Researchers have developed a new solar tower incorporating a double chimney which allows it to produce electricity even at night. This technology could produce more than 750 MWh per year, provided it is placed in a hot and arid climate, with access to wate.
The sources of renewable energy each have flaws, such as solar panels that only work during the day. Until we find the ultimate defect-free technology or a cheap, eco-friendly energy storage system , the best solution is to mix sources. In an article published in the journal Energy Reports , researchers from Qatar and Jordan have just developed a new system based on older technology: the solar tower . Combined with a second technology, it can generate more than double the electricity of a traditional solar tower , and even operates at night. They called it TTSS ( Twin-Technology Solar System ).
The solar tower was invented in 1897 by Alfred Rosling Bennett. It consists of a large chimney surrounded by a construction with a roof sloping towards the center. air under the construction is heated by the sun like in a greenhouse, and climbs the chimney to exit at the top, and activates turbines on the way.
Energy production more than doubles
The version created by the researchers uses a chimney 200 meters high and 10 meters in diameter, surrounded by a glass construction at its base 250 meters in diameter. The chimney is surrounded by a second chimney 13.6 meters in diameter, and the space between the two is divided into 10 sections. A mechanism sprays water at the top of each section to cool and weigh down the air, so that it descends and activates turbines at the bottom of the sections. This second chimney works best around noon, but continues to produce throughout the day, even at night .
The researchers simulated the operation and obtained a production 2.14 times that of a conventional solar tower , with 350 MWh per year produced by the central chimney in ascending current, and 400 MWh produced by the outer chimney in descending current. However, the performance of the exterior chimney is reduced in aclimatehumid, and therefore requires being placed in a hot and arid climate, while having access to a water source. The researchers plan to explore the integration of other renewable technologies into the tower to further improve its performance.
