This made me do a double-take.


Scientists Developing Tornado Power Plant

The completed design could be one of the cheapest forms of energy around.

A group of Canadian scientists are working on a power plant that will use a controlled tornado to drive turbines, and they're calling it the Atmospheric Vortex Engine (AVE). Essentially, the AVE works by pulling hot, humid, low air into itself and creating a vortex - approximately the way a tornado works, this air makes a major temperature difference between the engine and the atmosphere above, making a vortex extending into the atmosphere. The finished plant would have a diameter of about 100 meters, and would produce 200 megawatts of electrical power. That's about the same as a traditional coal-fired fossil fuel plant. Comparably, the AVE wouldn't produce any carbon emissions and wouldn't require a fuel storage facility. It's estimated that the AVE would cost about 3 cents per kilowatt hour, which ranks it among the cheapest forms of energy.

The idea was created by an engineer named Louis Michaud from Western University, and is being funded by the Thiel Foundation. "The power of a tornado is undisputed," said Louis Michaud. "My work has established the principles by which we can control and exploit that power to provide clean energy on an unprecedented scale. With the funding from Breakout Labs, we are building a prototype in partnership with Lambton College to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of the atmospheric vortex engine."

Source.


Kinda made me ponder possible alternative energy sources, all sci-fi setting style.

Except for the idea that Canada's due for a 'quiet kid who's dad owns lots of guns' world wide killing spree, this actually sounds pretty awesome. I wonder if the vortex itself would have any longstanding effect on the weather.

I think this power has already been used by criminals within Canada's borders, and just now the authorities are trying to play catch-up. How else could they have moved all that syrup?

I think I saw an Ancient Aliens episode once where they asserted that vimanas could be powered by a similar force. Maybe they will do a new episode about that now.

If this works, I imagine a load of wind farms will pop up a short distance away.

I would imagine anyone smart enough to create an artificial tornado would be smart enough to shut it down during severe weather conditions.

Don't tornadoes dissipate pretty quickly on land? Or am I thinking of hurricanes? What difference is there between the two anyway?

There hasn't been a villain worth mentioning who at one point hasn't at least attempted to control the weather

Like the dreaded Wire Sponge!

I've learned that you can never, EVER, trust Canadians.