2. ˆ Introduction
ˆ The Solar Chimney
a. Parts of the Solar Chimney
i. Collector
ii. Turbines
iii. Chimney
b. Working Principles of Solar Chimney
c. Technology
9. The Energy Storage In the Collector
10. Cost
11. The Mildura Solar Chimney
1 Advantages
1 Disadvantages
1 Conclusion
1 References

3.  The end of oil is coming;
 The energy demand will be doubled in the next 30 years
 Insecurity in energy supplies
 International tensions
 However a major threat is more urgent to be encountered Climate
Change
The overall electrification rate in India is 64.5% while 35.5% of the
population still live without access to electricity.
Total Installed Capacity in India (as on 30-06-2011) is 1,76,990.40 MW

4. Today, there is a growing awareness that some alternative energy sources
could have an important role to play in the production of electricity.
 However, only the solar energy represents totally nonpolluting
inexhaustible energy resource
35,000 km² area of the Thar Desert has been set aside for solar power projects,
sufficient to generate 700 to 2,100 GW.
In 2010, total worldwide energy consumption was 1,32,000 TWh (377lack MW).
The potential for renewable energy is:
solar energy 4,44,000 TWh,
wind power 1,67,000 TWh,
geothermal energy 1,39,000 TWh,
biomass 70,000 TWh,
Hydropower 14,000 TWh and
ocean energy 280 TWh.
 For India, because of location, solar energy is best suited.

5. There are lots of methods of using the solar
energy , and the Solar Chimney is one of them, which
can be seen below, in figure 1.
Fig. 1 The Prototype Manzanares Solar Chimney.

6. In 1978, it was suggested by Professor Schlaich of Stuttgart
university that power could be produced by a hybrid solar system.
The solar chimney system consists of three parts;
 The collector,
 Turbines.
 The chimney.

7. 2.a.i. The Collector
Collector is the part, which is
used to produce hot air by
green-house effect. It is usually 5-6
meters high and covers a very large
area about thousands of m² as seen in
fıgure 2.
Fig. 2 The Collector.

8. Fig. 3 The glazed collector roof of Solar Chimney.

9.  There is no limitation for the surface area.
The larger the area, the more energy generated from
the chimney.
 There should be slightly increasing height towards to
the chimney in order to obtain minimum friction loss.
 Covering materials may be different, such as; glass,
plastic film or glazed collector. The most efficient one
is glazed collector.
It can convert up to 70% of irratiated solar energy
into heat a typical annual average is 50%.

10. 2.a.ii. Turbines
Turbines, seen in figure 4, are used to convert air current to the mechanical
energy.
Turbines are placed horizontally in chimney, vertically in the collector.
To do this, one big turbine or a few small turbines should be used in chimney,
as can be seen from the figure 5. and figure 6.
Fig. 6 Small turbines [5]
Fig. 5 Turbine with large
Fig. 4 Turbine for Solar Chimney
diameter [5].
Power Station.

11. 2.a.iii. The chimney
The most important part of the
plant is the chimney,seen in fıgure
7.
It acts likes a pressure tube.
Fig. 7 The chimney.
 Longer the chimneys height, the more the energy produced from the
chimney.
 The efficiency of the chimney is not depend on the amount of the
temperature rising, but depends on the outside temperature.
• Thus, efficiency directly proportional to the ratio between the height
of the chimney and the outside temperature.

12. Transparent roof, which is seen in
fıgure 8, admits the short wave solar
radiation component and retains long-wave
radiation from the heated ground.
Thus, when solar radiation pass
through the transparent roof it is absorbed
by the ground elements and it converts into
heat energy.
Fig. 8 Transparent roof.

13. Fig 8 Working of power plant through air flow

14. So, Why use a pipe or air channel to enclose
the turbines? Why not have a large "wind
farm ," with turbines mounted on towers in
the open air?

15. Answer:
First, the wind turbines enclosed in a pipe can produce
8 times as much power for a given wind speed than a turbine
in the open air.
Second, the wind farm concept would require a much
larger numbers of turbines.
Also, the wind speed in the open air around the
collector is significantly less than the air velocity through the air
channel.

