Journal of Solar Energy Research

Computational Analysis of Radial Turbine Design and Performance for Renewable Power Generation in Solar Chimney

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering,Faculty Sciences and Technology, University of Abbas Laghrour Khenchela, 40004 Khenchela, Algeria

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering,Faculty Sciences and Technology, University of Abbas Laghrour Khenchela, 40004 Khenchela, Algeria Laboratory of Studies of Industrial Energy Systems LESEI, Faculty of Technology, University of Batna, Algeria

3 Laboratory of Studies of Industrial Energy Systems LESEI, Faculty of Technology, University of Batna 2, 05000 Batna, Algeria

4 Unité de Recherche Appliquée en Energies Renouvelables, URAER, Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables, CDER, Ghardaïa, Algeria

Abstract

This study examines the performance improvement of Solar Chimneys Power Plants (SCPPs) through optimized turbine design using three-dimensional numerical simulation. The research contributes to ongoing efforts to advance clean and advanced renewable-energy systems intended to limit reliance on traditional fossil fuels. A simplified 3D computational model of an SCPP, based on the Manzanares prototype, was developed and analyzed in ANSYS Fluent to evaluate three radial turbine configurations. The designs incorporate exit angles of 72.5°, 75°, and 78.5°, coupled with appropriate blade numbers of 12, 14, and 16, respectively. The numerical results reveal that the 14-blade configuration (Design B) achieves the highest performance, generating 70.6 kW of power representing a 43.9% improvement over the reference Manzanares model (49.06 kW), while maintaining stable airflow and thermodynamic characteristics. The obtained results emphasize the critical role of turbine geometry on SCPP efficiency and further demonstrate the system’s potential as a reliable and sustainable renewable energy solution, particularly for regions with strong solar resources.

Keywords

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Journal of Solar Energy Research
Volume 10, Issue 4
October 2025
Pages 2603-2615