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Accepted Manuscript

Experimental and numerical analysis of the collector roof height effect on the solar
chimney performance

Ahmed Ayadi, Abdallah Bouabidi, Zied Driss, Mohamed Salah Abid

PII: S0960-1481(17)30858-3

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2017.08.099

Reference: RENE 9197

To appear in: Renewable Energy

Received Date: 05 August 2016

Revised Date: 16 July 2017

Accepted Date: 31 August 2017

Please cite this article as: Ahmed Ayadi, Abdallah Bouabidi, Zied Driss, Mohamed Salah Abid,
Experimental and numerical analysis of the collector roof height effect on the solar chimney
performance, Renewable Energy (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2017.08.099

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to
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ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Highlights

 The effect of the collector height on the solar chimney performance is reported

 The thermal characteristics of the air within the solar chimney is presented

 The generated power increases with the the decrease of the collector roof height
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1 Experimental and numerical analysis of the collector roof height effect on

2 the solar chimney performance

4 Ahmed Ayadi, Abdallah Bouabidi, Zied Driss, Mohamed Salah Abid

5 Laboratory of Electro-Mechanic Systems (LASEM),

6 National Engineering School of Sfax (ENIS), University of Sfax (US),

7 B.P. 1173, km 3.5 Soukra, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia

9 Abstract

10 The aim of this work is to study and optimize the characteristics of a solar chimney power plant

11 (SCPP) using numerical and experimental way. The numerical simulation is performed using

12 the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code "Ansys Fluent 17.0". An

13 experimental setup of a SCPP is developed in the national school of engineers of Sfax,

14 University of Sfax, Tunisia in the North Africa. The comparison between the numerical and the

15 experimental results have shown a good agreement. The effect of the collector roof height on

16 the solar chimney performance is performed. The local characteristics of the air flow inside the

17 SCPP system are presented and analyzed such as; the temperature, the velocity, the pressure

18 and the turbulence characteristics. Results confirm that the collector roof height is very

19 influential on the optimization of the SCPP. In fact, an increase in the generated power is

20 recorded while decreasing the collector roof height.

21

22 Keywords: Renewable energy, Solar chimney, SCPP, CFD, collector roof height

23

24 1 Corresponding author: Ahmed Ayadi (A. Ayadi)

25 Email: Ahmed.ayadi.gem@gmail.com

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26 1. Introduction

27 Renewable energy sources are becoming the high demand since the increase of the pollution

28 and the continued decline of fossil fuel resources worldwide. Among the different types of

29 renewable energy sources, the Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) is an attractive renewable

30 technology for large-scale use of solar energy. The main components of the SCPP are the

31 collector, the chimney and the turbine. Under the collector roof, SCPP uses solar radiation to

32 heat the air. Then, the air is directed towards the inlet of the chimney where the turbine is

33 mounted. The performance of the SCPP system depends on many parameters such as the

34 geometrical parameters of the solar chimney, the prototype materials and the environmental

35 conditions. The optimization of these various parameters have been numerically and

36 experimentally studied in several researches [1-3]. For example, Ayadi et al. [4] studied the

37 effect of the collector roof inclination on the performance of a solar chimney power plant. As a

38 result, they have noted that the inclination of the collector roof affects the air characteristics

39 within the solar setup. The authors noted that a negative angle of the collector roof increases

40 the air velocity at the chimney entrance where the turbine is connected. Bernardes et al. [5]

41 examined the effect of environmental conditions and the geometrical characteristics of the solar

42 chimney outputs. Their study confirmed that the solar chimney performance depends on

43 different parameters such as the chimney’s height, the factor of the pressure drop across the

44 turbine, the collector diameter and the optical properties of the collector. In fact, the production

45 increases with the increase of the chimney height and the collector diameter. Zhou et al. [6]

46 studied the SCPP for different values of the chimney height in order to determine the optimal

47 chimney height which corresponds to the maximum power output. Ghalamchi et al. [7]

48 conducted experimental study to investigate the thermal performance of the solar chimney with

49 different parameters. The geometrical parameters and the absorber material were analyzed.

