Funnel

Very theoretical. The wind acts like a wave front. The air molecules collectively move as a wave. The force behind this movement is difference in temperature and pressure in our atmosphere. Unfortunately, unlike light and sound, air is not easily gathered and focused. Light is known to bend as it passes through a piece of glass or crystal and this bending is controlled by different shapes in the glass or crystal. Sound is a vibration. This vibration moves along like a wave in that it spreads out with wave-like properties. Our ears "gather" this by collecting the vibration in air molecules and directing it into the ear canal.

The turbine idea is not so bad as long as the entrance was funnel shaped and the blades were aligned along all of the interior surface of the funnel. This would help in focusing air currents - by forcing them inward and together (think of the effect of connecting a small pipe to a large one--the water or gas that passes out of the smaller pipe is moving faster than when it entered the larger pipe).

Offered by Roger.

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of funnels also. Your analogy of water pressure is probably better since it's more similar to air, then say, light or sound. I wonder if you could build a very large upright funnel, rather 'tornado-shaped', and place a small turbine horizontally in the narrow end of the funnel near the ground. I'm thinking that the air in the funnel will spin around very fast, or something.

Offered by Joe.