Enhancing the electricity and desalinated water production from solar chimney power plants through integration with nuclear power plants: A case study in Jordan

Abstract

A new energy generation system combining a solar chimney power plant (SCPP) with a nuclear power plant (NPP) cooling tower has been developed and assessed in Irbid, Jordan. The surplus hot air from the NPP is directly routed into the SCPP collector, increasing the initial air temperature and boosting the air profile of the SCPP, improving the air velocity inside the chimney and boosting electricity and water production. The integration of these two systems (SCPP+NPP) has shown significant improvements in electricity and water production compared to a standalone SCPP. The integrated system provides reliable electricity production throughout the day (24/7), thanks to the contribution of heat from the NPP side. Key results include a maximum electricity production rate of about 238 kW at approximately noon, twice the productive value of a conventional SCPP. The average monthly water and electricity production increased from 9.44 ktons and 25.73 MWh in the SCPP to 22.96 ktons and 63.81.64 MWh in the integrated system. The SCPP+NPP system peaks electricity production of 69.4 MWh in December, underscoring the positive influence of the added nuclear heat. While March emerges as the month of the maximum of water production (25.6 ktons) in the SCPP+NPP system, the SCPP water production peaks at 14.9 ktons in July. The results also show that the integrated system demonstrates a remarkable monthly electricity and water production of 63.81 MWh and 22.96 ktons, surpassing the standalone SCPP's production (25.73 MWh and 9.44 ktons), respectively. These results demonstrate this innovative solution's potential for optimizing excess heat produced by the NPP and the potential to revolutionize the energy industry.