Study of a solar chimney characterized by a convergent collector output and a divergent chimney bottom

The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is a solution to convert solar radiation into electrical energy. The optimization of the SCPP setup is essential to obtain a good ratio between the cost of the installation and the generated power. This paper presents a new design of a solar chimney power plant which is characterized by a combination of a convergent collector output and a divergent chimney bottom. This technical solution favors the overall performance and boosts the produced power of the SCPP. Comparing the proposed designs with a conventional prototype, the generated power could be raised by 32%. Indeed, this paper presents the performance of the solar chimney power plant while varying the chimney diameter. For each configuration, the features of the air flow characteristics such as the air temperature, the air velocity are illustrated and disputed. Results showed that the diameter of the chimney is an influential parameter in the optimization of the SCPP, since the diameter of the collector is restraint by the allowed space. Computational findings are confirmed by the use of experimental measurements which were recorded in South Tunisia, North Africa.