Convergent Solar Chimney - an outline for an Experimental Model
Summary
A convergent solar chimney requires that the velocity of air flow at the top of the chimney is many times that at the base of the chimney. The multiple is the ratio of the area of the base of the chimney to the area of the top of the chimney. Available kinetic energy for a turbine sited at the top of the chimney is multiplied by the square of this ratio. It should thus be possible to design a convergent solar chimney of modest height but with high efficiency.
Calculations have been carried out on models of height 3, 5, 10 and 20m using high area ratios. In this way an efficiency of about 50% could be achievable.