Yet another hurricane-weakening idea is to suspend a tube in the air to allow air to move from the edges of cyclonic circulation to the innermost part at which winds are still weak enough not to destroy the tube. The tube would be suspended in part by having a cross section that acts as a wing, and in part by having chambers with solar-heated air (or hydrogen or helium). By going through the tube, air could move down the pressure gradient without being opposed by centrifugal and Coriolis forces. By choosing what height to have the ends of the tube at, the pressure gradient could be used to move dry air at higher potential temperature downward so that rising air wouldn't be heated by condensation. Alternatively, the heights could be chosen and the tube designed so as to increase the latent and sensible heat content of the air at the destination end of the tube, to increase local convection. Alternatively again, the height of the intake end could be so high as to facilitate local convection as the air going into the tube is replaced partly by air from below. The purposes of increasing local convection include depriving the hurricane's main circulation of the energy that drives the convection, creating turbulence that will dissipate some of the mechanical energy of the hurricane, and (if the convection so created is far enough out that the weather was clear) to cool the sea surface by increasing cloudiness.
The tube could be put up and taken down in sections, and each section stored in a water-tight container when not in use. When taken down to avoid being destroyed by hurricane winds, a section could be stored in a container of near-neutral buoyancy underwater at a depth where wave action is weak enough not to destroy it. The sections could be stationed in appropriate locations in advance. On Jul 21, 8:06 am, Andrew Lockley <[email protected]> wrote: > I've already suggested using compressed air to move water columns in an > email to the group. I'm pretty sure it pre-dated the patent. The idea's > not novel anyway - fishtanks have been using it for years. > I've had two new ideas recently which might work on hurricanes. > > 1) Pour vegetable oil on the sea. This will block evaporation and reduce > heat transfer. > 2) Pour Kellogg's corn flakes, or similar, into the sea. You could fry them > first, to stop them going soggy. This would have several effects: Impede > heat transfer, increase albedo, impede evaporation (if fried). Polystyrene > balls could also be used, but are not biodegradable. > > I hope people can send me lots of criticisms of the above. > > A > PS It looks like I might have got someone to supervise my Geoengineering > PhD. Hurrah! > > 2009/7/16 Alvia Gaskill <[email protected]> > > > The link and excerpt below is the source of my comment about the 150ft > > depth requirement for hurricane formation. I don't have a copy of Gray's > > paper on this, which seems to be the source of all citations to this > > depth, but suspect it has something to do with wave action from winds and > > ocean currents bringing deeper water to the surface. So while the SST and > > the water to a very shallow depth is important, there must be a reservoir of > > warm water below that to replace the surface water that is being constantly > > removed elsewhere, either by wave action or by evaporation to fuel the > > developing thunderstorms. This works to the advantage of the hurricane, but > > to the disadvantage of the hurricane buster as unless most of this band of > > warm water is cooled to below the critical temperature(s), surface > > conditions may return to those favorable to hurricane development and > > growth. As we learned previously, hurricanes themselves do a pretty good > > job of stirring up the water in their path, making it more difficult for > > those that follow to either develop or intensify. > > >http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/A16.html > > > *Subject: A16) Why do tropical cyclones require 80°F (26.5°C) ocean > > temperatures to form ?* > > > *Contributed by Chris Landsea* > > > Tropical cyclones can be thought of as engines that require warm, moist air > > as fuel (Emanuel 1987 <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqREF.html#E>). > > This warm, moist air cools as it rises in convective clouds (thunderstorms) > > in the rainbands and eyewall of the hurricane The water vapor in the cloud > > condenses into water droplets releasing the latent heat which originally > > evaporated the water. This latent heat provides the energy to drive the > > tropical cyclone circulation, though actually very little of the heat > > released <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/D8.html> is utilized by the > > storm to lower its surface pressure and increase the wind speeds. > > > In 1948 Erik Palmen > > <http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqREF.html#P>observed that tropical > > cyclones required ocean temperatures of at least 80°F > > (26.5°C) for their formation and growth. Later work (e.g., Gray > > 1979<http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqREF.html#G>) > > also pointed out the need for this warm water to be present through a > > relatively deep layer (~150 ft, 50 m) of the ocean. This 80°F value is tied > > to the instability of the atmosphere in the tropical and subtropical > > latitudes. Above this temperature deep convection can occur, but below this > > value the atmosphere is too stable and little to no thunderstorm activity > > can be found ( Graham and Barnett > > 1987<http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqREF.html#G> > > ). > > >http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7520237.html > > > You may have already seen this patent, from Vladimir Zhekov located in > > hurricane endangered Key West, FL (a former home of mine as well). It also > > involves pumping colder water upwards to cool the SST. Instead of wave > > action, wind turbines are used to generate the pumping power and the > > platforms are anchored, not free floating as in your design. He also notes > > that water will need to be pumped from as deep as 500 ft, where he claims > > the water temperature is generally 11 degrees C, noting that 1L of water at > > this temperature will cool 15L