The solar cyclone: A solar chimney for harvesting atmospheric water

The Solar Cyclone has been introduced as a means of extracting fresh water from Earthʹs atmosphere. The conceptual device operates in the fashion of a Solar Chimney; it is composed of a greenhouse for collecting and storing solar energy as heat, with a central chimney that channels an updraft of surface air heated in the greenhouse. An expansion cyclone separator for condensing and removing atmospheric water is placed at the base of the chimney. The separator consists of a strongly rotating vortex in which the central temperature is well below the dew point for the greenhouse air. Power consumed in the expansion and separation is furnished by the motive potential of the chimney updraft. Turbulent flow conditions are established in the expansion cyclone separator to enhance the centrifugal separation. Excess updraft power is used to generate electricity, as is done in the Solar Chimney. The article furnishes a theoretical basis for the feasibility of the Solar Cyclone, suggesting that an experimental study of the separation device would be worthwhile.