Design characteristics and validation of the turbine model — Case of development of turbine effect in sloped collector solar chimney plant

Abstract

Blade design for a solar chimney power plant turbine is modeled geometrically. NACA 4412 blade is selected for its favorable lift to drag characteristics in the considered diameter range. The constructed model is integrated into a solar chimney plant and validated against existing examples in literature. A similar process is applied using a reverse fan model. Margins of discrepancies obtained from the turbine and reverse fan models are used as indicators for the total deviation expected from using the reverse fan model with a sloped collector plant. Here, the effect of turbine pressure change on the temperature rise and air flow are examined to set the upper limit of pressure drop and check the capacity of the system for power generation. The maximum air flow velocity at the center of the sloped collector reached 9.8 m/s. The highest achievable temperature difference was 37 °C. The favorable working zone for turbine operation inside the tower of a sloped collector solar chimney in terms of pressure drop and air flow rate is marked based on a constant efficiency.