Summary
A theoretical performance model for turbine-equipped solar chimney power plants, including friction and thermal losses and how air temperature varies with altitude both within and around the tower, is validated with measurements from the Manzanares prototype in Spain. For a given plant and sunlight level, output reaches a peak; enlarging the collector stops paying off beyond a certain radius, whereas tower height is constrained only by building capability.
Description written by Solar Tower. The original abstract is available from the publisher via the link below.