WO2023010226A1 - Artificial cloud production - Google Patents

Abstract

Artificial production of clouds using the natural energy resources present in the oceans, such as waves and tides, as well as wind energy, solar energy and extractable energy from the displacement of Flettner ships, in order to generate electrical energy to drive heat pumps and air compressors, which are used - in warm waters - to extract thermal energy from the ocean to heat a certain flow of seawater and project said heated water into the atmosphere through air/heated water mixers, which will result in the air/heated water mixture transforming into clouds and partially cooling the seas. On-board the Flettner ships there will be compressors that compress the air adiabatically. This heated air will mix with water from cold oceans and said mixture will be projected into the atmosphere to form clouds.

Description

ARTIFICIAL CLOUD PRODUCTION

FIELD OF TECHNIQUE

"Climate engineering, commonly known as geoengineering and also climate intervention, is the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate system, with the goal of mitigating the adverse effects of global warming. Climate engineering is a general term for measures which are mainly divided into two types: carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management Carbon dioxide removal addresses the cause of global warming by removing one of the greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere Solar radiation management attempts to offset the effects of greenhouse gases by making the Earth absorb less solar radiation." (Wikipedia)

STATE OF THE ART

Countless research has been done to reverse climate change attributed to human activity, in particular, the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. Among them, we can mention:

"Geoengineering schemes are projects designed to address the effects of climate change directly, typically by removing CO2 from the air or limiting the amount of sunlight reaching the planet's surface. Although large-scale geoengineering is still in the conceptual stage, proponents say it will eventually become essential if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, while critics say geoengineering is unrealistic and may be a distraction from reducing emissions.

The first category, the scheme, those designed to remove CO2 from the air, includes machines (sometimes called "artificial trees") that extract gas from the atmosphere using plastic polymers. Other proposals seek to increase the amount of CO2 absorbed by the oceans, for example by adding enormous amounts of heat to the water. Other related schemes, sometimes but not always described as geoengineering, involve harnessing the ability of trees and plants to absorb CO2 from the air. These include burning large amounts of wood in power plants with carbon capture technology, manufacturing and burying large amounts of carbon to lock carbon into soils, and grazing livestock in a manner designed to convert grasslands into sinks. carbon giants.

In the second category, schemes designed to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching Earth, proposals include shooting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight back into space. Or use unmanned ships to increase cloud cover over the ocean by spraying seawater into the air, painting the roofs of the world white to increase reflectivity, and even floating thousands of tiny mirrors in space between Earth and the Sun.

Some geoengineering schemes, such as adding aerosols to the stratosphere, have drawn strong criticism for potential side effects. Even if these side effects are not serious, schemes that "mask" the increase in temperature rather than eliminate it, CO2 have some serious drawbacks, such as the fact that they do not address the other significant impact of CO2 - acidification of the oceans. The administration of any such scheme would also raise obvious geopolitical and global governance issues. Other schemes, like machines designed to suck CO2 directly out of the air, are much less controversial, since all they want is to remove a pollutant that humans are adding to the atmosphere. The main challenges here are to reduce manufacturing and operating costs, to make the devices commercially viable and to find reliable and cheap ways to store the captured gas” (The Guardian Newspaper).

“Stephen Salter, emeritus professor of engineering design at the University of Edinburgh is the leader and for many years was the only engineer to work on a proposal to achieve marine cloud brightness by populating the world's oceans with up to 1,500 ships of a somewhat exotic design, sometimes known as "albedo yachts". Each ship would be remotely controlled, driven by the wind and capable of generating, through turbines carried by the water, the electricity necessary to create a seawater mist and lift it 1,000 meters into the atmosphere.

