A two-dimensional simulation method of the solar chimney power plant with a new radiation model for the collector

A two-dimensional axisymmetric CFD method is proposed for the solar chimney power plant (SCPP), which includes a solar radiation model within the collector, an energy storage model, an air flow and heat transfer model, and a turbine model. Numerical simulation is conducted for the Manzanares pilot plant. Different solar radiation modes in the collector and simulation methods are compared and discussed. Results show that the present two-dimensional method obtains consistent results with the three-dimensional method in the literature and experiment data, validating the feasibility of the proposed two-parallel-plate model for the radiation heat transfer within the collector.