Numerical-Analytical Assessment on Solar Chimney Power Plant

Abstract

This study considers an appropriate expression to estimate the output power of solar chimney power plant systems (SCPPS). Recently several mathematical models of a solar chimney power plant were derived, studied for a variety of boundary conditions, and compared against CFD calculations. An important concern for modeling SCPPS is about the accuracy of the derived pressure drop and output power equation. To elucidate the matter, axisymmetric CFD analysis was performed to model the solar chimney power plant and calculate the output power for dierent available solar irradiation. Both analytical and numerical results were compared against the available experimental data from the Manzanares power plant. We also evaluated the delity of the assumptions underlying the derivation and present reasons to believe that some of the derived equations, specically the power equation in this model, may require a correction to be applicable in more realistic conditions. This paper provides an approach to estimate the output power with respect to radiation available to the collector.