Achieving round-the-clock power from solar chimneys with solar boosting

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Article ID: 688
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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18686/cest688

Keywords:

solar chimney power plant (SCPP) , solar boosted SCPP , solar collector , solar energy , renewable energy , experimental results

Abstract

This experimental work involves employing a solar water heating system to elevate the collector air temperatures of an 8 m tall solar chimney power plant (SCPP). Hot water at varying temperatures (40 °C to 70 °C) and mass flow rates (0.025 to 0.0512 kg/s) was supplied to the collector and the effects of supplying hot water to the collector on the resulting air temperature distribution within the collector and along the chimney height as well as the flow velocity at the turbine section and the corresponding turbine power output were studied. Results demonstrate a 14.6% increase in collector temperature rise during daytime and a notable 209% enhancement at night with 70 °C hot water, sustaining a temperature difference above 5 °C from midnight to 6:00 a.m., compared to 2 °C under ambient conditions. Temperature drops along the chimney peaked at 16.2 °C from 70 °C at 2:00 p.m., against 7.2 °C at 1:00 p.m. without solar boosting. Air velocity at the turbine section rose from 8.3 m/s under ambient conditions to 9 m/s at 70 °C, with a maximum enhancement of 378.5% at 4:00 a.m., attributed to heightened buoyancy at low ambient temperatures. Turbine power output was found to improve from 3.5 W normally to 4.5 W at 70 °C. Increasing the mass flow rate from 0.025 to 0.0512 kg/s increased the air velocity and power. These findings highlight the significant potential of solar boosting to enhance SCPP efficiency, offering a viable pathway for transition to renewable energy in small island nations and providing power around the clock.

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Published

2026-03-25

How to Cite

Prasad, R., Ali, M., & Ahmed, M. R. (2026). Achieving round-the-clock power from solar chimneys with solar boosting. Clean Energy Science and Technology, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.18686/cest688

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026)

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Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Reemal Prasad, Muzammil Ali, Mohammed Rafiuddin Ahmed

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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