Can a convection current turn a power turbine?

Question

I'm curious whether a convection current, like heating through a tube, would be strong enough to turn a turbine that would be able to produce power? (In case you're wondering, yes I do have an idea in mind, but I don't know if it's practicle yet.)

Answer 1

Like the others say, it's possible.  

In June 2006, an agreement was reached to develop a 50MW solar tower generator, in which the sun heats air, which drives a turbine in a chimney, in New South Wales in Australia.  The idea is not based on radically new technology. Chimneys with ‘smokejacks’ in which a fan in the hot air turned a roasting spit were certainly in use in the UK in the eighteenth century and probably before.  It is well known that a tall chimney produces a better draught, presumably because there is a greater temperature difference between bottom and top, wind speeds are greater higher up, inducing more air to be drawn out of the top of the chimney by Bernoulli effects, and a long distance up the chimney should help hot air build up speed and kinetic energy.

But modelling all these effects and producing an optimally efficient design seems to be almost impossible, at least we have so far been unable to find anyone to take the task on.

If you are using a fluid medium, it could be more possible to make.  Implied in your question though, is that we are looking at a vertical model for the turbine since you want to draw on the heat differential between a cold medium and a hot one.

Answer 2

The short answer is yes, but...

It would have to be a lot of heat and a lot of tube, often what would be referred to as a solar tower. Check out heliostats and solar power towers in wikipedia.

Or do you mean something that isn't solar powered? Waste heat maybe?

Answer 3

convection currents are rarely strong enough to produce significant amounts of power.

it has been proposed to put turbines in the Gulf Stream.

that's the only convection current i can think of that's strong enough to produce a significant amount of power.

air convection currents clearly would not be strong enough.

Answer 4

I have no idea, I'll be looking to hear an answer!!!