Researchers have developed a revolutionary new method to double the energy output of a solar power plant that can provide enough electricity for more than 750 homes.
A recent study published in the journal Energy Reports redesigned a system known as a tower solar power plant, which consists of a chimney-shaped tower with a mechanical turbine at its base.
The system basically consists of two components: the solar riser system and the cooling descent structure.
When the air inside the tower is heated by absorbing solar radiation, an upward draft is created that drives the wind turbines, which in turn generate electricity.
However, this prototype, developed by Spanish engineers in the 1980s, was not widely accepted due to its high cost and expense.
Conventional power plants of this type also have limited energy efficiency because they rely on solar radiation and only operate during the day.
Although a number of improvements have been made to this design over the years such as: such as the use of different low-cost construction materials and improved ventilation within the system, as well as the use of multiple generators to increase output, these developments have led only in "modest" results. Improvements.
Now researchers in Qatar and Jordan have achieved even better results using improved air circulation technology.
In a downdraft system, a pump moves water to the top of the tower, where it collects and cools hot air.
The cold air then exits the cylinder because it is denser than the outside air.
Once the cooling air reaches the base of the turbine, it turns it on and produces electricity.
"The hot air immediately absorbs the water and generates electricity, which interacts with the turbines at the bottom of the tower," the scientists explained.
Researchers say that by combining two air currents in this new dual technology solar system (TTSS), electricity can be generated even at night as the air retains the sun's heat during the day.
Simulations show that the TTSS could produce 752,763 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to power about 753 homes for about five weeks.
"This mode is independent of solar radiation and can operate day and night," they said, adding that it produces 2.14 times more energy than a traditional solar levitation system.
They say the TTSS consists of 10 landing towers surrounding a tower that is approximately 652 feet tall and 45 feet in diameter.
Although simulations show the system can produce electricity 24 hours a day, scientists say the system's dependence on water supplies must be taken into account.
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