Numerical and Experimental Study On Solar Updraft Power

Generator (SUPG)

Abrar Ridwan, Ridwan Abdurrahman, M Ridha Fauzi, Yohanes, Denny A

[email protected]

[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract. The need for energy is fundamental to drive the economy and social from the
community. Clean, renewable, and sustainable energy is the one desired by the community
today. Solar Updraft Power Generator (SUPG) is one power generation system that utilizes
heat from solar radiation to produce artificial wind that will drive the wind turbine. This study
consists of numerical and experimental analysis. The numerical analysis uses ANSYS 17.2 and
SOLIDWORKS 2016. SOLIDWORKS 2016 is the software used in designing SUPG
geometry. ANSYS 17 is the software used to analyse SUPG velocity and temperature contour.
Then the numerical analysis would be compared with the experimental analysis. The study
took place on a SUPG the laboratory conversion energy of the Muhammadiyah University of
Riau. From the numerical analysis we can conclude that the higher ∆T ground-ambient would
resulting a higher air velocity. Compared numerical to experimental analysis showed a
difference. For numerical analysis from ∆T ground-ambient 5℃ resulting maximum velocity 1.6
m/s, while for experimental analysis from average ∆T ground-ambient 3.6℃ resulting maximum
velocity 4.1 m/s. This happened because there still much external force (such as wind) that
increase the velocity that generated inside the Solar Updraft Power Generator beside the
buoyance force.

KEY WORDS: Solar Updraft, Power Generator, Computational Fluid Dynamic, Temperature,
Velocity. Renewable Energy.

1. INTRODUCTION

In 2011, the international energy agency stated that "the development of affordable, non-depleted
and clean solar energy technology will provide a large long-term profit. This development will
improve the energy security of countries through the use of existing energy sources, not exhausted,
and not dependent on imports, improve sustainability, reduce pollution, reduce the cost of mitigating
climate change, and keep the price of fossil fuels low than before.
Solar Chimney is a system used to convert heat radiation into air. Solar thermal power plants are
grouped into two main categories: high and low power plants. This depends on their temperature level.
High temperature power plants collect direct solar radiation and use thermodynamic processes with
closed cycles. Plants have very high efficiency, but behind it all the operational costs and capital are
very high. Chimney solar power plants are classified as power plants with low temperatures because
the working fluid is still maintained, especially in the free atmosphere. This process showed at fig 1
below.

Figure 1. Solar Updraft Power Generator Process

In this context, the work of this research aims compared numerical analysis used fluent and
experimental data on Solar Updraft Power Generator. The experimental data used a Solar Updraft
Power Generator Device in the laboratory conversion energy of the Muhammadiyah University of
Riau. This device showed at fig 1 below.

3
4
Figure 2. Solar Updraft Power Generator Device
 Where
1) Chimney
2) Bell mouth
3) Acrylic collector
4) Acrylic support

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Shiv L, S.C. Kaushik and Ranjana Hans [1] 2016. Experimental investigation and CFD simulation
studies of a laboratory scale solar chimney for power generation. Hermann F. Fasel, Fanlong Meng,
Ehsan Shams and Andreas Gross [2] 2013. CFD analysis for solar chimney power plants. Aakash
Hassan, Majid Ali, and Adeel Waqas [3] 2018. Numerical investigation on performance of solar
chimney power plant by varying collector slope and chimney diverging angle. Yangyang Xua and
Xinping Zhou [4] 2018. Performance of divergent-chimney solar power plants. Rayan Rabehi, Abla
Chaker, Tingzhen Ming & Tingrui Gong [5] 2018. Numerical simulation of solar chimney power plant
adopting the fan model. Ridwan Abdurrahman, Ari D. Pasek and Pandji Prawisudha [6] 2017.
Numerical and Experimental Study On Rocket Stove Combustion Process for Heating Stirling Engine.

2.1 Computational Fluid Dynamic

In this study, ANSYS workbench (17.2) software was used in the computational fluid dynamic
analysis on Solar Updraft Power Generator. An 3D model Solar Updraft Power Generator was made
using Solidwork 2016 & export to ANSYS workbench as shown in fig 2. Tetrahedral and triangular
elements were used to mesh of Solar Updraft Power Generator design. The design was modeled with
10249 nodes and 42766 elements.

Figure 3. Mashing of model

 Computational fluid dynamic of Solar Updraft Power Generator by ANSYS software for gaining
the temperature and velocity inside the Solar Updraft Power Generator with variation of temperature
outside, and surface of Solar Updraft Power Generator. Condition parameters for this research are
listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Condition parameters
Condition T ambient T ground
(celcius) (celcius)
1 30 35
2 30 40
3 30 50
experimental 31,7 35,3

The properties of component of Solar Updraft Power Generator

Table 2. Properties of materials
Properties Acrylic
Peat (Absorber Alumunium (Colector
Plate) (Chimney) Roof) Air
Density (kg/m3) 400 2700 1180 1,125
Thermal Conductivity (W /m K 1880 910 1460 1006,4
Specific Heat Capacity (J / kg K 0,11 237 0,17 0,0242

2.2 Stack Effect

TS T0

Figure 4. Stack effect on Solar Updraft

The stack effect happens because the temperature inside the chimney is higher than outside the chimney, this
condition makes the density of air become smaller and lighter. The lighter air would move up and cause a
vacuum inside the chimney. This vacuum will be filled with new air from outside the chimney.

