1. Solar Chimney Power Plant
ME 463 Senior Design Project
Design Review
May Lin Chang
Yu Jiang
Payton Lee
Katja Strohm
Katharina Schweigler

2. Agenda Background Initial Design Concept Preliminary Calculation
Katja Strohm
Initial Design Concept
Preliminary Calculation
May Lin Chang
Proposed Innovation
Katharina Schweigler
Materials and Cost
Payton Lee
Conclusion
Yu Jiang
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

3. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Background
What is a solar tower?
Air heats up under greenhouse effect
Hot air rises through chimney
Updraft drives turbine
Green house effect
Transparent material transmit solar radiation
Longer wavelengths such as IR trapped as heat
Chimney suction
Flow driven by pressure and density difference in air
Turbine - hydroelectric turbine oppose to wind turbine  high power output
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

4. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Background
Why solar tower?
Greenhouse, chimney, and turbine are available
Renewable energy
Rapid Prototyping
Chimney
Greenhouse image
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

5. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Background
Design Project Motivation
Low cost energy generation
Innovation for renewable energy
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

6. Initial Design Concept
Chimney:
Pressure tube
Tall, hollow cylinder with small diameter
Realized with PE pipes and steal pipes
Turbine:
Located on the bottom of the chimney
Mounted through a case in chimney
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

7. Initial Design Concept
Collector area:
Large greenhoese
Plastic film covering the ground
App. diameter: 15m
Installed above ground on wooden support structure
Energy storage:
Black tubes under collector area filled with water
Heat capacity of water much higher than soil
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

8. Preliminary Calculation
Chimney/Tower
ηtow
Solar Energy, Q_dotsolar
Turbine
ηtur
Collector
ηcol
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

9. Preliminary Calculation
Principle Equations
Power output of the plant, P
Solar Energy
Efficiency
Nomenclatures
Solar Radiation Energy
[W]
Component Efficiency
Global Horizontal Radiation
[W/m2]
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

10. Preliminary Calculation
Averaged values Gh
5000
W/m2
Monthly Global Horizontal Radiation at West Lafayette (April) g
9.81
m/s
gravitational constant To
288 K
ambient temperature/collector inlet temperature Cp
1005
J/kg.K
specific heat capacity
Schlaich, Bergermann, Schiel and Weinrebe
P [W]
Q [W]
Acoll [m2]
Htow [m]
ηtow
Dcoll[m]
ηcoll
ηturb
883573 10 15
0.1
0.4
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

11. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Proposed Innovation
Mirrors to “enlarge” greenhouse area
Heat exchanger
Black foil on the ground
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

12. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Proposed Innovation
Mirrors
floating material (Styron foam)
Increase the amount of radiation on greenhouse area
Angle around horizontal axis adjusted by electric motor
Angle around vertical axis adjusted by bionic mechanism
Ring filled with water
Air bubbles
expanded bubble
shrunk bubble
Shadow due to blade
Sun
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

13. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Proposed Innovation
Mirrors
Bionic mechanism
Radiation heats gas in bubbles
Bubbles expand and push ring of mirrors
-> Mirrors face sun
Ring filled with water
Air bubbles
Mirrors
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

14. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Proposed Innovation
Heat exchanger
Uses external heat to heat up the air additionally eg. from another plant
Can be oil which is heated between angled mirrors on the ground
Cold Oil
Hot Oil
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

15. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Proposed Innovation
Black foil
Placed under oil pipes
Heats up ground more effectively
Goal: Store heat for night operation
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

16. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Materials & Cost
Collector
(Greenhouse Plastic Sheet)
Requirements
Opacity
Durability
Weight
Cost
Between $100 and $600 depending on size and quality
Eskay-Lite Vinyl Covering
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

17. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Materials & Cost
Chimney
Requirements:
Weight
Stability
Manufacturability
Supported by steel beam or wire
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

18. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Materials & Cost
Computer fan as turbine
Requirement
Efficient
Low noise
Cost
Between $5 and $40 (depending on requirement)
Measure electricity using multimeter
Antec 80mm SmartCool Computer Fan $13.88
Sunon KD1204PKB2 40x40x20mm Medium Speed Fan 3PIN $80
Zalman CNPS8000 CPU Fan 92mm $39.99
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

19. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
Future Plans
Determine the exact dimensions
Finalize design – select improvement method
Material selection and Cost estimation
Ordering and Construction
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm

20. M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm
References:
Gannon, A. J., Backström, T.W. v. (2000). "Solar Chimney Cycle Analysis with System Loss and Solar Collector Performance", Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 122 (3),
Schlaich, Bergermann, Schiel, and Weinrebe “Design and Commercialization of a Solar Updraft Tower”
Schlaich J. “The Solar Chimney: Electricity From Sun”, Edition Axel Menges, 1995.
Thank you
M. Chang, Y. Jiang, P. Lee, K. Schweigler, and K. Strohm