> The web site here says that this is not an issue because the air within the chimney does not experience adiabatic cooling as the air outside the chimney does. Which is complete nonsense.
Even if the temperature differential needs to be a bit higher to make this consistently effective, there are certainly ways that can be done. Such as channeling heat via thermal conductors and radiative materials at night, or consuming waste heat from industrial processes that would be happening regardless. I think it's worth exploring.
I can't find much information about those caves, but I bet the wind isn't constant.
It's worth exploring chimneys, and indeed people are. It's not worth exploring chimneys which generate airflow 24/7 without a heat source because they magically suppress adiabatic cooling of the air within.
As I posted elsewhere, whether or not you can conceptualize it, there are real examples of this phenomenon in the world, such as this large cave network in Turkey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%B1narg%C3%B6z%C3%BC_Cave#...
Even if the temperature differential needs to be a bit higher to make this consistently effective, there are certainly ways that can be done. Such as channeling heat via thermal conductors and radiative materials at night, or consuming waste heat from industrial processes that would be happening regardless. I think it's worth exploring.