07-09-2016, 10:15 AM
The solar updraft tower (SUT) is a renewable-energy power plant for generating electricity from low temperature solar heat. Sunshine heats the air beneath a very wide greenhouse-like roofed collector structure surrounding the central base of a very tall chimney tower. The resulting convection causes a hot air updraft in the tower by the chimney effect. This airflow drives wind turbines placed in the chimney updraft or around the chimney base to produce electricity. Plans for scaled-up versions of demonstration models will allow significant power generation, and may allow development of other applications, such as water extraction or distillation, and agriculture or horticulture.
Commercial investment may have been discouraged by the high initial cost of building a very large novel structure, the large land area required and by the risk of investment, however, there appears to be a renewed interest in solar updraft towers especially in sunny remote areas. A few prototypes have recently been constructed and projects are being proposed for parts of Africa, USA and Australia. An important fact to consider is that solar updraft towers appear to be the only renewable energy technology that can generate electricity from low temperature heat. Functional or mechanical feasibility is not so much an issue now as capitalisation.
Commercial investment may have been discouraged by the high initial cost of building a very large novel structure, the large land area required and by the risk of investment, however, there appears to be a renewed interest in solar updraft towers especially in sunny remote areas. A few prototypes have recently been constructed and projects are being proposed for parts of Africa, USA and Australia. An important fact to consider is that solar updraft towers appear to be the only renewable energy technology that can generate electricity from low temperature heat. Functional or mechanical feasibility is not so much an issue now as capitalisation.
