---
title: Vortex Engine
type: technology
url: "https://www.envisioning.com/research/atmos/vortex-engine"
hub: atmos
summary: Power generation by creating controlled atmospheric vortices from waste heat or solar energy
---

# Vortex Engine

Power generation by creating controlled atmospheric vortices from waste heat or solar energy
- Technology Readiness Level: 3/9
- Impact: 3/5
- Investment: 2/5
Vortex engines exploit atmospheric convection: heated air at ground level rises and spins, creating a vortex that can drive turbines. The concept—proposed by Louis Michaud and others—uses waste heat (e.g., from industrial processes) or solar energy to create a controlled convective column. Power generation would occur from the vortex flow. Research and small-scale experiments have been conducted; commercial deployment remains speculative.

Alternative power generation seeks novel approaches to harnessing thermal gradients. Vortex engines offer a conceptual pathway using low-grade heat. Challenges include scaling, control of vortex stability, and competition from established technologies. Research remains limited; vortex engines represent an exploratory concept rather than a near-term technology.

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Source: Envisioning — Technology Research Institute (https://www.envisioning.com/research/atmos/vortex-engine)