A simplified analytical approach for evaluation of the optimal ratio of pressure drop across the turbine in solar chimney power plants

In this paper, a simplified analytical approach for evaluating the factor of turbine pressure drop in solar chimney power plants is presented. This characteristic factor (or pressure drop ratio in turbines, according to the total pressure drop in the chimney) is important because it is related to the output power. The determined factor (or ratio) values of the turbine pressure drop are found to be within a value range consistent with other studies. It was concluded that for solar chimney power plants, turbine pressure drop factors are in the range of 0.8-0.9. This simplified analytical approach is useful for preliminary analysis and fast evaluation of the potential of solar chimney power plants. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.