Solar Nozzle Revised - a Laboratory Model
Summary
A small conical solar chimney is described of height 1 m and collector diameter 2 m. In sunny conditions, warm air in the solar collector creates a buoyancy force which draws air through the configuration. The narrow open top of the conical vessel requires multiplication of air flow velocity. It is calculated that 50% of the solar energy absorbed can be converted into kinetic energy of air flow if the open top has a diameter of 11.48 cm. A turbine sited in the throat of the nozzle could harness this kinetic energy and generate electricity. No experimental work has been carried out. The author asks for further theoretical study of the proposal including by computational flow dynamics and for a laboratory model to be built and tested.