CFD METHOD OF THE EFFECT OF THE CHIMNEY DESIGN PERFORMANCE IN SOLAR CHIMNEY POWER PLANTS

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Mert Cüce A. P., Cüce E., Şen H.

8. INTERNATIONAL MEDITERRANEANSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CONGRES, Antalya, Turkey, 13 - 15 August 2025, pp.184-191, (Full Text)

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • City: Antalya
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.184-191
  • Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Solar chimney power plants (SCPs) are one of the systems that enable indirect electricity generation from solar energy. These systems, consisting of three basic structural elements: a collector, a chimney, and a turbine, are notable for their simple structure. System performance is dependent on climatic and geometric parameters. This study presents a detailed analysis of the chimney design, the driving force of the system. Simulations are performed using a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model based on the Manzanares pilot plant geometry. The system outputs are evaluated by setting the chimney diameter to 35.56 m, which, in the reference case, delivers approximately 60 kW power output with a chimney diameter of 10.16 m. The impact of the divergent chimney design on system performance is then examined. When the chimney exit area to chimney inlet area ratio is 4, the system's power output exceeds 380 kW.