Investigation on the cost-effective optimal dimensions of a solar chimney with the Bees Algorithm

Abstract

Solar chimney systems which consist of three main parts (collector, chimney, turbine) are one of the main thermal methods that produce electricity using solar energy. In a solar chimney, the high-power generation that can be obtained by increasing the design dimensions can also cause ineffective high investment costs. In this study, differing from the traditional design approach, a heuristic optimization method based on the Bees Algorithm is present to obtain the optimum design parameters (the chimney and collector dimensions) that are provided the more effective solutions. It is made for 3 configurations in order to prove the accuracy of the optimization study using different algorithm parameters. By using the obtained mathematical equations and the defined non-currency investment cost unit for a traditional solar chimney, the optimum design parameters that can provide more power output with acceptable costs are investigated. Two main objectives are taken into consideration namely maximizing efficiency of solar chimney system and minimizing investment cost. In the optimization process, within the ranges determined for the decision variables, the maximum and minimum dimensions are determined as 1293.05-1330.47 m for the collector diameter, 94-99 m for the chimney diameter and 783-792 m for the chimney height. The obtained results showed that this open to develop approach proposed within the scope of the study can be useful in the optimal design of solar chimney systems.