Progird evaluation of solar towers at Vortex by the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Study proposed by Louis Michaud.
ProGird is a multi-criteria method of economic and scientific evaluation of a technological solution.
Evaluation Summary
Dr. Clem Bowman recent winner of the 2008 Global International Energy Prize. Eight individuals experienced in the energy field agreed to participate in the evaluation of a voluntary unpaid basis, to assist the inventor in identifying strengths and weaknesses in the concept and in defining potential next steps. All evaluators noted the novelty of this early stage concept. None stated that the principles of violating any known laws of science. Many major advances in science have arisen from ideas that were clearly "out-of-the-box" at the time of initial introduction.
Selected Evaluator Comments
This pathway is absolutely unique and I strongly recommend it for R&D. It produces no GHG, it cools the atmosphere, and allows the recovery of a significant fraction of the waste heat produced at any large installation. If it can be proven to work with a large body of water as the heat source, it would produce seasonally unlimited amounts of energy. This pathway can also be expected to be even better in tropical regions. I recommend that it be funded at the highest possible level that your agency can afford.
The atmospheric vortex engine is a radically new invention for generating electricity. It represents a paradigm shift in how to extract electrical energy from heat at atmospheric conditions, by creating a thermodynamic engine that rejects heat in the upper atmosphere. The atmospheric principles are based on the existence of tornados. The thermodynamic principles are based on the principle of Significant development effort is still required to commercialize this invention. However, given the promise of the technology it should be strongly supported.
If successfully commercialized the expected impact of this invention is almost unimaginable. This technology promises to allow electricity generation by extracting energy from ambient air, directing this air to the upper atmosphere through an atmospheric vortex. It can be used to increase the efficiency of existing power plants to generate electricity from waste heat. It can also be applied to oil refineries and petrochemical plants by means of increased heat generation. Because Canadian resource industries are particularly energy intensive, the availability of renewable energy would contribute to the continued growth of the Canadian economy.
The vortex engine concept does not defy known physics. It will take time and perseverance to develop knowledge relating to the creation of an artificial atmospheric vortex such that it can be repeatedly created and controlled. Further, the concept does not require any new or novel technology. The impact on society world wide of successful development of the vortex engine will be enormous. Without an energy source, which is non-polluting, all nations developed or otherwise faced with the necessity of social adjustment greater than the adjustment to the industrial revolution of the 18th century; and far greater in magnitude than any adjustment in the history of mankind.
More:
- Vortexengine.ca
- Solar tower by Nazare
- Principle and operation of a solar tower