A Novel Solar Thermal Power Plant with Floating Chimney Stiffened onto a Mountainside and Potential of the Power Generation in China's Deserts

A novel solar thermal power plant with a floating chimney stiffened on a mountainside segment by segment is proposed. The novel power plant is suitable for the special topography in China (i.e., a vast desert belt surrounded by high mountain chains up to thousands of meters). An investigation of its performance is carried out using a simple mathematical model. The levelized electricity cost and the potential of the proposed solar chimney power generation in the large desert regions in Northwest China are also estimated. The results show that the levelized electricity cost of the proposed power generation is competitive with that of clean coal power plant, that the potential power obtained from the proposed power plant in the Taklamakan Desert or the Badain Jaran Desert can satisfy the total electricity consumption in China, and that the total potential power in the twelve deserts and sands, reaching 25,761 TWh per year, can even supply the electric power needs over the world, which are rapidly increasing.