Effect of Thermal Collector Height and Radius on Hydrodynamic Flow Control in Small Solar Chimney

Abstract

Solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is one of the promising technologies for solar energy utilization. It is an interesting system especially in large isolated desert areas due to its basic techniques and low operating costs. In this study, we investigate numerically the collector geometrical parameters effect on the hydrodynamic flow control in a solar chimney. The finite volume method and the SIMPLE algorithm have been used to solve the turbulent flow equations and energy equation. A standard K-ε model is used. The influence of the collector height (0.05m≤Hc≤0.5m) and the collector radius (2.5m≤Rc≤15m) on the flow behavior has been numerically analyzed. The obtained results indicate that increasing the collector height and collector radius affect considerablythe flow behavior and the SCPP performance. The mass flow rate is enhanced by about 27 %, for Rc=12.5m and Hc = 0.25m.