1994-11-14
1996-06-18
Joyce, Harold
Ventilation
Chimney or stack
52 221, E04H 1228
Patent
active
055272169
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a chimney, and in particular to a chimney constructed from separate chimney units, and to the chimney units therefor.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Chimneys are used in a variety of locations, and for a variety of applications. In particular, they may be used with a solar heat collector, the chimney containing one or more turbines to generate (electrical) power from the uprushing, solar heated, air or other gas. Alternatively, they may be used for other types of power generation, or with desalination plants and/or as emission and exhaust devices.
Traditionally, chimneys have been constucted of brick, concrete, steel or other reinforced or substantially rigid materials. Rigid construction methods are also used. These chimneys are expensive to construct and to maintain, and, due to the difficulty of supporting the weight of the chimney, are also limited in the height to which they can be built. Additionally, the problems of wind resistance and aerodynamic stability in the event of strong lateral winds limit the height of such chimneys.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In order to facilitate easier on-site construction, it has been proposed to construct chimneys from pre-fabricated chimney sections or units. One known design is that of French patent 2,079,479, which discloses a chimney made up of standard units mounted one upon another. The units are individually rigid.
As a means to reduce the weight of an erected chimney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,756 teaches a chimney constucted from individual chimney units, wherein each of the units is of flexible lightweight material. The assembled chimney is held erected by a balloon.
A lightweight chimney is disclosed in German patent 280,351, wherein the chimney is inflatable. The chimney disclosed in this patent has vertical partitions dividing the chimney into separate vertical sections.
However, whilst these known chimney arrangements seek to offer an easily constructed and/or lightweight chimney, so that in theory a very tall chimney could be constructed, these chimneys are substantially rigid, and suffer significant resistance to lateral impacting winds. This is a recognised disadvantage for those applications, such as solar collector chimneys, which would benefit from using a very tall chimney. The substantially rigid form of known chimneys leads directly to an upper limit on the useful height of such chimneys.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a chimney which avoids or reduces the above disadvantage, and which chimney is able to withstand a lateral wind of increased force, and which may usefully be constructed to a greater height.
Thus, we provide a chimney formed from separate units mounted one on top of another, each unit having an upstanding wall comprising separate segments, which segments are individually movable relative to the unit so as to flex resiliently inwardly under the action of a wind force. Having flexed one or more of the wall segments inwards, the wind can flow into an erected chimney to be deflected in an upward direction, towards the open mouth of the chimney.
Our proposal has the advantage that the chimney can be lightweight and inflatable, reducing the construction costs greatly. Additionally, because the segmented panels are flexed inwardly under the influence of wind forces, and deflect the air into the chimney and upwards towards its open end, the chimney can withstand high lateral wind forces, and, together with its lightness, this allows a chimney to be constructed up to heights of, for example, 10,000 meters, and perhaps more.
Because an impacting lateral wind is deflected into the chimney, and upwards towards the open end of the chimney, the performance of the chimney in strong wind conditions is enhanced.
The sectional construction of this chimney from separate units facilitates rapid construction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, i
REFERENCES:
patent: 3332177 (1967-07-01), Sepp
patent: 3489072 (1970-01-01), Secor
patent: 3918518 (1975-11-01), James
patent: 3974756 (1976-08-01), Long
patent: 4352259 (1982-10-01), Smith et al.
Hultquist Steven J.
Joyce Harold
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