of water at 26.5 degrees C by 1 degree C. > > And, like in your plan, the ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone) will be > > one of the locations where the platforms will be located. Perhaps he can > > work out a deal with Boone Pickens who is seeking to unload nearly 700 wind > > turbines he recently purchased. > > *"Hurricane prevention system and method * > > United States Patent 7520237 > > > Abstract: > > The hurricane prevention system and method for use in ocean water is > > provided including a buoyant platform on which is disposed a wind-driven > > power source, a water-moving system, and a water-dispersing system. The > > wind-driven power source is configured to use wind energy to power the > > water-moving system, which is configured to transport water from somewhat > > deeper ocean water levels to, or near, the level of the ocean. The > > water-dispersing system is preferably configured to disperse the water from > > the water-moving system to an area at or near the sea surface. The buoyant > > platform preferably is anchored by a mooring system. The hurricane > > prevention system and method is designed to bring cooler water from deeper > > in the ocean to or near the ocean surface and to disperse that cooler water > > in that area to reduce the sea surface temperature, thereby preventing or > > inhibiting the formation of hurricanes. > > > 14. A method to inhibit the formation of hurricanes, comprising: generating > > power via a wind-driven power source disposed on a buoyant platform; > > powering a water-moving system with the power; transporting water from > > deeper in an ocean toward a surface of the ocean via the water-moving > > system; dispensing the water from deeper in the ocean near the surface of > > the ocean; spreading the water from deeper in the ocean in a manner to cause > > the mixing of cooler water of the ocean surface with the water from deeper > > in the ocean; sensing a temperature of the water near the surface of the > > ocean; deactivating the water-moving system if the sensed temperature of the > > water near the surface of the ocean is cooler than approximately 25.5 > > degrees Celsius; and reactivating the water-moving system if the sensed > > temperature of the water nears the surface of the ocean is warmer than > > approximately 25.5 degrees Celsius. > > > 15. The method to inhibit the formation of hurricanes as recited in claim > > 14, wherein the wind-driven power source is a wind turbine. > > > 16. The method to inhibit the formation of hurricanes as recited in claim > > 15, wherein the water-moving system utilizes a generally vertical discharge > > water pipe to transport the water from deeper in the ocean to the ocean > > surface. > > > 17. The method to inhibit the formation of hurricanes as recited in claim > > 16, further comprising: transporting compressed air from an air compressor > > powered by the wind-driven power source to a lower area of the generally > > vertical discharge water pipe; and mixing the compressed air from the air > > compressor with the water in the generally vertical discharge water pipe, > > whereby the water in the generally vertical discharge water pipe is > > encouraged to rise toward the surface of the ocean. > > > While the present invention can be utilized anywhere in the world, it is > > anticipated that the preferable initial use will be in the Atlantic Ocean > > slightly above the equator, in the general area north of the coasts of the > > countries of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil (in the general > > area of 10° to 16° North and 44° West), in the north trade wind stream area, > > as shown in FIG. 3. It is in this area that the most dangerous hurricanes > > that strike the United States are formed. An array of individual modules of > > the hurricane prevention system *10 *can be installed in a single > > northwardly extending group, illustrated as Array Area A in FIG. 3. > > Alternatively, multiple arrays of individual modules of the hurricane > > prevention system *10 *can be installed in several groups placed some > > distance apart, as demonstrated by Array Area A, Array Area B, and Array > > Area C, in FIG. 4. > > > A variety of patterns and spacing can be used for the specific placement of > > the individual modules *10 *A, *10 *B, *10 *C, *10 *D, etc., of the > > hurricane prevention system *10 *within the hurricane prevention system > > array. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates an offset pattern allowing an > > approximate distance of 1500 feet between the individual modules of the > > hurricane prevention system *10 *. A single offset row may be used, or, as > > illustrated, multiple offset rows may be used in the same array area. The > > specific configuration used will depend upon a variety of location specific > > factors including, for example, the ocean depth and the usual storm track > > pattern. The pattern of individual modules within the hurricane prevention > > system array, as well as the placement of the hurricane prevention system > > arrays, can be modified as required to meet the goal of reducing the sea > > surface temperature to below 26.5° C. It should be noted that 1 liter of > > water with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius can generally cool 15 liters > > of water from a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius down to 25 degrees > > Celsius. > > > A possible auxiliary positive contribution of the hurricane prevention > > system *10 *of the present invention, is that bringing the cooler water > > from deeper in the ocean to the surface additionally may bring water, > > nutrients, and/or other beneficial components to the surface, allowing for > > potential improvement of the environment for living organisms in the area of > > application. While water mass properties are highly asymmetric and > > ... > > read more » > > image_jpeg_part > 93KViewDownload > > image_png_part > 256KViewDownload > > image_png_part > 335KViewDownload > > moz-screenshot-72.jpg > 9KViewDownload > > moz-screenshot-73.jpg > 83KViewDownload > > image_png_part > 257KViewDownload > > moz-screenshot-71.jpg > 53KViewDownload > > image_jpeg_part > 36KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
