A case study of an integrated solar chimney power plant and water desalination plant in Qatar

Abstract

The study proposes a novel solution of integrating a solar chimney power plant (SCPP) with a water desalination pilot plant (WDPP) to enhance generating energy and fresh water. The integration was accomplished by coupling the excess heat from the WDPP to the collector of the SCPP. Hence, enhance the temperature profile within the structure for better energy production. Hourly weather data (temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar irradiance) were gathered during the entire year and their impacts on the efficiency of the SCPP were analyzed. The performance of SCPP+WDPP was assessed in terms of the production of electrical power and desalinated water. The temperature differences between the inside and exterior of the SCPP had a significant impact on the airflow pattern within the chimney and the resulting energy production. The results emphasized the superior performance of SCPP+WDPP, especially in terms of continuous 24-h electrical and water production. The proposed system increased water production from 139,443.4 tons to 224,513.7 tons and energy production from 633,125.9 kWh to 1,103,435 kWh compared with SCPP. The SCPP+WDPP could reduce the annual CO2 emissions by 993,091.5 kg and increased power efficiency by 98 %. Performing further techno-economic assessments is advised to enhance the system efficiency.