2022 Qatar World Cup to Feature Solar Powered Floating Cloud
Qatar has been selected as the sight of the most coveted international sporting event in the world: the World Cup. In 2022, the tiny Middle Eastern country will play host to the world’s most elite athletes, but there’s just one problem… temperatures in the summer exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). To keep both players and fans cool in the stadium, engineers are designing a solar powered artificial solar cloud that will provide shade for the matches.
Researchers at Qatar University’s engineering school are designing a helium-filled airship that will move via four solar powered turbine engines (think helicopter or hovercraft).
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Saud Abdul Ghani, head of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Qatar University, says the “artificial cloud will move by remote control, made of 100 percent light carbonic materials, fuelled by four solar-powered engines and it will fly high to protect direct and indirect sun rays to control temperatures at the open playgrounds."
The initial floating cloud for the 2022 World Cup will cost roughly $500,000. However, engineers predict the cloud design will be put into commercial production to be used at beaches, car parking lots and other venues, thus bringing the price down considerably.
