The Scientific Documentation of Floating Solar Chimney Technology is the set of the main papers written by the Inventor and appropriately revised by him for this site. The papers were (or are going to be) presented to related Power or Solar Energy international conferences.
The papers with their respective specific topics are:
[1]
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Papageorgiou C. 2004 "Solar Turbine Power Stations with Floating Solar Chimneys". IASTED Proceedings of Power and Energy Systems, EuroPES 2004, Conference, Rhodes Greece July 2004 pp, 151-158.
Topic: Theoretical Performance Analysis of Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations.
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[2]
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Papageorgiou C. 2004, "External Wind Effects on Floating Solar Chimney" IASTED Proceedings of Power and Energy Systems, EuroPES 2004, Conference, Rhodes Greece ,July 2004 2004 pp.159-163.
Topic: External Wind Effects on the Floating Solar Chimneys.
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[3]
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Papageorgiou C. 2004, "Optimum Design for Solar Power Stations with Floating Solar Chimneys'', proceedings of ISES Asia Pacific Solar Energy Conference, Kwangju Korea, October 2004 pp.763-772.
Topic: Design, Calculations and Cost of Floating Solar Chimneys and their respective Power Plants.
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[4]
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Papageorgiou C. 2004, ''Efficiency of solar air turbine power stations with floating solar chimneys'' IASTED Proceedings of Power and Energy Systems Conference Tampa Florida USA, November 2004, pp. 127-134.
Topic: Efficiency and Annual Performance of Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations.
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[5]
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Papageorgiou C. 2005 "Turbines and Generators for Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations". IASTED Proceedings of Power and Energy Systems, EuroPES 2005 conference. Benalmadena Spain June 2005.
Topic: Operation of Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations taking into consideration its Air Turbines and Electric Generators Performances.
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[6]
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Papageorgiou C. 2005 "Hydrogen Production by Solar Aero Electric Power Plants with Floating Solar Chimneys" International Hydrogen Energy Congress Conference 2005,Istanbul Turkey, July 2005.
Topic: Evaluation of Hydrogen Production units composed of Solar Aero Electric Power Plants with Floating Solar Chimneys and appropriate Electrolysis Units.
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[7]
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Papageorgiou C. 2005 "Floating Solar Chimney: The Link towards a Solar Future" ISES 2005 Solar World Congress Conference, Orlando Florida USA, August 2005.
Topic: Cost of Solar Aero Electric Power Plants with Floating Solar Chimneys of variable Height and their comparison to Conventional Power Plants.
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[8]
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Papageorgiou C. 2006 "Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations with Thermal Storage". IASTED proceedings of Power and Energy Systems, EuroPES 2006. Rhodes Greece, July 2006( to be presented).
Topic: Thermal storage of SAEPPs for their 24 hours/day operation.
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1. Do the proper materials for the construction of the Floating Solar Chimney (FSC) exist?
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The necessary material for the FSC's construction are already in use in various applications as follows:
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The appropriate fabrics for the FSC's lifting tubes are already used in airship or balloon industry.
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The appropriate very strong fabrics, reinforced with composite fibbers, for the FSC's inflated supporting tube-rings are already used in the construction of many inflated structures with higher overpressures, in sailing etc.
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In case of using Aluminium tubes, for the supporting rings, it is well known their broad application in light and enduring structures.
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The attaching or connecting very strong ropes for the FSC's structure, made of aramid yarn is in use for many years in many applications.
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Hence the necessary materials for the FSCs are in the market, in reasonable prices, and can be appropriately combined for their construction by experienced manufacturers or contractors in similar works.
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2. Is the project endangered by earthquakes or strong winds?
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Seismic activity has no effect on the FSC that by nature is a lighter than air standing in upright position structure, due to its buoyancy, with the ability to float in the air following the external winds.
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External very strong winds can not harm the structure because of its ability to deflect locally and to incline remaining attached to its special base, receiving the appropriate angle of equilibrium on the wind's direction.
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The structure made of a plurality of successive and dynamically independent parts, attached separately on its inclining base, can accommodate also the wind's variation with altitude.
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3. Is the project easily maintained?
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The FSC's necessary periodic maintenance (lifting gas escapes replacement, tearing or worn fabric sewing or sticking etc) can be executed by skilled personnel with the FSC standing in its upright position.
