Transcript The Origin of the Concept - The Atmospheric Vortex Engine

The Vortex Engine
A proposal for the utilization of updraft systems to increase
rainfall, reduce global warming and generate electrical power
Presentation by
Donald Cooper CPEng
Perth, Western Australia
First, the Vortex Engine’s cousin:
the Solar Updraft Tower
Solar Chimney
Manzanares
200 m high, 10 m diameter
Collector 0.04 sq. km
50 kw, 130 J/kg, 1 Mg/s
Spain 1982 to 1989
LMM
Enviromission
EnviroMission
1000
high,130
100mmdiameter
diameter.
1 kmm
high,
Collector
kmkm
Collector40
40sq
sq.
200
200MW,
MW,300
800tonne/sec
J/kg, 300 Mg/s
Australia
/ US
Australia,
2005
Atmospheric Vortex Engine
16
Enviromission in Australia and Solarmission in the US are
planning to build a 200 MWe solar-thermal power station.
The main problem with the solar updraft
tower is that at a projected cost of
around A$600 million, it is expensive.
The kilometre-high stack and the five
kilometre diameter canopy together
constitute about two thirds of the
overall projected cost.
The Alternative - the Vortex Engine
It will be shown that the vortex chimney generated by the vortex engine should be
regarded as a natural “worm hole” which is able to link the high and low temperature
strata of the troposphere, thereby releasing the energy contained in atmospheric water
vapour.
In the Vortex Engine, the
vortex tunnel can
functionally replace the
power tower’s solid stack,
and similarly a “vapour
field” can functionally
replace the glass canopy
The Increase in Atmospheric
Water Vapour Content
The increase in atmospheric CO2 content has been well documented. The
much more important greenhouse gas – water vapour - has been less so:
“When you heat the planet, you increase the ability of the atmosphere to
hold moisture. The atmosphere’s water vapor content has increased by
about 0.41 kg/m² per decade since 1988, and natural variability in climate
just can’t explain this moisture change. The most plausible explanation
is that it’s due to the human-caused increase in greenhouse gases.”
Benjamin Santer, lead author from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s
Program for Climate Modelling and Intercomparison.
Water vapour strongly amplifies the warming effect of increased
atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide. This is a classic “positive feedback
loop.”
By conveying water vapour to higher levels in the troposphere, the
vortex engine and to a much lesser extent the solar updraft tower can act
to enhance heat transfer from the atmosphere.
The scientific consensus is
that a runaway greenhouse
effect must be halted
We have to reverse the growth in
atmospheric CO2 and water vapour
The vortex engine can arguably go
a
considerable
way
towards
achieving this
The Solar Updraft Tower
Solarmission’s projected full-scale solar
updraft tower will produce an updraft of 300
tonnes of air per second containing around 3
tonnes of water per second.
The glass solar canopy of a solar updraft
tower will be in the region of five to seven
kilometres in diameter.
One 200 MWe solar updraft tower will
dissipate around 20 Gigawatts in terms of
atmospheric convection.
A cloud will often be formed
over the top of the updraft
tower, but precipitation from
the cloud is likely to be
negligible because of its
relatively low altitude.
Precipitation Efficiency (ep) vs. Cloud Height
ep = 0
Source:
Divine Wind
ep = 1
ep = 0.5
Relative
Humidity
(RH)
Tropopause
altitude 10 - 12 km
RH
RH
Earth
When clouds reach the top of the Troposphere, precipitation efficiency tends towards unity. Some
evaporation occurs during the descent of the rain, but this is not an entire loss as the evaporation causes
cooling of the air, subsequent downdrafts, and horizontal wind when the flow hits the ground. Some of
this energy can be harvested by means of conventional wind turbines.
Vortices in Nature
NASA
The Tropical Cyclone
Vortices in Nature
NASA
A severe tropical cyclone can dissipate in the region of 30,000 Gigawatts.
Australia’s electrical power generation capacity is in the region of 50
Gigawatts.
Vortices in Nature
(Not to scale – the
eye is typically 40
km in diameter and
12 km high)
Wikipedia
The primary driver for the tropical cyclone and tornado is
the enthalpy of water vapour within warm humid air.
