International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.

33 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Solar Chimney Power Technology Veering effect and

Simulation Methodologies
S. Dinesh*, S. Nadaraja Pillai**, S. Arunvinthan** S. Mohanamurugan***
*Department of Mechanical Engineering, AVC College of Engineering, Mayiladudurai.
**Department of Aeronautical Engineering, J.J College of Engg & Technology, Tiruchirappalli.
*** Department of Automobile, School of Engineering, Saveetha University, Chennai.

Abstract: Solar Chimney Power Technology (SCPT) is a recent research for harnessing
electricity to overcome the energy crisis all over the world. There are various technical
issues related to the design and installation of such a huge geometry. In this research paper,
the effect of the veering with respect to the atmospheric height is simulated. The simulation
is done in order to study the change in wind direction and its effect on the tower.
Computational Fluid Dynamic commercial tool is used to simulate the various direction
changes. It is found that by these methodologies it is possible to attain the direction up to 38
degree. Such methodologies can be extended to the experimental study in the wind tunnels.
Keywords: Solar Chimney, Veering effect, Ekman spiral.

Introduction:
A solar chimney power plant (Fig.1 (a), (Schlaich, J. and Schiel, W. (2001)) consists of a
circular transparent collector and a huge tower. The collector consists of a circular transparent
roof and the ground under the collector floor surface. A single or multiple turbines are stationed
at or near the base of the tower and are connected to electric generators. The apprehension is that
the radiation from the sun penetrates the collector and strikes the ground surface, which in turn
heats the adjacent air on the ground and makes them to rise. The rising warm air is trapped
underneath the collector, but rises into the chimney, which is positioned at the center of the
collector. The air rushing into the tower drives the turbine or turbines and the energy from the
turbines are used to generate electricity.
The chimney itself is the plant's actual thermal engine. It is a pressure tube with low
friction loss because of its optimal surface-volume ratio. The updraft of air heated in the collector
is approximately proportional to the air temperature rise (T) in the collector and the volume of
the chimney. In a large solar chimney, the collector raises the temperature of the air by about 30
to 35 K. This produces an updraft velocity in the chimney of about 15m/s at full load (Schlaich,
J. and Schiel, W. (2001)). Many results have been published to prove the technology of the solar
chimney power plant, as discussed by many researchers. Improving the efficiency is the research
point in the present scenario. An artists view of the components of the solar chimney is shown
in Fig. 1(b) (Schlaich, J. and Schiel, W. (2001)).
In this research, the influence of wind direction shear and its effect on a chimney is
studied. Design optimization for wind load effects and the structural behavior of both chimney
and solar collector have been discussed by (H. J. Niemann et al, 2009, Norbert Holscher et al,
2010). The effect of downburst on a solar chimney using both computational code and
experiments has been shown in (Xinping Zhou, Fang Wang, 2010). Steady wind near the water
surface has been investigated using large eddy simulation, and strong flow dependence on
latitude and wind direction (Oleg Zikanov et al, 2003) is inferred. Researchers have studied the
Ekman layer characteristics in the laboratory using an annular rotating wind tunnel and found

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.33 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

that the vertical distribution of turbulence intensity in the wind tunnel agrees with the
atmospheric distribution (Howroyd et al, 1975). It has been shown that the height of the Ekman
spiral is around 1400. The influence of wind speed shear on the performance of large towers or
chimneys has been studied and is nowadays an acknowledged fact. The possible influence of
variation of direction with altitude (direction shear) has rarely been studied and is poorly
documented. Hence, it is important to analyze the influence of wind direction shear on a solar
chimney.

Fig 1(a) Solar Chimney components and

principle

Fig 1(b) Artist view of the essential components

of a solar chimney: solar collector, turbine,
chimney (4)

This Research exchange views on the influence of wind directional shear on a solar
roof
chimney. Pressure measurements on a circular cylinder
like a scale model of a solar chimney will
be carried out in a wind tunnel / Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The change in wind
direction mechanism will be designed in order to deflect the wind direction vertically. For every
height h, the wind direction o will be changed. This can be done by deflecting wind vanes.
This research encompass
Computational flow analysis of Atmospheric boundary layer flow influence on
the solar tower using Large Eddy Simulation (LES).
Computational flow analysis of Ekman spiral flow influence on the solar tower
using Large Eddy Simulation (LES).

