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Windy Tunnels

 it's a breeze
  (+4, -2)
(+4, -2) 		  [vote for,
against]

In mountainous regions dig shafts into and parallel to the slope of the terrain. Place wind turbines in the openings with blades that spin in both directions and take advantage of the effects from differential heating and Katabatic and Atabatic winds.

edit/update:

—brattleboro, Apr 12 2006

Hamsterpower Hamster_20based_20p...conversion_20tables
[Texticle, Apr 12 2006]

it worked for these guys http://www.sandia.g...l/NR2001/norton.htm
[brattleboro, Apr 15 2006]

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       If you're going to the trouble of putting the cables and other infrastructure in, you might as well put the turbines on the mountain side as 'normal'...assuming the feasibility is there in the first place.
—Texticle, Apr 12 2006
   

       Easier by far to simply put windmills on the surfaces of the mountains, surely?   

       Then you're not limited by how many tunnels you can dig.
—DrCurry, Apr 12 2006
   

       I agree, placing a few turbines up the slope would be mucho simplificado, but for some reason some environmentalists equate the degraded aesthetics of turbines along ridgelines as being at par with nuke plants and oil fired generators. So I figured put them underground and take away their argument.
—brattleboro, Apr 12 2006
   

       I drove past the windfarms near Palm Desert last weekend - turbines are beautiful.
—normzone, Apr 12 2006
   

       And whatcha gonna do about the endangered mountainside grub? eh? eh? Are ya just gonna dig its habitat whithout compunction? Figures.
—methinksnot, Apr 12 2006
   

       Now here is an idea! Have you felt the winds that go through some canyons!   

       One big inflated bun for you!
—Galbinus_Caeli, Apr 12 2006
   

       Thanks GC. I had the Hawaiian Islands in mind when the idea struck. One hole at the top and one at the bottom and all the power they need. Switch all the autos over to ethanol and put all the sugar cane and pineapples to better use (although I enjoy a juicy pineapple every now and then) and Hawaii would become practically self-sufficient. The tunnels don't need to be very deep underground and actually certain parts of the islands are perfect for them. They'd be great models but for some reason I still think people would protest.
—brattleboro, Apr 13 2006
   

       Airflow through tunnels encounters a lot of friction and loses energy. I can't give you numbers, sorry. I do admire wind turbines--I think they look pretty.
—baconbrain, Apr 13 2006
   

       Do you get pure water as a bonus?
—Zimmy, Apr 13 2006
   

       I found this:   

       "... the chambers are narrow, only about 1–1.5 m wide. Cave winds are strong generally from south to north. The outer layers of speleothems such as draperies, stalactites, columns and stalagmites have been weathered into white powder or skin broken. Visitors have a good feeling in the upper cave because the wind frequently blows from outside into the cave entrance and from the cave to outside through two top windows."   

       on the net as part of a study of a cave in China. Couldn't anyone here imagine studying this process and modelling which cave design is the most efficient windmakers? Install turbines (and don't give me any of that,"the turbines will add too much resistance" baloney either) and start digging Windy Tunnels wherever they will work. No more arguing over whether it will work or not.
—brattleboro, Apr 14 2006
   

       Here's something interesting:   

       "Wind Cave, located in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, aptly named. Winds in excess of 120 kph have been recorded at the entrance to the cave. Conn (1966) provided evidence that such winds are caused by barometric pressure changes with the magnitude of the wind related to the cave's vast size (currently 84 km surveyed) and the small size and number of entrances to the cave (2 natural entrances each approximately 300 cm2; two man-made entrances, one 3 m2 and the other sealed by an elevator door)."   

       We don't need 120kph winds, I'm sure with some testing we could get this to work. Come on, stretch your brain matter.
—brattleboro, Apr 15 2006
   

       When I was near Sydney, I toured one of the caves near Orange. I asked how caves are initially found. The reply was that when a weather front passes by, the differential barometric pressure can cause the air in the cave to whoosh out. The subsequent condensation can sometimes be seen.   

       So, brattleboro, what you need is a huge, huge cavern with a small entrance, and hope for regular barometric pressure changes, to generate power
—Ling, Apr 15 2006
   

       Your link describes a different concept to that of the original idea.   

       /No more arguing over whether it will work or not/   

       Good luck to you, sir.
—Texticle, Apr 16 2006
   

       //what you need is a huge, huge cavern with a small entrance//   

       Like, say, an abandoned coal mine? Now there's some irony.
—BunsenHoneydew, Jul 27 2006
   


 

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