50 They noted that the best material which can be used for the absorber is the aluminum. The

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51 efficiency of the material is explained by the ability to transfer the heat more than the iron plate

52 due to the high thermal conductivity. Hamdan [8] showed that the chimney height, the collector

53 radius, the head of the turbine and the solar irradiance are essential parameters for the design

54 of a solar chimney power plant in order to obtain an efficient SCPP system for the production

55 of electricity. Gholamalizadeh and Kim [9] analyzed the buoyancy-driven flow field and the

56 heat transfer inside the SCPP with simulating the greenhouse effect. Li et al. [10] studied the

57 SCPP system with taking account of the effects of heat and flow losses and the temperature

58 lapse rate inside and outside of the chimney. They have demonstrated that the foundation of the

59 turbine in the SCPP system reduces the power output. Koonsrisuk et al. [11] evaluated the ratio

60 height/radius for a maximum mass flow rate of the SCPP. Their work proved that the maximum

61 output power corresponds to a given SCPP at a determined solar radiation. Fasel et al. [12]

62 studied the SCPP system for a rang of the chimney height from 1 m to 1000 m. They confirmed

63 that the chimney height affects significantly the SCPP system. Amirkhani et al. [13] identified

64 and modeled SCPP using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy

65 Inference System (ANFIS). After having compared the two models, it was found that the

66 ANFIS model has better performance than the ANN. In their work, a CFD simulation of the

67 process of the solar chimney is conducted to determine the velocity and the temperature

68 distribution which has been compared with the ANFIS results. Guo et al. [14] presented a 3D

69 CFD method including radiation and turbine models. As a result, they proved that the heat

70 transfer by the radiation is an important factor in the heat transfer process and must be

71 considered in the advanced simulation. The variation of the ambient temperature has irrelevant

72 impact on the temperature rise air, but obviously affects on the velocity of the air. Cao et al.

73 [15] proposed a solar setup named solar double chimney power plant (SDCPP). The authors

74 reported that the generated power of a SDCPP is 1.59 times larger than the generated power of

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75 a conventional solar chimney power plant and 2.77 times larger than the generated power of a

76 sloped solar chimney power plant.

77 Focusing on the literature, it has been noted that the performance of the solar chimney power

78 plant is affected by its geometrical parameters such as the chimney height, the chimney

79 diameter, the collector diameter, the collector roof height and the collector roof inclination.

80 Although much work have done until today, it has been noted that the most published works

81 reported a large scale of a solar chimney power plant which is the Manzanares prototype.

82 However, it has not found mathematical similitude to relate a small, a medium and a large scale

83 of a solar chimney power plant. In this paper, we are interested on the study of the turbulent

84 flow characteristics for a small solar chimney prototype developed in Tunisia. Particularly, the

85 collector roof height effect is studied. In fact, the effect of the collector roof height on the local

86 characteristics such as the temperature, the velocity, the pressure and the turbulence

87 characteristics is analyzed and discussed with validation with our experimental results under

88 the ambient conditions of Tunisia.

89

90 2. Experimental setup

91 2.1. Solar chimney prototype

92 Figure 1 presents the experimental setup of the solar chimney power plant. The prototype is

93 situated in the city of Sfax which is located in the South East of Tunisia, North Africa. It was

94 built in the National School of Engineers of Sfax (ENIS), University of Sfax (US). This

95 geographic location signifies that it is in a position to play an important strategic role in the

96 implementation of the solar energy technology in the North of Africa [16]. The setup is

97 characterized by the latitude equal to 34.726˚N and the longitude equal to 10.717˚ E. The

98 geometrical characteristics of the solar chimney are given in Table 1. The chimney is a

99 polyvinyl chloride pipe with thickness equal to ech=4 mm. The chimney is characterized by a

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100 diameter equal to d=160 mm and a height equal to H=3000 mm. Although, the collector is

101 characterized by a diameter equal to D=2750 mm and a roof height equal to h=50 mm. The

102 collector is composed by a plastic material with 3 mm thickness. This coating has excellent

103 thermal characteristics and lets solar radiation to reach the ground. In this way, the ground under

104 the plastic roof heats up and the temperature inside the SCPP increases. The absorber is a

105 combination of chipboard wood with 20 mm of thickness and steel with 2 mm of thickness.

