A Design for Increasing Power Using a Solar Tower Unit

Abstract

With the growing demand on electrical power for day to day activities that coincides with less power resources specially for fossil fuels that is also creating many issues for the environment, a big need for shifting round to the Renewable energy resources(e.g. solar , wind , water , sea waves ,…,etc.,)which is more cheaper and effectively clean. One of the most common renewable energy types is the solar energy with different power generation ways (photovoltaic solar system, thermal solar system). Many studies were there for enhancing the use of thermal solar system technology that converts radiation from sun into heat energy that would be useful for energy generation through many ways and techniques. One of the newly developed technologies for the thermal solar energy is the solar chimney which is the subject of our study in this research. Conventional solar chimney theory based on retaining long waves Sun radiation and admits short waves solar radiation through a transparent surface (collector) thus solar radiation is absorbed heating up air that will start raising up inside the chimney where located turbine(s) with electrical generator would start producing electrical power. In this work, power generation enhancement for a 2.00 m height hexagonal base solar chimney with a 6 double faced trapezium sides is introduced. Amount of energy acquired to move the generating part of the solar tower (direct current fan on the exit) depends on the air flow which will increase with the temperature raise that is affected by the solar heat up of the double faced sides. Analysis and comparison will be based on taking different temperature readings in 3 cases for the stagnant fluid filling the gap of the double faced solar tower sides (air, vacuum and helium) to see the best case where the highest air temperature is reached and consequently having the highest generated power.