Patent ID: 8875509
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: F03G,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A vortex generation system, comprising: a nucleating obstruction that nucleates a columnar vortex from preheated air in a surface momentum boundary layer; an array of vanes distributed about the nucleating obstruction, the array of vanes configured to impart an angular momentum on the preheated air in the surface momentum boundary layer as the preheated air is drawn through the array of vanes to form the columnar vortex over the nucleating obstruction, where the preheated air has been heated in the surface momentum boundary layer over an uncovered surface outside the array of vanes by surface heating, the uncovered surface extending outward from the array of vanes; and a set of turbine blades positioned over the nucleating obstruction, the set of turbine blades configured to extract power from the columnar vortex.