106

107 2.2. Experimental measurements

108 The experimental data is based on the measurement of the air temperature and the velocity

109 inside the SCPP system. The temperature and velocity measurement are assured symmetrically

110 along the collector diameter as shown in figure 2. The values of the air temperature are recorded

111 by thermocouples type K. In addition, an acquisition card is used to predict the temperature

112 evolution over the time in the different points. However, the air velocities inside the collector

113 are assured using a wire anemometer. This device can measure low air velocity which is

114 adaptable for our experimental measurement. The error uncertainty of measurements is about

115 1 %.

116

117 3. Numerical model

118 3.1. Mathematical formulation

119 The CFD code "Ansys Fluent 17.0" is used to simulate the turbulent flow inside the SCPP

120 system. The present application is governed by the continuity, the momentum and the energy

121 equations which are presented in the cylindrical coordinate [17-19].

122 The continuity equation is written as follows:


∂ 1∂ ∂
123 ∂t
() + r ∂r(ru) + ∂z(w) = 0 (1)

124 The momentum equations are written as follows:

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∂ 1∂ ∂ dp 1 ∂
∂t
(u) + (ruu) + (uw) =‒ +
r ∂r ∂z

(
µr (u) +
dr r ∂r ∂r
∂ ∂
) (
u
µ (u) ‒ 2µ 2
∂z ∂z r
) (2)

∂ 1∂ ∂ dp 1 ∂
∂t
(w) + (ruw) + (Vw) =‒ +
r ∂r ∂z

µr (w) +
dz r ∂r ∂r (
∂ ∂
∂z ∂z ) (
µ (w) ‒ (0 ‒ )g ) (3)

125 The energy equation is written as follow:

1∂  ∂

∂t
1∂
r ∂r

(T) + (ruT) + (VT) =
∂z
r (
r ∂r Cp∂r
(T) +
∂  ∂
∂y Cp∂z) (
(T) ) (4)

126 The used turbulence model is the standard k-ε. The equations of the turbulent kinetic energy k

127 and the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy ε are written as follows:

∂ 1∂ ∂
(ρk) + (rku) + (ρkw) =
∂t r ∂r ∂z
(5)
1∂
r ∂r( ( ) ) (( ) )
r µ+
µt ∂
σk ∂r
(k) +

∂z
µ+
µt ∂
σk ∂z
(k) + Gk + βg
µt ∂
Prkt∂z
(T) ‒ ρε

∂ 1∂ ∂
(ρ) + (ru) + (ρw) =
∂t r ∂r ∂z
(6)
1∂
( ( ) ) (( ) )
r ∂r
r µ
µt ∂
σ ∂r
( )
 +

∂z
µ+
µt ∂
σ ∂z
( )
 + GkC1ε
ε
k ()
‒ C2ερ
ε2
k

128 The k- ε turbulence model constants are defined by C1ε=1.44, C2ε=1.92, ε=1.3, k=1.

129

130 3.2. Boundary conditions

131 The present study considers the performance of our SCPP at the 23th of May, 2016 at 02:00

132 p.m. The ambient air temperature has been measured using our experimental device which is

133 equal to T0=308 K. Indeed, constant temperature is applied for walls and the chimney wall is

134 assumed insulated. The plastic covering is considered as a semi-transparent wall. A 2D

135 axisymmetric model was assumed for all simulations. The symmetry axis is taken the chimney

136 centerline. Table 2 shows the boundary conditions that have been used.

