Energy Performance Analysis of a Solar Chimney Power Plant with and without Thermal Storage System IKHLEF Khaoula #1 , LARBI Salah #2 # École Nationale Polytechnique d’Alger (ENP), Laboratoire de Génie Mécanique et Développement (LGMD) 10 Avenue Hassen Badi, BP182, El Harrach, Alger, Algérie 1 khaoula.ikhlef@g.enp.edu.dz 2 salah.larbi@g.enp.edu.dz Abstract— The present work is dedicated to the performance analysis of solar chimney power plants with and without thermal storage system. The performance prediction is carried out according to Schlaich’s and Hammadi’s mathematical models. The analysis is based on variable solar incident radiation along the day. Obtained results enable us to understand the influence of meteorological conditions, the importance of the thermal storage system and evaluate the effect of geometrical parameters on the power production. Good agreement is observed between the results of this study and those obtained experimentally and theoretically from the literature review. Keywords— Solar Chimney power plant; Energetic performances analysis; Thermal storage; Mathematical model; Sites of Algeria. Nomenclature   Collector area m 2   Specific heat of air J/kg K   Specific heat of water-storage J/kg K   Solar collector diameter m  Solar intensity W/m 2   Height of the collector m   Tower height m   Water-storage layer thickness m ℎ  Heat transfer coefficient of inside collector W/m 2 K ℎ ∞ Heat transfer coefficient of outside collector W/m 2 K   Thermal conductivity of air W/m 2 K ̇  Air mass flow rate kg/s  Time S  , Air temperature at the collector inlet K  ,0 Air temperature at the collector outlet K  ∞ Ambient temperature K   Water-storage temperature K    Average air velocity in the collector m/s   Air velocity in the solar tower m/s   Wind velocity m/s  Absorptivity of water-storage /   Air density in the collector kg/m 3   Water-storage density kg/m 3   Turbine-generator efficiency / Δ Day length hr I. INTRODUCTION In order to ensure sustainable development and to diversify its energy needs, the world is engaged in an important program of development of renewable energies. To meet its energy needs, it aims to significantly increase the contribution of renewable energies. One of the options that will help meet these demands is the solar chimney power plant (SCPP). The SCPP is a device of renewable energy power plant that transforms solar energy into electricity. The solar chimney offers a method for large-scale generation of electricity from solar energy. Air is heated near the ground by trapping solar radiation in a flat circular glass-roof greenhouse. The heated air rises in the tower, and the updraft is used to drive a turbine. The idea of the chimney solar power plant was originally proposed by two German engineers, Jorg Schlaich and Rudolf Bergermann in 1976 [1]. In 1979, they developed the first prototype with a maximum power of 50kW produced in Manzanares, south of Madrid, Spain. It consisted of a chimney with a radius of 5m and a height of 195m and a collector with a radius of 120m and a variable height between 2m at the entrance and 6m at the junction with the chimney. The installation was operational from 1982 until 1989. Tests have shown that the installation works reliably and therefore that the concept is technically viable [2, 3]. The energy balance, design criteria and cost analysis were discussed in the work of Haaf et al. [2]. An analysis showed that the cost of generating electricity from the plant was 25 DM/kWh (0.098 USD/kWh based on the 1983 average exchange rate). Atit and Tawit [4] carried out a study to compare the performance of chimney solar power plants using five simple theoretical models, proposed in the literature. The parameters used in the study were the different geometric parameters, vegetation and insolation. Gholamalizadeh and his collaborators [5] presented a comprehensive analytical and numerical analysis to predict the performance of a chimney solar power plant in Kerman. Chiemeka and Atikol [6] studied the feasibility of installing a chimney solar power plant (SCPP)