Student Project To Design A Small Scale Solar Chimney For Sustainable Power

Access to energy sources is a major limitation in many areas of the world. This is particularly true for developing economies which have limited resources to devote to traditional power generation. This student project proposed to design and test a small-scale solar chimney for use as a renewable energy source. The basic design process with competing constraints for local (Minnesota) use and use in Ghana, as well as the final design and construction, will be discussed. This includes the testing of a 40 foot tall chimney in Minnesota that was able to generate a 22 degree Fahrenheit temperature difference during winter months. However, the paper will focus on the student learning experiences during the project.