Experiment and analysis of practical-scale solar pond stabilized with salt gradient

• Published in: Solar energy 1991, Vol.46 (6), p.353-359
• Main Authors: Kanayama, Kimio, Inaba, Hideo, Baba, Hiromu, Fukuda, Takeyuki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 141000 - Solar Collectors & Concentrators; AGUA SALINA; AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; Applied sciences; ASIA; CALCULATION; CALOR; CAPTEUR SOLAIRE; CHALEUR; COLECTORES SOLARES; CONVECTION; convective storage/zone; DEPTH; DESIGN; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; DIMENSIONS; EAU SALINE; EFFICIENCY; ENERGIA SOLAR; ENERGIE SOLAIRE; Energy; ENERGY BALANCE; ENERGY TRANSFER; EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE; ESTANQUES; ETANG; Exact sciences and technology; HEAT; HEAT EXCHANGERS; HEAT EXTRACTION; HEAT TRANSFER; ICE; JAPAN; JAPON; MASS TRANSFER; MATEMATICAS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; MATHEMATICS; MATHEMATIQUE; Miscellaneous; MODELE MATHEMATIQUE; MODELOS MATEMATICOS; Natural energy; PERFORMANCE DU MATERIEL; PONDS; RENDEMENT; RENDIMIENTO; RENDIMIENTO DE LA MAQUINARIA; SALINE WATER; SALINITY GRADIENTS; salt gradient zone; SIMULACION; SIMULATION; SIZE; SOLAR COLLECTORS; SOLAR ENERGY; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR PONDS; STABILITY; SURFACE WATERS; TEMPERATURA; TEMPERATURE; TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS; THERMAL ANALYSIS; THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT; thermal performance; YIELDS
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/0038-092X(91)90050-7

A large-scale solar pond with salty water was constructed in the suburbs of Kitami in 1985. Its performance has been measured and analyzed by the authors after that. The solar pond body is circular of 44 m diameter, and the pond water is of 3 min total depth. After, 15 months, the depth of the salt gradient zone (S.G.Z.) was thinned by 10 cm in the top and by 20 cm in the bottom due to convection of the top and bottom zones. The temperature in the convective storage zone (C.S.Z.) reached 70°C, its maximum, at the beginning of September in 1985, however, it was not as high in 1986 due to contamination of the pond water. The temperature of the storage zone was reduced from November to April due to ice covering on the pond surface. The collected heat yielded largely and the collection efficiency reached more than 30% in summer, but decreased to negative values in winter. The thermal performance of the solar pond was predicted by a simulation calculation, and the calculated result compared well with the measurements.