Solar-concentrating chimney system with inflatable fresnel lens

A solar-concentrating heated air flow chimney system, comprising:

• a vertical chimney allowing for heated air to move upward;
• a generally horizontal heat absorbing surface located below the chimney;
• a transparent cover located above the heat absorbing surface and forming an air pathway with the heat absorbing surface, the pathway extending between an air inlet located at a periphery of the cover and an entrance to the chimney;
• one or more integrated turbine-generators located at the entrance to the chimney for generating electrical power;
• an inflatable Fresnel lens made of a flexible thermoplastic material, located adjacent to the one or more integrated turbine-generators before the entrance to the chimney, the inflatable Fresnel lens concentrating solar radiation to the heat absorbing surface to heat air at or just before the entrance to the chimney to generate maximum air flow velocity as the air flows from the air inlet, through the air pathway, and rises upward to actuate the one or more integrated turbine-generators;
• one or more heat exchangers including a plurality of pipes in walls of the chimney to transfer heat from the heated air as the heated air is rising through the chimney to a heat transfer medium circulating in the pipes;
• and
• an arrangement of directing vanes positioned in front of and upstream of at least one turbine of the one or more integrated turbine-generators to direct the air flow towards blades of the at least one turbine,
• wherein the directing vanes each have a length and a width, wherein the length is in a range of 5 to 10 times the width.