Experimental and Numerical Assessment of the Influence of Heat Trap Assembly on Solar Chimney Performance.

A big hurdle to using solar chimneys for power generation is their low overall efficiency, which is measured by how effectively energy is converted at different stages of the system. While a taller chimney might help, it is expensive and complex to implement. To address this issue, a new study explored the possibility of using a thermal absorbing assembly at the top of the chimney to increase its efficiency without increasing its height. The study presented both experimental and numerical data on this approach, looking at changes in temperature and heat gains as performance indicators. By adding this low-cost and simple fixture, the study found that the temperature before the chimney outlet increased, and the stack effect was strengthened. The rise of air temperature posed an increase of up to 83.1% by experimental assessment and an increase of 12.75% by numerical assessment with the added fixture of the heat trap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]