Theoretical evaluation of the influence of geometric parameters and materials on the behavior of the airflow in a solar chimney

An analytical and numerical study of the unsteady airflow inside a solar chimney was performed. The conservation and transport equations that describe the flow were modeled and solved numerically using the finite volumes technique in generalized coordinates. The numerical results were physically validated through comparison with the experimental data. The developed model was used for airflow simulation in solar chimneys with operational and geometric configurations different from those found in the experimental prototype. Analysis showed that the height and diameter of the tower are the most important physical variables for solar chimney design. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.