137

138 3.3. Meshing effect

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139 Mesh size affects the CFD results due to the difference in the number of elements and nodes

140 from one configuration to another. The number of nodes and elements must be enough to solve

141 the geometry, but should not be too important to not get too large mesh and CFD calculations

142 which would be much too long. Yet, there is still no method referenced in the literature that

143 provide the overall validity or ensure technical quality of the mesh. Otherwise, we are interested

144 on the study of the meshing effect. A grid independence test was done to evaluate the optimum

145 node size and elements. Four different grid sizes are considered. The first mesh consists of

146 3,000 nodes and mesh size of 0.01x0.01 m. The second mesh consists of 13,000 nodes and

147 mesh size of 0.005x0.005 m. The third mesh consists of 30,000 nodes and mesh size of

148 0.0033x0.0033 m. The fourth mesh consists of 50,000 nodes and mesh size of 0.0025x0.0025

149 m. For each mesh, we are monitoring the characteristics of the air flow until there is no change

150 in the solution. The temperature evolution along the collector radius for the different considered

151 meshing and the experimental data are shown in figure 3. According to these results, it is clear

152 that the temperature value along the collector varies from mesh to another. Comparing with the

153 experimental data, the third and the fourth mesh present a temperature profile very close to the

154 experimental profile. However, the first mesh is characterized by the maximum error comparing

155 with experimental temperature values. In other hand, table 3 shows the resolution time for the

156 different meshes considered in this study. These results show that the resolution time depends

157 on the mesh characteristics. It increases with the increase of the nodes number. In fact, the

158 longest time has been observed for the fourth mesh and the shortest time has been observed for

159 the first mesh. In these conditions, we choose the third mesh for all simulations since this mesh

160 give a good agreement compared with experimental data and characterized by a simulation time

161 more adequate.

162

163 4. Numerical results

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164 In this section, the local flow characteristics inside the SCPP system are presented and

165 discussed. Particularly, we are interested on the effect of the collector roof height. Four collector

166 heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200 mm are considered in order to

167 investigate the effect of the collector inlet on the SCPP performance.

168

169 4.1. Velocity fields

170 Figure 4 shows the distribution of the velocity fields in the whole volume of the SCPP system

171 for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm

172 and h=200 mm. According to these results, it has been noted that the velocity vectors are similar

173 for the different considered configurations. In fact, the heated air in the collector is conveyed

174 into the chimney. This fact is explained by the buoyancy effect. However, a difference on the

175 maximum value of the velocity has been observed from one case to another. The comparison

176 between these results confirms that the collector inlet have a direct effect on the velocity fields

177 inside the SCPP.

178

179 4.2. Magnitude Velocity

180 Figure 5 shows the distribution of the magnitude velocity in the whole volume of the SCPP

181 system for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150

182 mm and h=200 mm. The profiles of the magnitude velocity along the collector and the chimney

183 are depicted in figures 6 and 7. From these results, it has been noted that the location of the

184 maximum and the minimum values of the magnitude velocity are the same for the different

185 considered cases. Along the chimney axis, the magnitude velocity is recorded important

186 particularly at the chimney inlet close to the axis, where its maximum achieves the junction.

187 This fact is caused by the difference of pressure which is maximum in this zone. Along the

188 collector radius, the values of the magnitude velocity decrease and reach the weakest values at

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189 the collector inlet. However, it has been noted a difference on the maximum value from one

190 case to another. For h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200 mm collector roof height, the

191 maximum velocity values inside the chimney are respectively equal to V=2.56 m.s-1, V=2.21

192 m.s-1, V=2.12 m.s-1 and V=2.07 m.s-1. The comparison between these results confirms that the

193 collector roof height has a direct effect on the magnitude velocity inside the SCPP. The air

194 velocity value increases by decreasing the collector roof height. In fact, the velocity magnitude

195 can be raised by 24 % from one case to another.

