Performance analysis of the impact of sloped absorber dimensions on the performance of solar chimney power plants

Abstract

Several geometric parameters have been investigated in solar chimney power with the aim of determining the optimal geometric parameters and enhancing power generation. The aim of this study is to determine the optimal dimensions of the sloped absorber surface and analyze its impact on the power output of the system at the Manzanares plant. The sloped absorber surface studied includes a singular triangular shape where the effect of the central high and absorber slope radius is studied. To conduct this study, A Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD model developed using COMSOL Multiphysics with the k–ε turbulence model was employed. The outcomes of this study demonstrate that the maximum air velocity in the reference Manzanares design, initially measured at 15 m s−1, increases by 26% with the optimized sloped absorber configuration. Specifically, at a central height of 1.10 m and an absorber slope radius of 122 m, the maximum velocity reaches 18.9 m s−1. Furthermore, the power output rises by 34%, reaching 67 kW compared to the reference case of 50 kW.