Vortices in Nature
Wikipedia
The Tornado
Vortices in Nature
World
Book
The tornado is a highly effective mechanism through which Nature
conveys moist boundary layer air to the top of the Troposphere
where precipitation is initiated. The “anvil” is formed when it
reaches the tropopause, the interface with the stratosphere.
Updraft Clouds
Wikipedia
/Bidgee
Updraft velocities of up to 240 km/hr have been recorded within clouds –
this is enough to hold aloft hailstones of up to 180 mm diameter.
Atmospheric water vapour should arguably be regarded as a storehouse of
solar energy.
Nature’s “Heat Pump”
Convection processes such as
storms, cyclones and tornados are
the primary means of effectively
pumping heat out of the ocean, into
the atmosphere, and lifting it to
where it can be re-radiated into
space, thereby mitigating the heat
build-up that otherwise occurs.
The Atmospheric Temperature
Profile
It has been shown by MIT Professor Kerry Emanuel that
tropical cyclones are based on a close approximation of
the Carnot cycle.
Within the troposphere, the temperature varies from
o
approximately 30 C (~300 K) at ground level to minus
70oC (~200 K) at an altitude of 10 kilometres. The Carnot
thermodynamic cycle working between these limits has a
theoretical efficiency of up to 33%.
The frequency of these events is arguably only the “tip of
the iceberg.” There is always a potential for vortex
generation, particularly strong in hot and humid regions.
The Carnot Engine
The ideal thermodynamic efficiency of a Carnot cycle is a function of
the difference between the extreme temperatures of the cycle. The
relationship between efficiency and temperature difference is given by

Max.abs.temp  Min.abs.temp
Max.abs.temp
T  T1
 2
T2

Hence for the temperatures involved in this case
300  200
 
300
100

300
 33 o o
The Carnot Potential Wind Speed
Map showing the
maximum wind speed
in MPH achievable by
tropical cyclones over
the course of an
average year
according to Carnot’s
theory of heat
engines.
Source: Divine Wind by MIT
Professor Kerry Emanuel
Cyclonic energy is normally derived from the moist air over a warm sea
Australia’s Position
From the Carnot potential wind speed
distribution, it can be seen that
Australia is positioned in a region of
high cyclonic potential.
This has usually been seen as a
problem, but there is a strong argument
that it may be turned to advantage.
The Atmospheric Temperature Profile
Thermosphere
80 km
Mesosphere
50 km
Stratosphere
Ozone Layer
10 km
Troposphere
-90oC -70oC
0oC 30o C
Temperature
TYPICAL GRAPH OF ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE PROFILE
The Atmospheric Temperature Profile:
It can be seen that atmospheric temperature
generally declines with altitude except where:
• incoming solar radiation is absorbed in the
stratosphere (in which the ozone layer lies),
and
• “solar wind” particles are intercepted in the
thermosphere which includes the ionosphere.
The Vapour Field as Solar Collector
O
H
H
Tri-atomic molecules such as carbon dioxide and water
vapour are effective absorbers of infra-red radiation
A vapour field can absorb energy by
two mechanisms:
1. Radiation (absorption of infra-red
radiation from within the
environment)
2. Conduction (from the
surrounding environment, in
particular warm earth and air)
Absorption of Infra-Red Radiation
“…compared to molecular nitrogen and oxygen, water
vapor molecules are capable of great gymnastic feats.
Besides being able to stretch and compress, they can
bend at their mid-sections, rotate, and perform
combinations of stretching, bending and rotating.
Because they can move in such complex ways, they
can absorb and emit much more radiation than
molecules that consist of only two atoms… Changes
in energy state of a single molecule are communicated
to neighboring molecules with which it collides…
Absorption of radiation… increases air temperature…”
From Divine Wind - Professor Kerry Emanuel MIT
The Greenhouse Effect
Water vapour is
by far the most
important
greenhouse gas
NASA
NASA
Convection of water vapour through the Troposphere provides by far the most
effective single way in which Earth’s heat can eventually be re-radiated to Space.
Water vapour is a villain of global
warming but it can be the hero:
It is a villain because it absorbs solar energy (infrared radiation) and hence contributes to the
greenhouse effect.
It can be the hero because with its high latent heat
capacity, it is an ideal medium for transportation of
energy to the top of the troposphere where heat can be
radiated into space.