Instead of using sails, Salter's ships would transform wind energy into thrust through the use of Flettner rotors. First used on a ship in 1926, Flettner rotors consist of rotating tubes that resemble the large masts on a conventional sailing ship. The tubes interact with the wind in the same way that an airplane wing does, generating "lift" perpendicular to the axis of its rotation. Flettner rotors are proven technology, though rarely used, because they weren't invented until the twilight of wind-powered shipping, when propellers and fossil fuels became the propulsion mechanism of choice. However, Salter chose them because they can be powered by a renewable resource, are easy to control with an on-board computer, are better in hurricane winds than conventional sails, are much needed for an unmanned craft that roams the seas for years, and provide a natural place to house the ship's seawater spray system." (Scientific American. Christopher Mims. October 21, 2009)

To date, none of the above schemes have been applied to mitigate or reduce global warming.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

The purpose of the invention.

This invention seeks to manage solar radiation, to offset the effects of greenhouse gases and make the Earth absorb less solar radiation, artificially producing clouds, extracting thermal energy from the warm oceans and cooling them.

As well as generating electrical energy from wind sources installed on the mainland or on islands, to drive compressors that adiabatically compress the air and mix that hot air with water from cold areas, to produce clouds.

Another option for cold waters is to take advantage of the electrical energy that can be extracted from the Flettner ships, through their displacement and also activate compressors that adiabatically compress the air and mix that hot air with the cold waters to produce clouds.

Among the adverse effects of climate change, which are severely affecting the planet, the following stand out:

1 .- The warming of the oceans, with its consequences of: - “Since 1970, over 90% of the excess planetary heat has been absorbed by the oceans. This makes them more acidic, hotter and saltier, which has a strong impact on the life they host and also on their productivity.

95 The document we quoted states that in the last 70 years numerous marine species from different zoological groups have seen their geographic range and seasonal activities altered due to temperature changes. This has led to changes in their composition and abundance within ecosystems. The mean sea level is also rising, especially due to the loss of glacial mass at the poles (Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC Monaco 09/24/2019)”.

- It has also caused an increase in the water level, which is threatening to submerge large extensions of inhabited coastal areas and a foreseeable increase in the frequency of tidal waves. ios - It has also caused devastating coral bleaching on the Barrier Reef, destroying the habitat of numerous marine species.

- Likewise, it causes a displacement of plankton towards colder waters, causing nutrient shortages for many marine species. Of no less importance is the explosive appearance, in the year 2020, of large quantities of non-sargassum on the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean. These algae have contaminated some 1,000 kilometers of beaches in an eminently tourist area, seriously affecting the local economy.

- The premature melting of vast masses of Arctic and Antarctic ice; which also increases the level of the oceans and reduces the salinity of the local seas, with

115 serious consequences for the conservation of underwater fauna. Reducing, In addition, the useful life of these vital reservoirs of water resources.

- Source of formation of hurricanes, in the equatorial zone, which cause enormous damage to the population through which they transit.

- Absorption of large amounts of CO2 by the oceans, acidifying them and 120 decimating various species of marine flora and fauna.

2.- Intense heat waves, which have affected several countries, with temperatures above 40° C. In the south of France, in June of this year (2020), 46° C were recorded, leaving 15 as a consequence. Dead people. Other countries that have new high temperature records are Belgium (41.8°C), Germany (41.5°C), Luxembourg (40.8°C) and

125 The Netherlands (40.7°C), while the UK had its hottest July day at 38.1°C.

3.- The high temperatures have made it difficult to put out fires, millions of hectares of forests have been devastated, in the Amazon, in Australia in the US and in several other countries.

130 4.- Desertification of large areas of the planet, due to the lack of rain, reducing the sources of food resources for all living beings, a phenomenon that is considered irreversible.

5.- Reduction of drinking water sources.

6.- Significant reduction in the production of electro-hydraulic energy, worldwide, due to 135 water scarcity.

Natural sources of energy available in the oceans. In the oceans, there are relevant sources of energy, such as:

- Tides

- Waves

- The equatorial ocean waters contain enormous reserves of medium-temperature thermal energy.

- In addition, around the planet, there are significant sources of energy represented by: sunlight and wind.

From these natural sources, it is feasible to have significant amounts of energy without polluting the environment and at a low cost.

Other energy sources

- Surpluses of energy generated on land.

Technologies to generate electricity.

