Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: A global motivation to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources propels studies of innovative technologies to harness solar energy. This paper investigates the viability of Solar Chimney Power Plants (SCPP) in a domestic context. Using a mathematical model, including thermodynamic processes within the collector, chimney and turbine generator, the power output of SCPPs is assessed across five global locations with varying annual energy requirements: Aswan Egypt, Cornwall UK, Melbourne Australia, Quito Ecuador, São Paulo Brazil. This research aims to predict plant performance under differing geometries and meteorological inputs such as ambient temperature and solar irradiance, revealing that Aswan, Quito, and São Paulo can reliably produce year-round power, while Cornwall and Melbourne may need a supplementary energy supply in the winter months. The model establishes a linear relationship between collector radius and chimney height for each region to minimize geometry whilst fulfilling annual energy requirements, demonstrating that reducing one component size increases the other to maintain the required output; for Quito, with the lowest annual energy requirement, and therefore this results in a collector radius of approximately 25m and a chimney height of approximately 70m. These geometries inform discussions of technology implementation, including the integration of an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) to enhance performance, though it was found that the SCPP may not meet the power demand of the ASHP in Melbourne winter. Some lifecycle factors of the Melbourne and Quito plants are considered to assess the environmental viability of the technology. It was found that material selection influences plant performance and is the greatest contributor to the carbon footprint.
Source: Designs
Authors: Georgia Buckland, Julian David Booker
Institution: University of Bristol
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,819
OpenAlex ID: W4405783240