Solar Chimney Power Plant

Solar Chimney Power PlantME 463 Senior Design Project

Design Review

May Lin ChangYu Jiang

Payton LeeKatja Strohm

Katharina Schweigler

Agenda

BackgroundKatja Strohm

Initial Design ConceptKatja Strohm

Preliminary CalculationMay Lin Chang

Proposed InnovationKatharina Schweigler

Materials and CostPayton Lee

ConclusionYu Jiang

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 2

Background

• What is a solar tower?– Air heats up under greenhouse effect– Hot air rises through chimney– Updraft drives turbine

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 3

Background

• Why solar tower?– Greenhouse, chimney, and turbine are available– Renewable energy

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 4

Background

• Design Project Motivation– Low cost energy generation– Innovation for renewable energy

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 5

Initial Design Concept

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 6

Chimney:- Pressure tube - Tall, hollow cylinder with small

diameter - Realized with PE pipes and steal

pipes

Turbine:- Located on the bottom of the

chimney - Mounted through a case in chimney

Initial Design ConceptCollector area:- Large greenhoese- Plastic film covering the ground- App. diameter: 15m- Installed 4 -10 above ground on

wooden support structure

Energy storage:- Black tubes under collector area

filled with water- Heat capacity of water much higher

than soil

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 7

Preliminary Calculation

Chimney/Towerηtow

Solar Energy, Q_dotsolar Collector

ηcol

Turbineηtur

8M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

Preliminary CalculationPrinciple Equations

• Power output of the plant, P

• Solar Energy

• Efficiency

Nomenclatures

• Solar Radiation Energy[W]

• Component Efficiency

• Global Horizontal Radiation

[W/m2]

9M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

Preliminary Calculation

Averaged values

Gh 5000W/m2Monthly Global Horizontal Radiation at West Lafayette (April)

g 9.81m/s gravitational constantTo 288K ambient temperature/collector inlet temperatureCp 1005J/kg.K specific heat capacity

Schlaich, Bergermann, Schiel and Weinrebe

P [W] Q [W] Acoll [m2] Htow [m] ηtow Dcoll[m] ηcoll ηturb

11.9788 883573 176.715 10 0.00034 15 0.1 0.4

10M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

Proposed Innovation

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 11

• Mirrors to “enlarge” greenhouse area

• Heat exchanger

• Black foil on the ground

Proposed Innovation

Mirrors• Increase the amount of

radiation on greenhouse area

• Angle around horizontal axis adjusted by electric motor

• Angle around vertical axis adjusted by bionic mechanism

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 12

Shadow due to blade

Sun

Air bubbles

Ring filled with water

floating material (Styron foam)

shrunk bubble expanded bubble

Bionic mechanism• Radiation heats gas in

bubbles

• Bubbles expand and push ring of mirrors

-> Mirrors face sun

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 13

Proposed Innovation

Mirrors

Mirrors

Air bubbles

Ring filled with water

Proposed Innovation

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 14

Heat exchanger• Uses external heat to heat up the air additionally eg. from another

plant• Can be oil which is heated between angled mirrors on the ground

Cold Oil

Hot Oil

Proposed Innovation

Black foil• Placed under oil pipes

• Heats up ground more effectively

• Goal: Store heat for night operation

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 15

Materials & Cost

Collector(Greenhouse Plastic Sheet)

• Requirements– Opacity– Durability– Weight

• Cost– Between $100 and

$600 depending on size and quality

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 16

Materials & Cost

Chimney• Requirements:

– Weight– Stability– Manufacturability

• Supported by steel beam or wire

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 17

Materials & Cost

Computer fan as turbine• Requirement

– Efficient– Low noise

• Cost– Between $5 and $40

(depending on requirement)

M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm 18

Future Plans

• Determine the exact dimensions

• Finalize design – select improvement method

• Material selection and Cost estimation

• Ordering and ConstructionM. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler,

and K. Strohm 19

THANK YOU

References:Gannon, A. J., Backström, T.W. v. (2000). "Solar Chimney Cycle Analysis with System Loss and Solar Collector Performance", Journal of Solar

Energy Engineering, 122 (3), 133-137.Schlaich, Bergermann, Schiel, and Weinrebe “Design and Commercialization of a Solar Updraft Tower”

Schlaich J. “The Solar Chimney: Electricity From Sun”, Edition Axel Menges, 1995.

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