Can you generate electicity utilizing different gases properties?

Question

Have you ever heard of the energy tower idea for generating electicity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_tower

This idea uses the fact that at different temperatures air has different properties, which cause air to rise and fall, creating essentially a type of wind power inside the tower.

I am wondering if anyone has ever developed or tested a similar idea, in which you use the differing properties of different gases (probably helium and air due to it's abundance) to generate power?

The princilple is simiar to the energy tower but would use the gas properties that make a helium ballon float up into the air because of its own bouancy compared to the air around it.

Essentially you could build a self contained turbine with gas pockets that push the turbines. As long as it was properly maintained this could produce constant energy with no need to consume natural resources, other then minor amounts of gases, that could actually be filtered out of the air.

Anyone?

Answer 1

Sounds like a variant of the solar hot-water heater, but using a gas as the heat-transfer fluid.