounds like a great idea. Is anyone actually building these yet?
    shiftinaction
  • http://www.mareinitiative.com
    ...and then come over here for the biggest solar energy project on earth...
    Enki
  • i'm game for building one...anyone have a really big back yard and a few tons of steal laying about...

    This is a great idea - really....i don't understand why alternatives methods of energy production haven't gotten mush attention until recently...

    engineers...what WILL they think of next!
    jonnat17

Add your response

Login/Registration is required to add a response.