MORADABAD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SEMINAR REPORT ON

SOLAR UPDRAFT TOWER

GUIDED BY-

Mr. SAURABH SAXENA

(ASSISTANT PROFESSOR)

PRESENTED BY-

SUNIL KUMAR SINGH

(0708221056)

EN, VI SEMESTER

CONTENTS1.Introduction2.History3.Definition of Solar Updraft Tower4.Parts of Solar Updraft Tower5.Working Principle of Solar Updraft Tower6.Enery storage in collector7. Typical dimensions and electricity output

 Greenhouse effects heat the air underneath, pushing it faster and faster toward the chimney where turbines converted the air flow to electricity.

Solar Towers are like an inverted funnel, with a wide skirt to collect air to then turn a turbine in the tower.

INTRODUCTION

In many parts of the world 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 energy resource that can be utilized economically to supply Man’s energy needs for all time

HISTORY

a) In 1903 Colonel of the Spanish army

Isidoro Cabanyes first proposed a solar

chimney power plant in the magazine La

energía eléctrica.

b) One of the earliest descriptions of a solar

chimney power plant was written in 1931 by

a German author Hanns Gunther.

c) In 1975, Robert E. Lucier applied for patents

on a solar chimney electric power generator

d) Between 1978 and 1981 these patents

were granted in Australia, Canada, Israel and

the USA

 The solar updraft tower is  renewable type power plant. Solar updraft towers are like an inverted funnel, with a wide skirt to collect air to then turn a turbine in the tower.

WHAT IS SOLAR UPDRAFT TOWER

figure-1 solar updraft tower in Australia

PARTS OF SOLAR UPDRAFT TOWER

1. Collector

2. Chimney or Tower

3. Turbine

figure-2 solar updraft tower in Australia

1. Collectora) 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 figure.

b)There is no limitation for the surface area. The larger the area, the more energy generated from the chimney.

Figure-3 Solar chimney in Spain

c) 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 irradiated solar energy into heat . Also with proper maintenance, its life span can easily be 60 years or more. 

figure-4 Inside view of collector area

2. Chimney or Tower

a) The most important part of the plant is the chimney. The efficiency is proportional to the height of the chimney. b) There are two types of different chimneys using for the plant. Free standing chimney and guyed chimney. The life span of a free standing chimney is longer than that of the guyed chimney. It lasts about a hundred years, while the guyed chimney is much shorter.

Figure-5 Free-standing tower

Figure-6 Guyed tower

3. Turbinea) Turbines are used to convert kinetic energy of air into the mechanical energy. b) Turbines are placed horizontally in chimney, vertically in the collector. c) In order to obtain maximum energy from the warmed air, turbines blades should cover all the cross-sectional area of the chimney. To do this, one big turbine or a few small turbines should be used in chimney, as can be seen from the figure-7 and figure-8.

Figure -7 figure-8Turbine with large diameter Small turbines

Principle of operation

Ambient air

      Hot air

figure-9 simple diagram of solar updraft tower

Energy storage in collector a) Since collectors produce hot air by green house effect, to produce electric during the night, tight water-filled black tubes are placed under the roof as seen in figure.b) The water heats up during the daytime and emits its heat at night.

Figure-10 Principal of thermal Energy storage with water filled black tubes

Figure-10 electric power output vs. time of day of a 200 MW solar updraft tower with 25% of collector area covered by water-filled bags

Effect of water filled black tubes

Typical dimensions and electricity output

1.Capacity MW 5 30 100 200

2.Tower height m 550 750 1000 1000

3.Tower diameter

m 45 70 110 150

4.Collector diameter

m 1250 2900 4300 7000

5.Electricity output

GWH/A 14 99 320 680

At a site with annual global radiation of 2300kwh/(m²a)

Main dimensions and technical data of theManzanares prototype (Spain)

1. Tower height

194.6meter

2. Tower radius 5.08meter

3. Collector radius 122meter

4. Roof height 1.85meter

5 . No. of turbine 1

6. No. of turbine blade 4

7. Output 0f plant 50KW

Main dimensions and technical data of the Mildura solar power plant (Australia)

1. Location Midura (New south wales)

2. Tower diameter 150meter

3. Tower height 1000meter

4. Thickness of tower 25cm

5. Collector diameter 7000

6. Output of plant 200MW

7.Company Enviro Mission Limied

8. No. of turbine 32 each of 6.25MW