Man-Made Solar Cloud?

In anticipation for the extreme heat expected during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scientists and engineers from the Qatar University have developed a solar-powered gas-filled cloud that will provide shade to spectators and keep athletes out of the sun. These $500,000 artificial clouds can be positioned over any of Qatar’s stadiums and can be moved around with a remote control from the ground.

Soccer fans from around the world will be heading to Doha, in a country where temperatures reach up to 114˚F and rarely fall below 84˚F. When FIFA awarded the tournament rights to the country, it was aware of the extreme heat of the region. FIFA stipulated that the open stadiums needed to be air conditioned in some way.

Saud Abdul Ghani, the head of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University, told Gulf News that the clouds would be created out of a lightweight carbon structure which will surround an enclosed blimp-like vehicle filled with helium gas. These clouds would fly at very high altitudes, thus blocking out any direct and indirect rays from the sun—in effect, decreasing the temperatures inside the stadium dramatically.

The clouds are designed to be powered by four solar-powered engines and will be able to follow the sun’s east to west trajectory. While the clouds are still in the design phase, engineers in Qatar have 11 years to finish the design and build process before the 2022 World Cup begins.

GEEK.com

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