16.  The Floating Solar Chimney
is made by a set of successive
tubular balloons, can be
constructed with an existing
polyester fabric giving low
investment cost(as shown in
the figure beside).
 These tubes are lighter than
air due to internal lighter than
air gas (He or NH4)

17. This accordion type folding end is
unfolding partly when the structure
is bending, securing that the warm
air does not escape from its Direction of
bottom. Wind
Main
Chimney
made of
parts
Heavy
Mobile
Chimne Base
y Seat Folding
Lower Part

18. Supporting Ring
Inner fabric wall Inflated or
Aluminum tube
Strong fabric of
the heavy base
Lifting Tube
Filled with lifting
Gas
Lower ring of the
heavy base Upper Ring of
the heavy base
Accordion type
folding lower Seat of the
part floating solar
chimney

19. The body with the heavy base of the
Floating Solar Chimney is inclining
due to external winds.
Wind direction

20. w eibull c ons tant k = 2; dec line 50 % for v= 10 m /s ec
 Due to the titling property of 8
the FSC, its operational height
7
is decreasing under external
winds 6
5
dec reas e in F S C H eight %
4
3
2
1
0
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
Á verage annual w ind s peed in m /s ec

21.  Since collectors produce hot air by green
house effect, to produce electric during the
night, tight water-filled tubes are placed
under the roof, as seen in fıgure 12.
 The water heats up during the daytime Fig. 12 Principle of heat
storage underneath the roof
and emits its heat at night.
using water-filled black tubes .
 These tubes are filled only once, no
further water is needed, because the tubes
remain closed after filling process.

22. The 1000m Solar Chimney in
Mildura, Australia, will be the highest
man-made structure on Earth, and can
produce 200MW of electricity,
providing power to 200,000
homes.Schematic seen of a
construction of a chimney is in figure
14.
Fig. 14 Construction of a
chimney

23. Details of the solar chimney are as follows:
Location: Mildura, Australia
Type: Solar Tower power plant with steel-reinforced concrete tower and
steel/glass solar air collector (alternatively with polymer glazing)
Features: The base of the tower will be between 170 to 200 metres. The
chimney is basically a very simple tube with wall thickness of 25cm,
diameter of 150m and a height of 1000m. The collector roof will be 5000m
in diameter.
Power: Up to 500 Gigawatt hours per year
Company: Enviromission Ltd
Construction time: About 18-24 months
Expected completion date: 2005 .

24. • Thus a glass roof SAEPP, generating 20 GWh/year and rating
power ~4.5 MW, of area ~1.0 square Km, and with an FSC of
H~800m and d=40m, should cost ~63.20 Crore RUPEES

25. It provides electricity 24 hour a day from solar energy alone.
 No fuel and no cooling water is required.
 By FSC of 1000m, up to 1.2% of horizontal solar radiation can be converted
into electricity.
It is a low investment cost electricity generating technology, thus the direct
cost of the produced KWh is low (less than 6 cents/KWh)
 The materials concrete, glass and steel necessary for the building of solar
chimney power stations are everywhere in sufficient quantities.
 No ecological harm and no consumption of resources.
 The collector itself functions as a greenhouse and could be used for
growing cash crops.
It is shown that FSC Technology Power Plants is 5 to 6 times cheaper than
CFC Technology Power Plants.

26.  Some estimates say that the cost of generating electricity from a
solar chimney is 5x more than from a gas turbine. Although fuel is
not required, solar chimneys have a very high capital cost.
 The structure itself is massive and requires a lot of engineering
expertise and materials to construct .

27. Solar chimney power stations could make important contributions to the
energy supplies in Africa, Asia and Australia, because there is plenty
of space and sunlight available there.
By little improvement in Efficiency and cost reduction, it can be
best alternative
Future electricity demand could reach the 45000 T Wh. The
necessary land for the 30 years FSC power plants is 1.000.000 Km2
(1000 Km X 1000 Km)

28.  “Thermal engineering” by R.K.Rajput 6th edition
ch.13 Draught
 A brief history of solar chimney.Retrieved 02.07.2009 from;
http://www.visionengineer.com/env/solar_flue.shtml
 Solar Chimney-Technology.Retrieved from;
http://www.sbp.de./de/html/projects/solar/aufwind/pages_auf/techno.htm.
 ‘Solar chimney cost estimation’ from
www.solartower.org.uk/floating-papageorgiou.php
 Solar Chimney-Energy cost.Retrieved 10.11.2004 from;
http://www.sbp.de/de/html/projects/solar/aufwind/pages_auf/enprocos.htm
 www.floatingsolarchimney.gr/.../EEESD_Modular_solar_collector.
 Efficiency of FSPs from Retrieved 10.11.2004 http://www.solar-
tower.org.uk/floating-papageorgiou.php
 Solar collector material; Retrieved 07.11.2008 from
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/