Atmospheric Vortex Engine - Admission/Application Essay Example

7 April Atmospheric Vortex Engine Introduction We depend on energy in every field of life, whether it is electric or fossil fuel. Our productivity and efficiency depends on energy. It is the foundation for modern societies and without it we would be back to primitive lifestyle. Fossil fuel is a limited resource and our reserves are bound to deplete. Furthermore, carbon emissions from fossil fuels have been linked as one of the major reasons behind global warming. Alternative energy solutions are being worked on for decades.

These are mainly electricity projects, but the ultimate aim is to replace fossil fuel by electric energy. Hybrid cars were just a start and in 2012 production of complete electric cars have started with Tesla introducing their electric vehicles. This trend demands an increase in power generation facilities. Furthermore, our societies keep growing and the demand for electricity is always growing. Solar, wind and tidal are few of the alternatives to harvest energy. They are proved to be less effective, but a clean way to generate electricity.

All energy on earth is from the sun and we try to harvest a portion of this energy. Atmospheric Vortex Engine is a new alternative energy technique to harvest energy. It is a new concept and was demonstrated by Louis Michaud (Pacella 46). Its principle, structure and efficiency are discussed in detail; 2. Principal When the temperature of air increases, the air rises. The colder air replaces this gap left. They form a cycle. These are known as convective air currents and this effect is aggravated with increased temperature gradient.

The same principle is an explanation of tornado formation. The Sun heats up the ground and in turn the ground heats up the surrounding air. This warm air rises to replace the cold sky air. This cycle takes shape of a tornado. The Atmospheric Vortex Engine is aimed at generating energy from this tornado effect. 3. Atmospheric Vortex Engine The engine is designed in a way that the warm air is introduced through channels in a way to create a tornado or a circular cycle. Wind turbines are placed at the bottom and in direct path of warm channeled air.

Multiple wind turbines are placed in each channel and there are multiple channels to direct air. The structure of the engine is 200 meters wide and its walls are 100 meters high surrounding the circular structure of the engine. When directed in a circular motion, the wind inside the engine can reach up to speeds of 200 mph (“Atmospheric Vortex Engine” 1). The roof of the structure is open so to allow for a tornado like structure. At the base and centre of this engine a vortex is created just like the base of a tornado.

The centre base of this vortex forms a vacuum and resultantly holds the vortex with the engine. The wind turbines installed in the engine are carefully calculated so as not to drain the power of the vortex. The engine can work independently, but if a source of warm air is provided it can work in harmony with another system. This system can ideally be linked with a conventional power plant (Schirber 2). Warm air is a byproduct from these plants and it is released into the atmosphere. This proposed system can drastically increase efficiency and provide a good resource for the engine to work for extended periods.

The engine has a security mechanism that is very simple. The vortex is attached at the base and can be cut off by simply closing the air channels. 4. Efficiency The system basically generates electricity by wind turbines. But, a typical wind farm is generally less efficient due to the fact that they require a minimum of 4-5 m/s of air speed to even produce low yield. In the case of Atmospheric Vortex Engine, the turbines get concentrated and specially channeled air. This makes the engine efficient.

Furthermore, the convection currents are natural and need no artificial energy to convert them in a suitable form to generate output. In this regard the engine can be compared to hydroelectric plants, which are extremely efficient and depends on natural water in its original form. It is estimated that a vortex engine can generate 50 to 500 Megawatts of electricity (Hare 29). The system is cost efficient and can generate electricity for as low as 6 cents per Kilowatt-hour (Hamilton 106). 5. Conclusion The Atmospheric Vortex Engine is a unique idea for generation of clean energy.

The engine if coupled with conventional power plants can drastically increase the efficiency of the system. It is flexible in deployment. For a typical wind farm the area needs careful citation, but the vortex engine can be employed in a large number of areas. It can also be planned and incorporated in production plants. Smaller engines can also be employed with suitable production industries. The engine can prove to be an efficient and workable energy harvesting methods and is something to be taken into consideration for future development.

Works Cited “Atmospheric Vortex Engine.” vortexengine. n.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2012. Hamilton, Tyler. Mad Like Tesla: Underdog Inventors and Their Relentless Pursuit of Clean Energy. Ontario: ECW Press, 2011. Print. Hare, Mick. How to Make a Tornado: The Strange and Wonderful Things That Happen When Scientists Break Free. London: Profile Books Limited, 2009. Print. Pacella, Rena. “Harness Energy From Tornadoes.” Popular Science Jul 2008: 46. Print. Schirber, Michael. “How a Man-Made Tornado Could Power the Future.

” livescince. Tech Media Networks, 25 Jun. 2008. Web. 7 Apr. 2012.