A CFD Study of The Effect of Chimney Diameter on a Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) Output
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31150/ajshr.v6i8.3876Keywords:
solar chimney, convection, thermal radiation, renewable, ANSYS Fluent, SCPPAbstract
The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is a promising renewable energy system that leverages solar thermal energy to generate electricity with low operational costs and minimal environmental impact. This study investigates the impact of chimney diameter on the overall power output of an SCPP using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The objective is to determine the optimal diameter ratio to maximize energy generation efficiency and airflow dynamics. A 2D steady-state CFD simulation was performed using ANSYS Fluent, applying the k-omega turbulence model and Boussinesq approximation. The system was modeled with a fixed collector diameter of 40 m and a chimney height of 30 m, while chimney diameters corresponding to ratios of 0.03, 0.05, and 0.1 were analyzed. Simulations were conducted under typical Baghdad summer conditions. Results indicate that a smaller diameter ratio increases air velocity and turbulence kinetic energy, thus enhancing power output. The optimal turbine location was identified at the chimney base near the collector junction, where maximum airflow velocity was observed. Excessive diameter (0.1 ratio) caused flow dispersion and decreased efficiency. The findings suggest that chimney diameter significantly influences SCPP performance, and optimizing this parameter can contribute to more efficient solar energy harvesting in arid regions. The novelty of this work lies in its CFD-based quantitative assessment of diameter ratio effects, offering insights into geometrical optimization of SCPP systems.
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