Experimental-Computational Analysis of Multi-inlet SCPP

Abstract

Solar chimney power plant systems (SCPPS) provide a straightforward and dependable method for generating electricity by harnessing solar energy to create an upward flow of heated air. These systems typically comprise a solar collector, a central tower, and one or more turbines. However, existing SCPP designs suffer from low thermal efficiency, converting only 0.5% to 5% of the solar energy into electricity. This inefficiency is partly due to restricted air mass flow rates through the tower. To address this, a new collector design is proposed to enhance the inlet air mass flow rate. This paper introduces a double-inlet collector concept, analyzed through numerical methods to assess its effectiveness in increasing flow rates. The analysis was conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and simulation, employing a finite volume method package. The Manzanares solar tower power plant, the only operational plant with published data, was chosen to implement and evaluate the double-inlet collector design. Additionally, a 1/1000 scale model of the Manzanares prototype was constructed for experimental measurement of field variables. A validation analysis compared the numerical model's reliability against experimental data. The introduction of the double-inlet collector resulted in a notable 14% increase in output power, demonstrating its potential for enhancing SCPP efficiency.