Numerical simulation and comparison of conventional and sloped solar chimney power plants: the case for Lanzhou.
The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) generates updraft wind through the green house effect. In this paper, the performances of two SCPP styles, that is, the conventional solar chimney power plant (CSCPP) and the sloped solar chimney power plant (SSCPP), are compared through a numerical simulation. A simplified Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model is built to predict the performances of the SCPP. The model is validated through a comparison with the reported results from the Manzanares prototype. The annual performances of the CSCPP and the SSCPP are compared by taking Lanzhou as a case study. Numerical results indicate that the SSCPP holds a higher efficiency and generates smoother power than those of the CSCPP, and the effective pressure in the SSCPP is relevant to both the chimney and the collector heights.
College of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China ; State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Fei
F
Cao
CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Huashan
H
Li
State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China ; Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center, Beijing 100082, China.
Yang
Y
Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Liang
L
Zhao
D002681:China; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011210:Power Plants; D012993:Solar Energy