…and we can sustainably tap off a small but significant
percentage of the energy on the way in order to drive
our electrical generators…
The increasing number and severity of
tropical cyclones and tornadoes in
some regions is arguably a pointer to
Earth’s need to dump heat to Space.
That’s fine, but we need to learn to control the location,
frequency and intensity of the process… hence the
need for vortex engine research
The Latent Heat of the Water Vapour is
Released Within a Buoyant Plume
The energy required to transform a tonne (roughly one cubic
metre) of ice at minus 70oC into vapour at 30oC is around 3.5
Gigajoules.
Conversely, transforming a tonne of water vapour into ice
between the same temperature range liberates this amount of
energy into the environment.
This is comparable to the chemical energy contained in a hundred
litres of fuel oil! The notional “volumetric ratio” of water vapour to
fuel oil is thus in the region of 10:1.
In a rising plume, as the water vapour condenses and eventually
freezes, energy is released. This warms the surrounding air,
resulting in an increase in the buoyancy and hence the
corresponding potential energy of the air within the plume.
This buoyancy can be utilized to convey the air-water vapour
mixture to higher altitude, and in some instances supply excess
energy for the production of electrical power as a by-product.
The Release of Latent Heat
with Increase in Altitude
Ambient
Temperature
Case 0 Temperature of
rising surface air of
medium humidity
Case 2 Temperature of air
approaching
equilibrium with
SST. Temp = SST1, RH = 90%
SST = Sea Surface
Temperature
The effect of humidification – the resulting higher
temperatures in Case 2 increase the buoyancy of the plume
The Energy Content of
Atmospheric Water Vapour
It has been estimated that the Earth’s atmosphere holds in the
region of 12,900 cubic kilometres of water in the form of water
vapour (ref: The Case for Alternative Fresh Water Sources;
D Beysens & I Milimouk; Secheresse; Dec.
2000).
Based on the 10:1 rule of thumb, this then has the energy
content equivalent to about 1,200 cubic kilometres of fuel oil,
and a significant percentage of this can be sustainably
“harvested,” mostly for lifting water to an altitude where
precipitation can be initiated, radiating heat to Space, but also
a significant percentage for non-polluting electrical power
generation.
The vortex engine principle, invented independently by
Australian physicist Norman Louat and Canadian engineer
Louis Michaud is designed to achieve these aims.
The Vortex Principle
All that is required is:
~100 m diameter arena and
~300 m solid canopy 
Tangential air entry
control ducts 
1. An arena and canopy
2. A burst of steam from
geothermal sources to trigger
the updraft
3. Tangential air entry ducts
to cause spin
4. A continuous source of
warm, moist air to sustain
the vortex
 Steam injection to start updraft
using solar energy to
heat a vapour field,
industrial waste heat or
warm sea water
An Atmospheric Vortex Engine would eliminate the need for the expensive solid
stack and large glass canopy of the solar updraft tower. A relatively small
concrete canopy would be used to quarantine the vortex from the humid zone.
Geothermal Priming of a Vortex Engine
Arena
Canopy
Geothermal vents, with hot water flashing off to increase the enthalpy of the air/vapour mixture
under the canopy
The Positive Feedback
Effect Within a Vortex
1. Warm air “rises” towards the centre (the eye) of the centrifugal field
as it is less dense. It is also more buoyant in the Earth’s
gravitational field and hence rises vertically when it reaches the
eye.
2. Atmospheric water vapour, which has a mass density about 63%
that of air at the same temperature and pressure, is also displaced
towards the centre of the centrifugal field and rises vertically once
in the eye.
3. Centrifugal force reduces the pressure at the centre of the
centrifugal field. Low pressure again means low density and hence
high buoyancy. A buoyant gas has inherent potential energy.
Each of these acts to create a strongly buoyant updraft within
the eye and hence a self-sustaining natural “chimney” effect.
Just as the potential energy of water can be used to drive
hydroelectric turbines, so too the potential energy of an
air/vapour mixture can drive wind turbines.
The Power of the Vortex
Funnel
of
visible
rising
water
vapour
and
warm
air
Air at altitude rotates with the
vortex and cannot enter the
cone of the vortex eye
On the other hand, the less
dense water vapour content is
preferentially
displaced
towards the eye by the
centrifugal field
Moist air within the stagnant
boundary layer is able to move
towards the low pressure “eye”
due to the relative lack of
centrifugal force
Diagrammatic representation of the dynamic vortex chimney in a Tornado
The vortex naturally concentrates a highly buoyant and high-enthalpy air and
water vapour mixture at its centre. It is thus an extremely non-linear system.
