Background: Solar updraft towers (also known as solar chimneys) offer a simple and reliable way of generating electricity from solar radiation. For solar chimneys the principle of energy production is very simple: a solar collector heats up air in a collector occupying a large area. The air escapes the collector through a tall (hundreds of meters) chimney which connects the hot volume of the collector with the cooler air above the ground. The temperature difference induces the convection and a turbine within the pipe harvests the energy of the updraft. This method of creating energy has several advantages including a continuous and predictable output low maintenance and is inexpensive to produce. The key flaw of this design is its inefficiency; only 0.5% to 5% of the incident solar energy is converted into electricity. One of the ways to potentially improve the efficiency would be to enhance the thermodynamics of the updraft flow but that requires increasing the temperature differential between the greenhouse on the bottom and the exhaust on top of the updraft tower. This would require building taller towers which can create problems with structural integrity. There is a present need for the creation of a stable and effective updraft chimney that can withstand environmental stresses and while enhancing performance. Technology Description: Researchers from the University of New Mexico in collaboration with researchers from the University of Alberta University of Manitoba and the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris have developed a novel self-supporting chimney for use in solar updraft towers. This device can be used to construct an improved solar updraft tower that increases air intake and minimizes pressure loss. The efficiency of a power plant based on this design is further enhanced by combining solar thermal energy generation with photovoltaic energy generation while utilizing the waste heat. Materials used in the design of this chimney allow for more efficient wind flow as well as maintains the structural integrity of the tower. This device can be used to construct an improved solar updraft tower that increases air intake and minimizes pressure loss. The efficiency of a power plant based on this design is further enhanced by combining solar thermal energy generation with photovoltaic energy generation while utilizing the waste heat. Materials used in the design of this chimney allow for more efficient wind flow as well as maintains the structural integrity of the tower at all times. Applications: For use in solar updraft towers
1) Self-supporting design 2) Free-standing 3) Controllable pressure 4) Capable of withstanding extreme weather or seismic events 5) Possibility for continuous and predictable energy creation 6) Material used adds a structural integrity not seen in other similar towers 7) Ability to change tilt of tower to fit the pressures created by the environment