Most houses built over 20 years ago still have chimneys, although very few people still use open fires. What I propose it making use of these chimneys by housing a power-generating windmill system in the ceiling space, with the windmill itself housed in the chimney. This can be raised and lowered as required, enabling the household to use solar during the day and at night raise the windmill. The windmill design I envisage is not the blade style, but the revolving column style if you know what I mean.
-- simonj, Dec 21 2007

Like this? but smaller http://i.treehugger...ev_wind_turbine.jpg
[37PiecesOf Flair, Dec 21 2007]

Ah, yes, chimney cowls http://www.toast-fi...es.co.uk/cowls.html
[DrCurry, Dec 22 2007]

Cute, and I have a chimney, but my gas furnace and gas hot water heater use it. Also the opening inside is only 8x8, so that leaves a pretty thin windmill. But it does avoid permits, so I bun(+) just for that.
-- MisterQED, Dec 21 2007


It wouldn't be rocket science to make the blades fold out (like a umbrella) after deployment.

[+] for a neat idea.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 21 2007


Could it also employ some fins angled to take advantage of rising smoke currents, like those candle thingies?
-- RayfordSteele, Dec 21 2007


Methinks Santa's job just got a little bit harder.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 21 2007


I have often seen little round-bladed fans whirling away at the top of chimneys, although I've never known what purpose they served (keeping the rain out?). Clearly, those could be repurposed without too much fuss.
-- DrCurry, Dec 21 2007


// little round-bladed fans //

Cowls; the rotary ones improve the draught in chimneys that might be prone to smoke under certain wind directions and speeds.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 21 2007


If I understand, you want a sort of pop-up vertical turbine to come up out of the chimbley? I don't know about yours, but my chimney stacks would come down with a good shove, let alone the lateral thrust of a worthwhile wind turbine.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 21 2007


I was originally thinking a savonius, which would be tough to fold out, but if you did a eggbeater type, it should be easy to fold out, even from my tiny chimney.
-- MisterQED, Dec 22 2007


So, it goes up the chimney down, but can't go down the chimney up?
-- Ling, Dec 22 2007



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