Abstract
A solar updraft tower is one of the wind power generation plants which utilizes solar energy. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the tower was also able to utilize crosswind energy. Wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations were conducted simulating the crosswind. The results showed that suctioned updraft speed in the tower was proportional to the crosswind speed, and its conversion rate depended on the tower configuration. A diffuser-shaped tower with a vortex generator achieved to produce the updraft whose speed exceeded the crosswind speed. It was due to the low pressure created by the vortex atop the tower and to the diffuser effect. The crosswind utilization enables the simple power generation device to generate electricity during the night, and the hybrid utilization of renewable energies contributes to the increasing wind energy market.
Highlights
A solar updraft tower is one of the renewable energy power plants
The diffuser-shaped tower without the vortex generator achieved 2.1 times increase in the updraft speed compared to the cylindrical tower
The following results were achieved in wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations
Summary
A solar updraft tower is one of the renewable energy power plants. The tower originally utilizes solar energy alone; it does not work during the night. The hybrid utilization concept of renewable energies was expected to contribute to the increasing wind energy market due to its time independency of power generation and relatively high input energy density. A traditional solar updraft tower has three essential components—a transparent roof collector, a cylindrical hollow tower, and a wind turbine with an electricity generator. Hot air is produced in the collector by solar radiation to the ground. The thermal updraft drives the turbine installed at the base of the tower, and it produces electricity. The original concept of the solar updraft tower was validated by Haaf et al [1, 2] in 1980s
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