The following technologies are of interest to this invention:

- Wind turbines

- Equipment that captures energy from waves and tides.

- Solar panels.

- Electrical energy generated through hydraulic turbines attached to ships driven by Flettner rotors.

From the energy sources already mentioned, it is feasible to generate, without polluting and at low cost, significant amounts of electrical energy.

Technologies to generate water vapor and clouds.

The following technologies are the essence of the invention:

- Heat pumps.

- Adiabatic air compressors.

- Industrial mixers to atomize ambient air with warm water.

- Ad hoc mixers that atomize hot compressed air with cold water.

The invention

1 .- Heating water with heat extracted from seawater

It consists of generating clouds, heating and evaporating a certain flow of water from the equatorial oceans, using the heat extracted from them.

To heat a certain flow of water to evaporate, heat pumps, atomisers and hot compressed air mixers with seawater are driven by electric motors.

Heat pumps extract heat from the ocean, cool that source and transfer that heat to the flow of water to evaporate and/or mist.

The flow to be evaporated and/or nebulized (water heated in the heat pump) is projected into the atmosphere through air-water mixers at a temperature higher than ambient, the resulting steam and/or mist rises, becoming clouds.

2.- Heating air adiabatically in air compressors. Another option, in low-temperature waters, is to adiabatically heat air in compressors and mix it with seawater.

Flettner ships can generate electrical power, while in transit, by means of turbines attached to the ship to drive air compressors. The air is adiabatically compressed and therefore heated. The hot air will be mixed with sea water and projected into the atmosphere. This solution is particularly applicable in cold waters.

In cold waters, it is also feasible to install, on land or on islands, wind generators and/or solar panels, to generate electricity and drive compressors that adiabatically compress the air and mix it with cold water to produce clouds.

METHOD OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

cloud production system

It will consist in:

- Use, simultaneously, some or all of the technologies mentioned above, to generate the greatest amount of electrical energy possible, extracting it from one or more of the available energy sources.

- To select the location to install the complexes, the direction of the winds must be considered, focusing the entry of clouds, in the form of rivers of clouds, to the continents and to the poles, towards those areas with the greatest requirements of: shadows or rain or snow.

- Artificial cloud generation will be preceded by detailed studies of local environmental thermodynamic conditions to determine the appropriate temperature to which to heat seawater and thus optimize cloud formation.

- In the same way, the development of new and effective technologies is required to induce rain in large areas of water scarcity or snowfall at the poles to replace the ice and in the mountains to recover the glaciers.

- To select the location to install the complexes, the direction of the wind must be considered, focusing the entry of clouds to the continents towards those areas with greater requirements for shadows, rain or snow.

- With the electrical energy generated, the electric motors will operate as many heat pumps, air-water mixing equipment and air compressors as possible. The system will have the ability to adapt to variations in power generation, suspending the operation of some service heat pumps and air-water mixers or adding others, depending on power availability.

- Since much of the oceans are low-temperature heat sources, heat pumps will be equipped with long-length evaporator - heat absorption - coils and/or operate with series-connected heat pumps.

Cloud producing complexes

In the oceans:

1.- Stationary: They will be located in shallow waters, near the coast or on islands and/or on oil and gas platforms that are completing their useful life. “There are more than 12,000 offshore oil and gas platforms around the world. As their fossil fuel deposits drain under the sea, they eventually disappear when they produce too little fuel to make extraction profitable for their operators. Getting them out of the water is very expensive and requires a lot of labor (Isabelle Gerretsen 01/26/2021 - BBC)”.

- The cloud-producing complexes, when installed near the coast, can capture that energy from natural sources, as well as use any surplus generated on the mainland. The set of: heat pumps and air-water-water mixers will be mounted on platforms anchored near the energy sources. The evaporative coils of the heat pumps, which absorb heat from the oceans, will be installed on floating pontoons attached to these platforms.

- Another option is to install: solar panels; wind turbines; the set of heat pumps; adiabatic air compressors and the respective atomizers in islands, and the coils of the evaporator of the heat pumps, in floating pontoons.

