Investigation of a Novel Combination for Both Solar Chimney and Solar Tower Systems

Abstract

The aim of this work was to propose a novel system combines both solar chimney and thermo siphon solar tower systems. To this end, theoretical study to the proposed system was conducted. In this new system, the solar tower was installed at the exit of the solar chimney. The results of the theoretical study showed that, the new system generates more power compared with the conventional system. It was found that the maximum power extracted from the new system was about two times that obtained from the conventional system at the same height, for the specified range studied in this work. In addition, it was found that the new system has higher overall efficiency and generates higher speeds of air at the chimney inlet. This increase in both maximum power and air speed at the chimney inlet from the new system is enhanced with the rise in solar irradiance, radius of collector, and ratio of solar tower height to solar chimney height. Moreover, the results indicated that there is a certain ratio between solar tower length and width at which the maximum extracted mechanical power reached a maximum value for the specified parameters of solar irradiance, collector radius, height of chimney, and height of solar tower.