196

197 4.3. Temperature

198 The distribution of the temperature in the whole volume of the SCPP system is depicted in

199 figure 8 for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150

200 mm and h=200 mm. Figure 9 shows the profiles of the temperature along the collector. From

201 these results, it has been noted that the distribution of the temperature is similar for the different

202 considered configurations. Indeed, the maximum value location is the same for the different

203 cases. It is located close to the absorber and the chimney axis. However, the minimum value is

204 located at the zone surrounding the inlet of the collector. Distant from the chimney axis, the

205 temperature values decrease until reaching the ambient temperature at the beginning of the

206 collector. However, it has been observed a difference in the air temperature values from one

207 case to another. For the collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and

208 h=200 mm, the maximum temperatures inside the SCPP are respectively equal to T= 329 K,

209 T=328 K, T=326 K and T=325 K. The comparison between these results confirms that the

210 collector roof height have a direct effect on the temperature inside the SCPP. In fact, the

211 temperature values increase with the decrease of the collector roof height. This fact is caused

212 by the heat transfer exchange between the absorber and the airflow inside the collector.

213

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214 4.4. Total pressure

215 The distribution of the total pressure in the whole volume of the SCPP system is depicted in

216 figure 10 for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm,

217 h=150 mm and h=200 mm. According to these results, it has been noted that the total pressure

218 distribution is similar for the different considered cases. The total pressure distributions are

219 globally uniform under the roof throughout the collector before falling gradually in the tower

220 inlet. Indeed, a compression and a depression zones appear in the SCPP system. The depression

221 zone is located at the base of the tower near to the wall. For the collector roof height equal to

222 h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200 mm, the minimum value of the total pressure are

223 respectively equal to pt=101319.97 Pa, pt = 101320.82 Pa, pt= 101321.35 Pa and pt= 101321.51

224 Pa. In another hand, the compression zone is located at the tower output. For the collector roof

225 height equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200 mm, the maximum values are

226 respectively equal to pt=101326.93 Pa, pt=101329.06 Pa, pt=101327.01 Pa and pt=101326.95

227 Pa. The comparison between these results confirms that the collector roof height has a direct

228 effect on the total pressure inside the SCPP.

229

230 4.5. Dynamic pressure

231 Figure 11 shows the distribution of the dynamic pressure in the whole volume of the SCPP

232 system for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150

233 mm and h=200 mm. According to these results, it has been noted that the dynamic pressure

234 distribution is similar for the different considered collector roof heights. The dynamic pressure

235 is globally uniform in the collector and it reaches very weak values in the collector for all

236 considered cases. The compression zone is recorded at the tower bottom surrounding the axis.

237 This fact is explained by the air velocity which is maximum in this area. Thereafter, the dynamic

238 pressure increases to drive air through the chimney. However, a difference in the dynamic

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239 pressure values has been observed from a case to another. For the collector roof height equal to

240 h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200 mm, the maximum value of the dynamic pressure

241 are respectively equal to pd=3.67 Pa, pd=2.73 Pa, pd=2.51 Pa and pd= 2.39 Pa. The comparison

242 between these results confirms that the collector roof height has a direct effect on the dynamic

243 pressure inside the SCPP. In fact, the dynamic pressure values decrease with the increase of the

244 collector roof height.

245

246 4.6. Turbulent kinetic energy

247 Figure 12 shows the distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy in the whole volume of the

248 SCPP system for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm,

249 h=150 mm and h=200 mm. From these results, it appears that the turbulent kinetic energy

250 distribution is similar for the different considered cases. However, it has been noted a difference

251 in the maximum value of the turbulent kinetic energy from one case to another. For the first

252 case, the second case, the third case and the fourth case, the turbulent kinetic energy are

253 respectively equal to k=0.391 m2.s-2, k=0.388 m2.s-2, k=0.328 m2.s-2 and k=0.320 m2.s-2. The

254 comparison between these results confirms that the collector roof height has a direct effect on

255 the turbulent kinetic energy in the SCPP. In fact, the maximum value of the turbulent kinetic

256 energy recorded in the whole volume of the SCPP varies from one configuration to another.

257

258 4.7. Dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy

259 Figure 13 shows the distribution of the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy for the

260 different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm, h=150 mm and h=200

261 mm. According to these results, it has been noted that the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic

262 energy distribution is similar for the different considered cases. The location of the maximum

263 value of the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy is the same for the different cases

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264 and it appears in the chimney inlet close the wall. However, the minimum values are located in

265 the whole volume of the collector and the chimney close to the axis. Indeed, it has been observed

266 that the maximum value of the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy varies from one

267 case to another. The comparison between these results confirms that the collector roof height

268 has a direct effect on the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy distribution inside the

269 SCPP. In fact, the minimum and the maximum values of the dissipation rate of the turbulent

270 kinetic energy recorded in the whole volume of the SCPP vary from one configuration to

271 another.

