The Solar tower with downward air flow is an indirect solar application that operates due to pressure change as a result of the increased density of air in the upper section, thereby creating a downward air movement that passes through a number of wind turbines placed at the base of the tower. Air density change is obtained by spraying a controlled amount of water inducing an increase of its humidity
The best known project proposed to be acomplished on the principle described above - Hybrid Solar Wind - that was published by Solar Wind Energy; figure no. 6
Starting from the idea presented and considering that most of the costs (the tower work related) would be eliminated in case of using an existing cooling tower from the site of former South II Pitesti. A study it was made which showed that the use of both cooling towers would be advantageous if they have at least 100m height instead of current 50 m height.
To achive the cant towers, we used helium balloones shape as a donut placed along the shell constructed in extend of the existing structures and anchored to the ground with steel cables. Between the helium balloones that are placed 16m away one from each other, there is a waterproof canvas fabric forming cylindrical modules. The assembly of the modified cooling tower is shown below.
At the base of each tower there are 15 wind turbines with 4m rotor diameter and an individual power installed of 5 kW. As a result the total power generated by one tower is 75 kW in the same conditions as those considered in the case of solar tower with upward air flow. The cost of one equipped tower wiil be 160,000 (80,000 - wind turbines)
Regarding air humidity control is proposed to use a Romanian patent invention based on achieving a water surface with very fine particles by spinning cone at a high speed, immersed in water.
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