This paper evaluates the performance of a large-scale solar chimney power plant. The study considers the performance of a particular reference plant under specified meteorological conditions at a reference location in South Africa. A computer simulation program is employed to solve the governing conservation and draught equations simultaneously. Newly developed convective heat transfer and momentum equations are included in the numerical model and multiple simulations are performed. Results indicate $24hr$ plant power production, while illustrating considerable daily and seasonal power output variations. It is shown that plant power production is a function of the collector roof shape and inlet height.

No physical optimum solar chimney power plant exists when only regarding the dimensions of such a plant. However, if construction costs are introduced, thermoeconomically optimal plant configurations may be established. This paper investigates the thermoeconomic optimization of a large-scale solar chimney power plant. Initially, relevant dimensions are selected, which are to be optimized. An approximated cost model is then developed, giving the capacity for finding optimum plant dimensions for different cost structures. Multiple computer simulations are performed and results are compared to the approximated cost of each specific plant. Thermoeconomically optimal plant configurations are obtained.

This paper conducts a sensitivity analysis on the influence of the quality, thickness, reflectance, emissivity, shape, and insulation of the collector roof glass, the cross section of the collector roof supports, various ground types, ground surface roughness, absorptivity and emissivity, turbine inlet and bracing wheel loss coefficients, and the ambient pressure and lapse rate on the performance of a large-scale (reference) solar chimney power plant. Computer simulation results indicate that collector roof insulation, emissivity and reflectance, the ambient lapse rate, and ground absorptivity and emissivity all have a major effect on the power production of such a plant.