Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind

The purpose of this study is to improve the efficiency of the power generation system of a solar tower using fluid dynamics. The power generation system of a solar tower can be designed and constructed at relatively low cost. However, the energy output tends to be low for its physical size compared with other renewable energy production systems. The technical and scientific improvement of these types of generation systems has lost its momentum since the shutdown of the wellknown Spanish pilot plant “Manzanares Solar Chimney” in 1989, although it still has the potential to play a role in renewable energy in the future. We have focused on the tower component of the system to seek possible enhancements of the power output of the internal turbine. As a result of our fluid dynamic shape optimization, a diffuser-shaped tower was employed to increase the internal flow speed of a scaled model. The results show a remarkable improvement in the power output of the internal wind turbine.

Erratum to “Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind” [Energy and Power Engineering Vol. 6 No. 11 (October 2014) 362-370]

The original online version of this article (Masataka Motoyama, Kenichiro Sugitani, Yuji Ohya, et al. (2014) “Improving the Power Generation Performance of a Solar Tower Using Thermal Updraft Wind”, 2014, 6, 362-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/epe.2014.611031) was published in October, 2014.The author wishes to correct the following error in text and Figures 9-11.

无人机自主滑翔中的模式切换逻辑研究

无人机可以通过自主滑翔从自然环境里的热上升气流中获取能量,提高自身的续航能力。在此期间,模式切换是无人机自主滑翔的关键。针对该问题,设计了基于七孔探针和嵌入式技术的气流感知系统,该系统可测量流动角高达72°的气流方向和速度。基于气流感知系统,设计了控制无人机自主进入和脱离滑翔模式的模式切换逻辑。通过在风洞中模拟热上升气流,利用风洞虚拟飞行试验验证了所设计模式切换逻辑的可行性。试验结果表明:在不同速度的热上升气流作用下,基于气流感知系统设计的模式切换逻辑都能够使无人机自主进入和脱离滑翔模式,且在不同大小的滚转角指令下,模式切换逻辑都能够使无人机脱离滑翔模式。