Design and optimizing of geometric for solar updraft tower using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

Abstract

There are many experimental and analytical approaches that have been physically proven in the last few decades for the Solar Updraft Tower (SUT) concept to provide energy from solar radiation. Solar chimneys with their potential advantages have gained more attention by fully utilising solar radiation energy to generate air movement by stack pressure. This movement is driving the heated air through the chimney channel and then drawing colder air through the building in a continuous cycle. A parametric study on the geometry of the solar updraft tower is carried out with a different slope angle of collector, different inlet height of collector and different diameter of chimney collector inlet height with fixed solar radiation at 800 W/m2. A validated model is compared with the experimental prototype constructed by the University of Zanjan, Iran. The result shows an incredible improvement in the power generated by a collector with 0 degree and the best entrance gap of collector and chimney diameter at 0.05 m and 0.05 m respectively. The findings and results are discussed and suggested for future works.