272

273 4.8. Turbulent viscosity

274 The distribution of the turbulent viscosity in the whole volume of the SCPP system is depicted

275 in figure 14 for the different considered collector roof heights equal to h=50 mm, h=100 mm,

276 h=150 mm and h=200 mm. According to these results, it has been noted that the distribution of

277 the turbulent viscosity varies from one case to another. In fact, the maximum values of the

278 turbulent viscosity are recorded at the chimney inlet for the second case, the third case and the

279 fourth case. However, it has been noted that the zone surrounding the maximum values extends

280 to the chimney pipe for the first case. This fact can be explained by the collision between the

281 particles constituting the volume of air within the solar setup. The comparison between these

282 results confirms that the collector roof height has a direct effect on the turbulent viscosity

283 distribution inside the SCPP. In fact, the zone surrounding the maximum values extends with

284 the decrease of the collector roof height.

285

286 4.9 Generated power

287 Figure 15 depicts the evolution of the generated energy produced by using different collector

288 roof heights. From these findings, it has been noted that the generated power increases with the

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289 decrease of the collector roof height. This fact is explained by the increase of the air velocity at

290 the entrance of the chimney and the difference in temperature which are related to the power

291 output.

292

293 5. Validation of the numerical findings

294 The considered prototype is characterized by the collector diameter equal to D=2750 mm, the

295 collector height equal to h=50 mm, the chimney diameter equal to d=160 mm and the chimney

296 height equal to H=3000 m. The experimental data for the numerical model validation is

297 considered for the day of May 23th, 2016. Figure 16 and 17 present respectively comparisons

298 between experimental and numerical profiles of the air temperature and the air velocity for

299 different considered hours equal to t1=08:00 a.m., t2=11:00 a.m., t3=02:00 p.m. and t4=05:00

300 p.m. Comparing with our experimental results, the good agreement has been observed. Hence,

301 the numerical model is able to predict the characteristics of the air flow within the solar chimney

302 power plant.

303

304 6. Conclusion

305 In this paper, numerical investigations were carried out to study the influence of the collector

306 roof height on the performance of a solar chimney power plant. Numerical simulations were

307 simulated using the commercial CFD code Ansys Fluent. The computational results have shown

308 a good agreement with our experimental measurements for different instances of the day.

309 Findings shows that the collector inlet sizing is very influential on the optimization of the SCPP.

310 In fact, the power output increases with the decrease of the collector roof height. Since the

311 optimization of the chimney device is characterized by its high costs, this paper could be a

312 solution to enhance the generated power of an existing solar chimney power plant.

313

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314 Nomenclature

Cp Specific heat capacity of the air (J.kg-1)

d Chimney diameter (m)

D Collector diameter (m)

e Thickness (mm)

g Gravitational acceleration (m.s-2)

G Global radiation (W.m-2)

h Collector height (m)

H Chimney height (m)

k Turbulent kinetic energy (m2.s-2)

p Pressure (Pa)

pd Dynamic pressure

pt Total pressure (Pa)

Pr Prandtl number

r Radial coordinate (m)

T Temperature (K)

T0 Ambiant temperature (K)

u Velocity in radial direction (m.s-1)

V Air velocity (m.s-1)

w Velocity in axial direction (m.s-1)

z Axial coordinate

β Thermal expansion coefficient

ε Dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (m2.s-3)

µ Dynamic viscosity (Pa.s-1)

µt Turbulent viscosity (Pa.s-1)

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ρ Density of the air (Kg.m-3)

ρ0 Reference density

ε the turbulent Prandtl numbers for ε

k the turbulent Prandtl numbers for k

315

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Figure 1. The SCPP prototype


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Figure 2. Geometrical sensor arrangements