2.- Floating

- In cold waters, cloud-producing complexes mounted on wind-powered Flettner rotor ships will operate offshore using electrical power generated through turbines driven by the displacement of those ships. The air compressors are made to work with electrical energy, which heat the air adiabatically so that it mixes with cold water and is projected into the atmosphere through atomizers.

APPLICABILITY

The production of artificial clouds will contribute to increasing the albedo of the planet, mitigating anthropogenic warming due to the use of large volumes of fossil fuels.

The increased presence of clouds will contribute to restoring the natural cycle of: clouds - rain or snow; in those areas affected by severe water scarcity due to lack of rain and it will also cool the oceans. Mainly, the rains will contribute to the afforestation of large areas, which will be able to absorb significant amounts of CO2.

With the snowfall, the snow resource can be stored in the mountains, which will make it possible to have meltwater throughout the year.

It will also provide us with drinking water, thus avoiding the installation of expensive desalination plants; that demand a high energy consumption and that also pollute the oceans with their hot brine waste.

The water from rain or snowmelt will allow the reactivation of hydroelectric power generation, reducing our current dependence on polluting thermoelectric plants.

It will make it possible, in part, to mitigate harmful warming of the oceans, extracting significant amounts of thermal energy from them to heat the water flows to evaporate.

Stationary complexes may operate seasonally, depending on the local climate. In rainy winters, the available electrical energy generated would go to the consumption of the population.

The complexes installed on islands would operate permanently. It is essential to operate at the poles with a large number of Flettner spacecraft for the formation of clouds, because snow at the poles contributes to the preservation of glaciers, increasing the reflection of solar energy, preventing its melting, thus preventing a significant increase in the level of the seas, which would inundate extensive coastal populations of the planet.

The artificial manufacture of clouds must be preceded by detailed studies of the course of the winds, in order to focus the entry of clouds, in the form of rivers of clouds, to the continents towards those areas with greater requirements for rain or snowfall. In the same way, the development of new and effective technologies is required, so that, from the clouds generated, cause snowfall or rain in specific areas, such as, for example, rains over forest areas affected by fires or areas of water scarcity and snow. in the mountains.

Claims

8 1 A system that uses available energy sources - natural and others - to generate electrical energy to artificially produce clouds that will contribute to increasing the albedo of the planet; where, the clouds will produce rain and/or snowfall on the continents and at the poles to recover ice and glaciers and in the process will cool the oceans and delay or prevent the further rise of the water level; Characterized because, with electrical energy, the following will be activated: a) Heat pumps, which will extract heat from the oceans of warm waters, to heat a certain flow of seawater; where, the flow of seawater thus heated and mixed with air (by means of atomizers) will be released into the surrounding atmosphere; where, the mixture of air with hot water will form water vapor and/or hot fog, which will rise as clouds. b) Air compressors, which will adiabatically compress the air; where the hot air will mix with seawater extracted from cold water areas and this mixture will be released into the surrounding atmosphere; where the mixture of hot air with water will form water vapor and/or hot fog, which will rise as clouds. 2.- A system to produce clouds artificially, according to Claim No. 1, characterized in that the heat pumps are part of a stationary evaporator complex, which includes: energy sources, which may be located in shallow water near the coast or on the mainland or in abandoned offshore drilling rigs (equipped with wind turbines), but close to the set of equipment such as: heat pumps and air-water mixers; where the heat pumps and air-water mixers will be installed on stationary platforms also anchored near the coast or on islands or floating linked to abandoned drilling rigs; where, to also house the long submerged coils of the heat pump evaporators, these coils will be mounted on large floating pontoons and attached to the platforms that contain the heat pumps and the air-hot water mixers. 3.- A system to produce clouds artificially, according to Claim No. 1, characterized in that the compressors that will compress air adiabatically will go on board Flettner-type ships; where the electrical energy, which will drive the compressors and drive the mixture of hot air and seawater into the atmosphere, will be generated by hydraulic turbines attached to the ship.