Solare Aufwindkraftwerke: Ein Beitrag der Bautechnik zur nachhaltigen und wirtschaftlichen Energieerzeugung

Solar updraft power plants: A structural engineering contribution for sustainable and economic power generation

Solar updraft power technology serves to generate electricity in the world-wide deserts, overcoming several deficits of present renewable energy technologies. In several suited countries such power plant projects are in preparation. The present contribution starts with an explanation of the working principle of solar updraft power plants, followed by their climatic and wind-technologic design assumptions, terminated by the wind-load determination in boundary layer wind-tunnels. Then the central solar chimney - the power tower - will be treated, a thin ring-stiffened RC shell of extreme height forming the utmost structural challenge of such power plants. This part is followed by an explanation of technical requirements for the collector construction, which represents by far the largest glass-covered area ever built, and of the wind loading at the glazing and the supporting structure. Further important aspects are formed by the durability requirements of the applied construction materials for at least 100 years of service-duration of the tower in extreme desert climates. The paper closes with cost estimates for the generated electric power and with a technology outlook.