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Heavy repair maintenance (replacement of tubes for example) can be executed locally by the skilled personnel, lowering the structure by partial deflation. In this case the lifting gas should be stored temporarily in appropriate existing storage vessels, in order to be used for the re inflation of the structure.
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Thus the maintenance or repair of the FSCs it is possible but the appropriate maintenance procedures and specifications should be defined during their engineering study.
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The maintenance of the transparent roof of the solar collector and of the rest equipment of the FSC's Power Station, is simple due to their proximity to the ground.
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4. Can one or more projects replace the conventional fuel consuming factories for electrical energy production?
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The optimum range of Power rating for the FSC Power Stations, due to the high dimensions of their FSCs, is 50 MW-200MW.
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For the appropriate places of installation these FSC Power Stations can produce annually electrical energy respectively 150GWh-600GWh i.e. at least ~3000 KWh per their rated KW.
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Without any artificial thermal storage, the FSC Power Station's operating hours per year are ~3500 hours. If thermal storage is used, spread in water filled plastic bags or closed plastic tubes inside the solar collector area, the FSC Power Station can work 24 h/per day 365days/per year with their Power production, following the period's average solar irradiation. In this case their annual energy production will be almost equal to their annual production without thermal storage, but the periodic change of thermal storage can be used in order their production constantly to be above a limit and to follow, as close as possible, the demand of the electric Power grid.
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By this description it is evident that FSC Power Stations are big Electrical production units, producers of a guaranteed Electric Power profile year round, thus are compatible to conventional Power Plants (that are using coal, oil, gas or nuclear fuels) and thus can replace them.
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The rest Renewable Power Plants (wind, Solar concentrator, solar PVs, et al) are only Electrical energy production units of non-guaranteed power output, and cannot replace the conventional Power Plants.
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The only renewable Power Plant, having similar behaviour to FSC Power Plant, is the Hydro Electric Power Plant. Their similarity is far deeper that is why FSC Power Stations was named Solar Aero Electric Power Plants (SAEPPs).
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5. What is the production cost per KWh from the FSC's Power Stations?
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An average Power Station with a Power rating of 100 MW should have, according to rough estimations, a construction cost of 30millions € up to 60 millions €, depending on the solar collector roof's transparent material. Their operating and maintenance annual cost will be in the range of 1.5 millions € to 2 millions € and will produce not less than 300 GWh/year.
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Estimating the FSC Power Station's depreciation period to 30 years and for reasonable financial assumptions (land lease, interest rate etc.) its production cost of KWh it will be less than 0.02 €.
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The calculations are not including any grants on the investment, or any other form of income arising by the greenhouse agriculture inside the solar collector etc.
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6. In how much time will the capital investment be returned?
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Using the example of a FSC Power Station of 100 MW of a construction cost between 30 millions € to 60 millions € and of an annual production to 300 GWh and furthermore estimating the average selling price of its renewable KWh to 0.07 € and its production cost to less than 0.02 €, the repayment period for the investment will be between 2 years to 4 years. This Floating Solar Chimney Power plant can operate easily, following the appropriate maintenance, for 30 years.
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Due to the renewable character the FSC Power Station, the investment can achieve, in many countries, grants or tax benefits that can make it much more attractive.
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7. Where are the appropriate locations to perform the Floating Solar Chimney Power Stations efficiently?
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The appropriate locations for FSC's Technology Power Stations installation should have the following characteristics:
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High annual solar irradiation on horizontal surface (>1700 KWh/m2)
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High insolation (>3000 hours/year)
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Low average annual winds (<3 m/sec)
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Limited strong winds (<25m/sec)
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No snows, hail or sand storms.
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Between the geographical latitudes 20o-40o (in north and south hemispheres) there can found plenty of appropriate places for a broad FSC Technology application. For the USA e.g., excellent places for FSC Technology application can be found in the following States: Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Texas et al.
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8. Can the first project be constructed immediately?
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The experimental and scientific verification for the Solar Chimney Technology can support the FSC Technology toward its realization. However the following steps, leading to the commercialisation of the FSC Technology, are necessary to be taken:
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Pre Engineering studies (~6 months)
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Full Engineering Studies, licensing for the installation place (~1 year)
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Demo Construction (1-2 years)
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High standard academic institutions for the Engineering studies and for engineering support during the construction period have already expressed their interest and are ready to cooperate with the interesting investment parties for the first demo project.
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