5 ms·
My take was that the crucial 'energy' issue was the huge latent heat of evaporation of water that cooled the air at the top of the tower. So, the air falls in
by graycat 14y ago
My take was that the crucial 'energy' issue was the huge latent heat of evaporation of water that cooled the air at the top of the tower. So, the air falls in the tower partly, maybe mostly, because it is cooler and, thus, more dense, not because the air is more dense because it is wetter (is air less dense than water vapor?) but because it is more dense because it is cooler.
Then I would wonder how to recapture the water without losing a lot of energy, that is, would be fighting the huge latent heat of evaporation again? And I would wonder just why bothering to desalinate the water?
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- chii 14y ago> And I would wonder just why bothering to desalinate the water? perhaps it sucks to have salt deposits due to the evaporation?
- chroem 14y agoOne word: corrosion. I honestly don't think this idea is too far fetched, though it's going to need subsidies to get going. If it all works out, then it would be pretty revolutionary.
- graycat 14y agoSure, but's got to be much cheaper to scrape off and shovel out the salt than to separate it by reverse osmosis, etc. Besides, to save on the scraping, might line the relevant areas with some tough, flexible plastic and, then, periodically shut down, remove the plastic, flex it to break off the salt, reinstall, and continue.