energies Article CFD Simulation of a 3D Solar Chimney Integrated with an Axial Turbine for Power Generation Suad Hassan Danook 1 , Hussein A. Z. AL-bonsrulah 2, * , Ishak Hashim 3, * and Dhinakaran Veeman 4   Citation: Danook, S.H.; AL-bonsrulah, H.A.Z.; Hashim, I.; Veeman, D. CFD Simulation of a 3D Solar Chimney Integrated with an Axial Turbine for Power Generation. Energies 2021, 14, 5771. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185771 Academic Editor: Ricardo J. Bessa Received: 11 August 2021 Accepted: 6 September 2021 Published: 13 September 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). 1 Kirkuk Technical College, Northen Technical University, Kirkuk 36001, Iraq; Suaddanook@ntu.edu.iq 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kufa University, Najaf 54002, Iraq 3 Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science & Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia 4 Centre for Computational Mechanics, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai 600069, India; dhinakaranv@citchennai.net * Correspondence: huseenabd541@gmail.com (H.A.Z.A.-b.); ishak_h@ukm.edu.my (I.H.) Abstract: The solar chimney is one of the uninvestigated areas in the possible selection in the field of renewable solar energy utilization. CFD can be demonstrated as a useful tool of figure confidence in the design and employment of a solar chimney. A realistic numerical model for a solar-based updraft power plant for power generation was established through this research work. Iraqi weather in Kirkuk, northern Iraq was considered for this case study. A three-dimensional (3D) simulation of the main geometric dimensions of the Spanish, Manzanares model integrated with a real turbine was performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The turbulent model of RNG k-e, the nongrey discrete coordinate (DO) radiation model, and the solar raytracing algorithm were used. It was observed that the air velocity below the turbine was graded according to the seasons of the year and was at its maximum in July with 18.28 m/s due to the high ambient temperature, and the lowest value was recorded in January with 8.64 m/s. The overall average daily and monthly energy production values for the Kirkuk system were higher than those of the Kubang system, with values of 310 kWh/day and 9314 kWh/month, respectively, for the Kirkuk system, and 246 kWh/day and 7398 kWh/month, respectively, for the Kubang system. The simulation results showed that the electricity generation from the Kirkuk city power plant varied seasonally to be at its maximum value of 14,424 kWh/month in July. This research work will help to determine the possibility of producing electricity in this Kirkuk city, which would then contribute in a great way to reduce the cash spent on electricity. Keywords: renewable energy; CFD; electricity; solar chimney; solar energy; numerical simulation 1. Introduction Over the past couple of centuries, the technology of solar energy has been considered a sustainable and clean source of energy [1,2]. Over the years, huge advancements have been made in building solar photovoltaic systems, while, at the same time, generating electricity from fossil fuels such as coal or oil damages our environment, as well as the effects of nuclear power plants in various locations [3]. Therefore, we must stay away from these nonrenewable and unsustainable energy sources and seek alternatives [4]. Many developed nations, such as Iraq, cannot completely rely on these common procedures, recognizing the adverse impact of emissions of carbon dioxide, and must try to utilize other types of green and sustainable energy sources. In addition, with a decent measure of downpour in our nation, hydropower is additionally one of our power generation sources, and we have a decent measure of daylight through the entire year that can be utilized to gather solar-based energy, so the need for an environmentally friendly electric power generation method is clear and will expand in the near future. With regard to considering Energies 2021, 14, 5771. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185771 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies