**History and Construction of Chimneys:**
– Industrial chimney use dates back to the Romans and domestic chimneys appeared in Europe in the 12th century.
– Early chimneys were made of wood, plaster, or mud, often built in a stack with a fireplace on each floor.
– Modern high-efficiency heating appliances do not always require a chimney, and industrial chimneys are constructed with reinforced concrete.
– Industrial chimneys, or flue-gas stacks, are external structures, and flue liners protect masonry from acidic products of combustion.
**Environmental Impact and Industrial Chimneys:**
– Chimneys help disperse pollutants at higher altitudes, reducing their immediate impact.
– Compliance with regulatory limits is aided by pollutant dispersion from chimneys.
– Industrial chimneys, adjacent to boilers or furnaces, are made of reinforced concrete with refractory brick linings.
– The height of industrial chimneys ensures pollutants are dispersed over a wider area.
**Chimney Accessories and Design:**
– Chimney pots, caps, and tops are used to expand chimney length, prevent nesting, and regulate airflow.
– Chimney cowls align with wind to prevent downdraft of smoke and wind, and chimney dampers prevent outside air from entering the living space.
– Top dampers provide a tight weatherproof seal, and throat dampers seal off the living space from the chimney’s cold air mass.
**Chimney Draught, Draft, and Maintenance:**
– Flue gases are exhausted through chimneys or stacks, with taller stacks creating more draught.
– Poor drafting can lead to creosote buildup and fire hazards, which can be mitigated by annual inspections and cleaning.
– Gas heaters reduce creosote buildup, and design factors affect natural draught flow rates.
– Maintenance access and design features like stepped gables, H-style caps, and chimney sweeps are essential for proper chimney operation.
**Specialized Uses of Chimneys:**
– Chimneys of special interest, like those with observation decks or used as water towers or radio towers, have unique designs and functions.
– Some chimneys are repurposed for different uses, such as water tanks or radio antennas, with considerations for corrosion near exhaust gases.
– Cooling towers are sometimes used as industrial chimneys, with potential corrosion issues if not equipped for removing sulfur dioxide, especially in power stations.
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A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the stack, or chimney effect. The space inside a chimney is called the flue. Chimneys are adjacent to large industrial refineries, fossil fuel combustion facilities or part of buildings, steam locomotives and ships.
In the United States, the term smokestack industry refers to the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels by industrial society, including the electric industry during its earliest history. The term smokestack (colloquially, stack) is also used when referring to locomotive chimneys or ship chimneys, and the term funnel can also be used.
The height of a chimney influences its ability to transfer flue gases to the external environment via stack effect. Additionally, the dispersion of pollutants at higher altitudes can reduce their impact on the immediate surroundings. The dispersion of pollutants over a greater area can reduce their concentrations and facilitate compliance with regulatory limits.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Chimney:
A chimney is a vertical structure typically made of brick, metal, or other materials that extends above a roof to provide a draft for smoke or gases to escape from a fireplace, stove, furnace, or boiler to the outdoors. It helps to ensure proper ventilation and prevent the buildup of harmful gases inside a building.