Numerical Investigation of Thermal Characteristics in a Solar Chimney Project

Abstract

In order to create interior multiclimate zones suitable for plant cultivation in a solar chimney project proposed for the World Horticultural Exposition 2016 in China, the numerical investigation is performed to a solar chimney with 2 km radius and 1 km height. The simulation methodology is validated by experimental data. The impacts of inlet height and radius to interior thermal characteristics are evaluated. It is found that the temperature field is much similar when the inlet height decreases from 3.8 m to 0.5 m. With further decrease of the inlet height to 0.2 m, its impact to temperature field is significant. The temperature field is similar though the radius of solar chimney decreases from 2.0 km to 1.725 km. Further decrease to 1.13 km results in much lower temperature field as less radiate heat is obtained. The procedure of soil surface temperature calculation is also proposed to obtain the supplementary heat amount maintaining the required temperature for plant cultivation.