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50 000 nodes 13 000 nodes


30 000 nodes 3 000 nodes
Experimental Poly. (Experimental)
319

317
Temperature (K)

315

313

311

309

307
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3
Collector radius (m)

Figure 3. Experimental and numerical profiles of temperature inside the collector


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 4. Velocity vectors inside the SCPP


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 5. Distribution of the magnitude velocity inside the SCPP


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50 mm 100 mm 150 mm 200 mm


1.2

1
Velocity (m.s -1)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Collector radius (m)

Figure 6. Profiles of the velocity inside the collector


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50 mm 100 mm 150 mm 200 mm

2.5

2.4
Velocity (m.s -1)

2.3

2.2

2.1

1.9

1.8

1.7

1.6 Chimney height (m)

1.5
0.1 0.7 1.3 1.9 2.5 3

Figure 7. Profiles of the velocity inside the chimney


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 8. Distribution of the temperature inside the SCPP


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50 mm 100 mm 150 mm 200 mm

319
Temperature (K)

317

315

313

311

309
Collector radius (m)
307
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4

Figure 9. Profiles of the temperature inside the collector


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 10. Distribution of the total pressure inside the SCPP


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 11. Distribution of the dynamic pressure inside the SCPP


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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 12. Distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy inside the SCPP
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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 13. Distribution of the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy inside the SCPP
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(a) h = 50 mm (b) h = 100 mm

(c) h = 150 mm (d) h = 200 mm

Figure 14. Distribution of the turbulent viscosity inside the SCPP


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0.7

Power output (W)


0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3
50 100 150 200
Collector roof height (mm)

Figure 15. Generated power


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309 326
324

T (K)
T (K)

306
322
303 320
318
300
316
297
314
294 312
0.1 0.3Collector
0.5 radius
0.7 0.9
(m) 1.1 1.3 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3
Collector radius (m)

(a) t1 = 08:00 a.m. (b) t2 = 11:00 a.m.

322 310

319 308
T (K)
T (K)

316 306

313 304

310 302

307 300
0.1 0.3Collector
0.5 radius
0.7 0.9 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3
(m) 1.1 1.3
Collector radius (m)

(c) t3 = 02:00 p.m. (d) t4 = 05:00 p.m.


Figure 16. Comparison between experimental and numerical profiles of the air temperature
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1
1.4
Velocity ('m.s-1)

Velocity ('m.s-1)
0.8 1.2

1
0.6
0.8

0.4 0.6

0.4
0.2
0.2
0
0
0.1 0.3Collector
0.5 0.7
radius 0.9
(m) 1.1 1.3
0.1 0.3 Collector
0.5 radius
0.7 (m)
0.9 1.1 1.3

(e) t1 = 08:00 a.m. (f) t2 = 11:00 a.m.

1
1.2
Velocity ('m.s-1)
Velocity ('m.s-1)

1 0.8

0.8 0.6

0.6
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.2

0 0
0.1 0.3 Collector
0.5 radius
0.7 (m)
0.9 1.1 1.3 0.1 0.3 Collector
0.5 0.7
radius 0.9
(m) 1.1 1.3

(g) t3 = 02:00 p.m. (h) t4 = 05:00 p.m.

Figure 17. Comparison between experimental and numerical profiles of the air

velocity
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Table 1. SCPP dimensions

Different part of SCPP Dimensions (mm)


Chimney height 3000
Chimney radius 160
Chimney thickness 4
Collector height 50
Collector radius 1375
Collector thickness 3
Absorber thickness 2
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Table 2. Boundary conditions

surface type value


Collector inlet pressure inlet ∆p=0 (pa) and T=306 (k)
Chimney outlet pressure outlet ∆p=0 (pa) and T=306 (k)
Chimney wall opaque wall q=0 w.m-2
Collector semi-transparent wall q= 800 w.m-2
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Table 3. Meshing size configurations

Resolution time
Case study Cells number
(h:min:s)
1 3 000 00:07:23
2 13 000 00:12:20
3 30 000 00:35:11
4 50 000 01:24:50

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