PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A HYBRID SOLAR CHIMNEY-PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANT FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION

A hybrid solar chimney/photovoltaic power plant (HSCPP) is a cogeneration system that simultaneously generates heat and electricity. This study proposed a configuration of solar chimney integrated with photovoltaic cells to enhance the utilization of solar energy and increase the efficiency of the system. When solar irradiation passes through a PV module, part of the energy is converted into electrical energy, while the rest is converted into heat that is dissipated to the air channel. The heated air moves up by buoyancy effect towards the chimney is further accelerated using a convergent nozzle where its energy is converted into mechanical energy by a wind turbine. On the other hand, the natural draft of air can be utilised for cooling of the PV panels which may increase its efficiency and hence the power output. A mathematical model is developed based on momentum, energy, and continuity equaions in the collector and in the chimney to predict the velocity, temperature, power output, and efficiency. It is found that the integration of solar chimney with a PV panel resulted in an average reduction of the PV surface temperature by ~ 5.5°C with a hybrid efficiency of two orders higher than the that of conventional solar chimney.