Numerical methodology for analyzing the performance of a solar updraft tower in various environmental conditions 

  • Arkadiusz Patryk Brenk Wrocław University of Technology
  • Ziemowit Miłosz Malecha Wrocław University of Technology
  • Łukasz Tadeusz Tomków 1. Wrocław University of Technology, Wrocław, Poland 2. Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5278-6007

Abstract

This paper investigates a simplified and fast numerical model of a solar updraft tower. The model applies a novel approach to the calculation of heat transfer from the outside environment to a collector in the tower. Complex calculations of heat transfer are replaced by a properly defined heat flux boundary condition - the value of which depends on the time of day and meteorological conditions. The model was validated by experimental results from a pilot plant in Manzanares, Spain. Calculations were performed in order to investigate the effects of the chimney's height and the density of the solar radiation. Both of these dependencies were found to be logarithmic. The requirements for a 250~kW plant in various locations with different meteorological conditions were analyzed.

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Published
2020-06-05
How to Cite
BRENK, Arkadiusz Patryk; MALECHA, Ziemowit Miłosz; TOMKÓW, Łukasz Tadeusz. Numerical methodology for analyzing the performance of a solar updraft tower in various environmental conditions . Journal of Power Technologies, [S.l.], v. 100, n. 2, p. 144-151, june 2020. ISSN 2083-4195. Available at: <https://papers.itc.pw.edu.pl/index.php/JPT/article/view/1353>. Date accessed: 10 dec. 2024.
Section
Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Keywords

Solar updraft tower; meteorological conditions; OpenFOAM; heat transfer

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