Airflow in a Vortex at Altitude
Centrifugal force
Pressure gradient force
High pressure
Low pressure
Rotation
Diagram adapted from
Divine Wind
At altitude, the pressure gradient force (inwards) exactly
equals the centrifugal force (outwards). Air rotates without a
significant radial component
Airflow in a Vortex at Ground Level
Pressure gradient force
High pressure
Diagram adapted from
Divine Wind
Centrifugal force
Rotation
Low pressure
friction
Near the ground, friction acts to reduce the rotational velocity
and hence the centrifugal force. The air consequently is able
to spiral towards the low pressure at the vortex centre.
The Concept of Utilization of a “Vapour Field” to
Facilitate Absorption of Solar Radiation
Intermediate zone
of addition of
sensible heat
from solar
radiation
Vortex Engine
Local
zones
of
atomized
water
particles (zones of
evaporation
or
latent heat addition)
The generation of a vapour field allows solar radiation to be absorbed,
creating a feedstock of high enthalpy air/vapour mixture for the vortex
engine.
Why Won’t it Run Away?
The humidity of the vapour field would be kept below
the critical level at which the vortex would be selfsustaining. Only after the injection of geothermal
steam underneath the canopy within the vortex engine
would the energy level become super-critical. The
canopy would quarantine the vortex from the high
energy vapour except at its centre.
If strong cross winds were to occur, the system would
be shut down and the fall-back position would be to
utilise wind turbines in the area surrounding the vortex
engine to generate power.
The Possibility of Fighting Salinity
Absorption of infra-red radiation by the vapour field can create
the high energy feedstock needed for the vortex engine – recall
that cyclones are normally born in a warm humid environment
Pumping and atomizing groundwater can allow a sub-critical
vapour field to be created around the vortex engine
As the water spray droplets begin to evaporate, they become
higher in salt concentration and hence density, and fall to earth.
The ideal place to site the vapour field would be over the bed of a
dry salt lake. The precipitated salt could be regularly harvested
as a by-product.
The surrounding environment within a radius of 30 – 40 km
would have enhanced rainfall.
Enhanced Precipitation over Land
World Distribution of Precipitation
Rainfall (mm)
Deserts generally occur at intermediate latitudes where air from the Hadley circulation descends
after dropping most of its moisture content in the tropics. Near South America and Southern Africa,
this low precipitation zone is displaced offshore by the effect of orographic uplift by mountains. The
atmospheric vortex engine can arguably be used to increase local precipitation even in areas of
normally low precipitation. Note that at any given time, there are around one hundred cubic
kilometres of water held within the lowest kilometre of the atmosphere over Australia.
Advantages of Convective Vortex Systems
• No CO2 emissions
• Zero fossil fuel use – instead utilization of
stored solar energy within atmospheric
water vapour and air
• Increased precipitation over land means
increased plant growth and hence
photosynthesis – hence reduction of CO2
• Increased heat radiation to space – hence
global cooling
• Significantly increased terrestrial Albedo
Will it Work?
‘Nilton Renno, a professor at the department of atmospheric, ocean
and space sciences at the University of Michigan, has spent his career
studying tornadoes and water spouts. He says there is no reason why
Michaud’s vortex engine wouldn’t work.’
”The concept is solid,” says Renno.
…‘Still, Renno is not without reservations. He’s particularly concerned
about the ability to control such a powerful monster.’
‘“The amount of energy is huge. Once it gets going it may be too hard
to stop,” he says.’
The Toronto Star July 21 2007
This is where research and development engineering is needed…
“…It all looks beautifully obvious
– in the rear view mirror. But
there are situations where one
needs great imaginative power,
combined with disrespect for the
traditional current of thought, to
discover the obvious...”
Arthur Koestler
Harnessing the vortex principle
will not be easy, and the risks
are significant.
But research must be carried
out to determine its viability
Disclaimer
As the author of this presentation I have to
state that I am a total layman where
meteorological processes are involved.
As a mechanical engineer I would love to
research the mechanics of generating a
vortex and reaping the environmental
benefits.
Donald Cooper