Computational Study
Wind directional shear effects on a scale model of a solar chimney power plant will be
studied in a wind tunnel. Pressure measurements will be taken on the model and various
probabilistic analyses will be carried out in order to achieve the research goal.
In this research, a mechanism for changing wind direction will be exhibited in order to
simulate wind direction shear with respect to vertical height. This mechanism will be tested to
achieve the required wind direction at the model location. Then the wind direction shear profile
will be simulated for several sets of measurements. Since there is a lack of wind engineering data
for heights over 300m above the ground, the required properties and wind direction shear
profiles are not known. Fig.2 shows the direction changing mechanism to be fabricated in order
to change the wind direction with respect to the vertical height. Fig.3 shows the circular cylinder
model in the wind tunnel used to measure the pressure under the wind directional shear flow.

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Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Wind Direction

Fig.2 Proposed vanes to change the wind

direction in the wind tunnel

Fig.3 Schematic diagram of wind tunnel

model kept in wind direction shear flow

Results and Discussion

A computational study has been performed using the commercial tool FLUENT. The
wind on the inlet is simulated using the multi directional veering as designed. The effect is
studied and reported in Fig. 4. It shows that a computational domain I of twisted shape has been
created in order to generate the flow with differential angle. Fig.5 shows that the wind direction
changes from 0 to 12 degree are achieved. Also another computational domain II is made and is
shown in Fig. 6, it is found that there is a change in wind direction from 0 to 18 degrees in Fig. 7.
There are various locations in the test section of the domain made is measured. At 0.5 m, the
wind profile is uniform and there is no effect of veering. However the increase in the lengthwise
of the test section, it is found that the wind direction starts changing. Fig. 11 shows that there is a
wind direction from 0 to 28 degree is achieved by this methodology.

Fig. 4 Computational model I made in order to create a Ekman spiral

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.33 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Fig. 5. Wind Direction changes from 0 to 12 degrees

Fig. 6 Computational model II made in order to create a Ekman spiral

Fig. 7. Wind Direction changes from 0 to 18 degrees

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.33 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Fig. 8. Computational Fluid Dynamic domain has been made.

0.9

0.8

0.7

Y axis

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
-10

-5

10

15
20
Wind Direction

25

30

35

40

45

Fig. 9. Flow direction measured at x = 0.5 m

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

Y axis

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20
-15
Wind Direction

-10

-5

Fig. 10. Flow direction measured at x = 1.5 m

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Fig. 11. Flow direction changes from 0 to 38 degrees

Conclusion
This paper aims to generate the mechanism for developing the veering effect on the solar
chimney power technology and is demonstrated. It is found that it is possible to generate the
wind directional changes from 0 to 38 degree by this mechanism. The vanes designed and
simulated are straight in geometry and the achieved wind direction is limited. This can be
enhanced using the curved or various other geometry of the vanes. The experimental setup can
be done in the test section of the boundary layer wind tunnel, and this concept can be
experimentally proved.

References
[1] Schlaich, J. and Schiel, W. (2001). Solar Chimneys, Encyclopedia of Physical Science and
Technology, 3rd Edition, Academic Press, London.
[2] H. -J. Niemann, F. Lupi, R. Hoeffer, W. Hubert, C. Borri, The Solar Updraft Power Plant:
Design and Optimization of the Tower for Wind Effects, EACWE 5, Florence, Italy, 19 23
July 2009.
[3] Norbert Holscher, Rudiger Hoffer, Hans- Jurgen Niemann, Markus Tschersich,
Aerodynamic basics of wind loading patterns at the collector glass roof SCPT 2010, Ruhr
University, 28- 30 September 2010.
[4] Xinping Zhou, Fang Wang, Pressure distribution on solar thermal power plan chimney in a
thunderstorm downburst SCPT 2010, Ruhr University, 28- 30 September 2010.
[5] Oleg Zikanov, Donald N. Slinn and Manhar R. Dhanak, Large-eddy simulations of the
wind-induced turbulent Ekman layer, J. Fluid Mech. (2003), vol. 495, pp. 343368.
[6] G. C. Howroyd and P. R. Slawson, The characteristics of a laboratory produced turbulent
ekman layer, Boundary-Layer Meteorology 8 (1975) 201-219.

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