Stack effect equation

1 1 𝑔. ℎ. 𝑃
∆Ps-0 = ( − )
𝑇0 𝑇𝑠 𝑅

Where
 ∆Ps-0 = pressure difference (Pa)
T0 = T ambient (K)
Ts = T ground (K)
g = gravity (m/s)
h = chimney height (m)
p = atmospheric pressure (Pa)
R = ideal gas coefficient (J/kg.K)

2.3 Boundary Condition

The boundary condition of this simulation showed on fig below.

Figure 5. Boundary condition

A semi-transparent wall with heat transfer coefficient 10 W/m2K is applied to wall akrilik (i.e. at
position “A” marked on fig 4). An opaque wall with adiabatic condition is applied to wall cerobong
(i.e. at position “B” marked on fig 4). An atmosphere pressure is applied to pressure outlet (i.e. at
position “C” marked on fig 4). A pressure based on stack effect equation is applied to pressure inlet
(i.e. at position “D” marked on fig 4). An opaque wall with temperature based on surface temperature
is applied to wall base (i.e. at position “E” marked on fig 4). An opaque wall with adiabatic condition
is applied to wall rangka (i.e. at position “F” marked on fig 4).
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Velocity

(a)

(b) (c)
Figure 7. Velocity contour (a) condition 1 (b) condition 2 (c) condition 3

The maximum velocity happened on bell mouth area. maximum velocity on condition 1 was 1,6 m/s
shown on fig 7. This value gradually drops around inlet at 0 m/s. velocity for other condition were
shown on fig 8.
 60 4.1 4.5
4
50
Temperature (celcius)

3.13 3.5

Velocity (m/s)
40 3
2.24 2.5
30
1.6 2
20 1.5
1
10
0.5
0 0
1 2 3 experimental
condition

T ambient (celcius) T ground (celcius) Velocity (m/s)

Figure 8. T0 & Ts VS velocity

The influence of temperature showed that higher ∆T ground-ambient, the higher velocity that
generated by solar updraft. By comparing the velocity that generated between simulation and
experiment, we notice there are difference. For numerical analysis from ∆T ground-ambient 5℃ resulting
maximum velocity 1.6 m/s, while for experimental analysis from average ∆T ground-ambient 3.6℃
resulting maximum velocity 4.1 m/s. This happened because there still much external force (such as
wind) that increase the velocity that generated inside the Solar Updraft Power Generator beside the
buoyance force.

3.2 Film Temperature

(a)
 (b) (c)
Figure 9. Temperature contour (a) condition 1 (b) condition 2 (c) condition 3

The influence of temperature showed that higher ∆T ground-ambient, the higher T film that
happened on solar updraft.
60

50
Temperature (celcius)

43
39 41
40
33.7
30

20

10

0
1 2 3 experimental
condition

T ambient (celcius) T ground (celcius) T film (celcius)

Figure 6. T0, Ts, Tf

By comparing the velocity that generated between simulation and experiment, we notice there are
difference. For numerical analysis from ∆T ground-ambient 5℃ resulting T film 39 5℃, while for
experimental analysis from average ∆T ground-ambient 3.6℃ resulting T film 33,7 ℃.

4. CONCLUSION
The result shows that
1) The influence of temperature showed that higher ∆T ground-ambient;
a) the higher velocity that generated by solar updraft
b) the higher T film that happened on solar updraft
 2) The difference velocity between simulation and experimental happened because there still
much external force (such as wind) that increase the velocity that generated inside the Solar
Updraft Power Generator beside the buoyance force.

References
[1] Shiv L, S.C. Kaushik and Ranjana Hans 2016. Experimental investigation and CFD simulation
studies of a laboratory scale solar chimney for power generation. Sustainable Energy
Technologies and Assessments 13, pp. 13–22.
[2] Hermann F. Fasel, Fanlong Meng, Ehsan Shams and Andreas Gross 2013. CFD analysis for
solar chimney power plants, Solar Energy 98, pp. 12–22.
[3] Aakash Hassan, Majid Ali, and Adeel Waqas. 2018. Numerical investigation on performance of
solar chimney power plant by varying collector slope and chimney diverging angle. Energy
142, pp. 411-425.
[4] Yangyang Xua and Xinping Zhou. 2018. Performance of divergent-chimney solar power plants.
Solar Energy 170. pp. 379–387
[5] Rayan Rabehi, Abla Chaker, Tingzhen Ming & Tingrui Gong. 2018. Numerical simulation of
solar chimney power plant adopting the fan model. Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126,
pages 1093-1101.
[6] Ridwan Abdurrahman, Ari D. Pasek and Pandji Prawisudha. 2018. Numerical and Experimental
Study On Rocket Stove Combustion Process for Heating Stirling Engine. Jurnal AIP
Conference Proceedings Volume 1984 issue 1 pages 03-12.