A solar chimney is a type of solar updraft tower (SUT). This renewable-energy power plant generates electricity from low-temperature solar heat. The solar heat is gathered by solar collectors surrounding the chimney base in an extent of up to several miles. Due to the chimney's effect, the hot air is sucked into a very tall chimney tower and drives wind turbines placed in the chimney updraft. The turbines then convert the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
The power plant station of this student project is designed as a steel structure. The solar chimney is 4,265 ft tall and its stability is ensured by steel cables. The greenhouse-like roofed collector structure is included in the surrounding area of more than 865 acres. The total mass of the chimney is approximately 134,481 tons.
For structural analysis of the solar chimney, a spatial model of the steel structure was created in RSTAB, consisting of a total of 801 nodes, 3,128 members, and 19 cross‑sections.
| Structural Engineering | Kai Ollesch, Ulrich Körner, Robin Eckardt Students at Dortmund University, Germany P3 "Tower Constructions" Project Academic Year 1997/98 www.tu-dortmund.de |
