Abstract: Electricity is generated in an arid environment using an open duct such as a canyon that is closed at one end and open at the other by erecting an air dam at the open end of the canyon and locating an air turbogenerator in the base of the dam. The air in the canyon is cooled by spraying water into the air as it enters the canyon, the cooled air flowing downwardly toward the base of the dam and through the turbogenerator.Preferably, the air dam is a flexible curtain, covering the outlet of the canyon, and suspension means are provided for suspending the flexible curtain at its top. The suspension means include supports built into the canyon above the top of the curtain, the support preferably being a suspension cable suspended between towers on opposite sides of the canyon such that the top of the flexible curtain is supported by support cables carried by the suspension cable.

Abstract: An energy-saving, direct-contact parallel-flow heat exchanger includes a vertically oriented tower open at the top and bottom for defining a gas-flow conduit. A spray-head adjacent to the top of the tower sprays droplets of relatively warm brine into the air which flows downwardly in response to drag forces being exerted by the falling droplets and is compressed as a heat-exchange process takes place between the air and the droplets. The cooled droplets that fall to the bottom of the tower are collected and separated from the air. An air turbine associated with the tower produces energy in response to the downward flow of air in the tower.

Abstract: The weather near a continental arid zone is modified by increasing the heat storage of the seas westwardly of the arid zone during the summer. The heat storage is increased by mixing the relatively warmer surface water with relatively cooler deeper water thereby reducing the surface temperature of the seas during the summer. Cooling the surface of the water will increase the radiant heat flux due to solar radiation and decrease the radiant heat loss from the surface during the summer thus increasing the amount of heat stored in the water an available for evaporation during the winter. Mixing is achieved by pumping water from a lower level in the seas to the upper level. In one embodiment of the invention, normal wave motion provides the mode of power for the pumping operation. In another embodiment, mixing is achieved by a paddle that is operated by wave motion.