The Solar Tower Concept- An Inverted Funnel Generating Renewable Energy

The solar tower is a concept invented by a company named Enviro Mission with an intention to generate efficient green energy. Resembling an inverted funnel in shape, the solar tower is a huge source for generating renewable energy. Supposedly the first renewable energy source in the world to get a primary provider status, the gigantic tower uses a special concept involving the solar storage capacity of water molecules.

As the solar tower is in the shape of a large inverted funnel it has a gentle sloping similar to a wide skirt at the bottom. This skirt region is the main part of the solar tower as it performs two important functions. First, it collects air to run a turbine located inside the solar tower and second, it allows the solar energy to heat the air through its transparent outer sloping section.

The sun’s energy heats up the air inside the skirt and thus pushes it faster towards the turbine located inside the tower. The turbine uses a mechanical arrangement to convert the mechanical energy to electricity.

In order to facilitate powerful wind flows, the skirt diameter is kept to be of several square meters to allow the air to build up a solid flow in one concentrated area. Using some thermodynamic modeling, the company predicts that the tower when ready will be able to generate power up to 200MW.

click to enlarge

EnviroMission’s scientists have come up with a few modifications that will increase the overall efficiency of the tower. The first modification involves using the phenomena of the vortex mechanism of tropical cyclones. The second modification includes more usage of water vapor in the air underneath the skirt. The greater the amount of water vapor, the greater the air can be saturated to make it lighter and create the much needed draft inside the tower. Moreover, water is a great collector and storage medium for heat, which allows the air to heat up quickly and easily.

The plan of the first tower has been designed to be of 1000 meters. However, a 50 Kw model has already been constructed and is successfully working in Manzaneres, Spain.

click to enlarge

EnviroMission (Website)