Solar Ponds
A solar pond is a large, controlled body of water that collects and stores solar energy. Solar ponds do not use tracking systems such as mirrors, nor do they concentrate the sun's rays like many other solar energy technologies.
There are two types of convecting* solar ponds: salt gradient and membrane ponds (*convection is a process in which a fluid such as water circulates, and in so doing the circulation causes a transfer of heat).
Salt Gradient Ponds
At the very bottom of the salt gradient pond is a dark layer that can absorb heat. This is usually a liner made of butyl rubber or other dark material. In addition to helping the water absorb the heat, it helps protect the nearby soil and groundwater from being contaminated by the saltwater from the solar pond.
In the pond, there is a significant amount of salt located near the bottom. The types of salt commonly used are sodium chloride or magnesium chloride. The water is saturated (filled entirely) or almost saturated with salt. The closer to the surface, the less salt is found in the water. At the very top of the pond is a layer of freshwater (that is, water without salt). This change in saltiness forms layers in the pond. The gradual change in the amount of salt is called a salt-density gradient.
The layers of saltwater stop the natural tendency of hot water to rise to the surface. Thus, the water that is heated by the sun stays at the bottom of a solar pond. The layers that are close to the surface remain cool. There is a significant temperature difference between the top and the bottom of a solar pond, though some heat can be stored on every layer. Temperatures as high as 179 to 199F (82 to 93C) can be found at the bottom.
The heat is extracted by a heat exchanger at the bottom of the pond. This heat energy can power an engine, provide space heating, or produce electricity via a low-pressure steam turbine. The heated saltwater can be pumped to the location where the heat is needed. After the heat is used, the water can be returned to the solar pond and heated again.
Membrane Ponds
A membrane pond is similar to the salt-gradient pond except the layers of water are physically divided. They are separated by membranes that are thin and transparent. The separation of layers physically prevents convection (circulating movement). With a membrane pond the heat that is created is also removed from the bottom layer of the pond as in a salt-gradient pond.
There are also two types of nonconvecting ponds. One is called a shallow solar pond. This pond has no saltwater. Pure freshwater is kept inside a large bag. The bag allows convection to take place but limits the amount of water that can be evaporated. At the bottom of the bag is a black area. Foam insulation can also be found near the bottom. On top of the bag are two types of glazing. These glazings are usually sheets of plastic or glass.
In a shallow solar pond, the sunshine heats the bag and the water inside during the day. The heat energy is extracted at night. The heated water is pumped into a large heat storage tank. This process can be difficult because heat loss is possible. The problems with heat loss have meant that shallow solar ponds have not been fully developed as a technology.
Monconvecting Saltless Pond
The other type of nonconvecting pond is the deep, saltless pond. The primary difference between this pond and the shallow solar pond is that the water is not pumped in and out of its storage medium. This limits the amount of heat that can be lost.
Uses of Solar Ponds
Solar ponds can be used in a number of ways. They can make electricity or be used to provide heating for community, residential, and commercial purposes. They can also provide low-temperature heat for certain industrial and agricultural purposes, and they can also be used in preheating applications for industrial processes that require higher temperatures. In addition, solar ponds can be used to desalinate (remove the salt from) water. In Australia a pond at the Pyramid Hill salt works in Northern Victoria is used by the company to help make salt.
Solar ponds have been used for several decades. In the 1970s in Israel, a salt-gradient pond was created near the Dead Sea. Until 1989 it generated 5 megawatts of electricity. The project ended because of the high costs involved. Similar systems were built in California and other locations in the United States as well as India and Australia, though they were on a smaller scale. Several shallow solar ponds were built by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
There are a number of potential applications for solar ponds. Such ponds might be used to grow and farm brine shrimp or other sea creatures that are used as feed for livestock. In Australia solar pond projects are planned that would dry fruit and grain. Some researchers hope to use solar ponds in the production of dairy products.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Solar Ponds
Solar ponds are very versatile. They can use both direct sunlight as well as diffuse radiation on cloudy days. They can store the heat they collect during the daytime hours for use at night. A separate thermal storage unit is not always needed.
Another benefit is that solar ponds can be used in nearly any climate. They can even be used in winter when the top layer of a saltgradient pond becomes covered in ice. They are also reusable: The water from which the heat is removed can be returned to the pond.
Solar ponds do not always cost much to construct. There is no solar collector that needs to be cleaned. Because the solar pond can be built to be big, large amounts of power can be produced.
One drawback is that solar ponds require a very large area of flat land. It can be difficult to find the empty land needed to make the pond big enough to be used. In addition, lots of salt is also needed.
Some of these ponds are very large, which can affect the environment around them. Measures must be taken to ensure that the salt from the solar ponds does not contaminate the soil. This contamination could very negatively affect the environment. Solar ponds can also have a positive environmental impact: when combined with desalting units, solar ponds can be used to purify water that is contaminated. Solar ponds make heat energy without burning any fuels and save conventional energy resources.
Despite the fact that solar ponds are not particularly efficient in their production of energy, they are inexpensive. However, they are not seen as economically advisable in the long term. As a result, there is very little commercial interest in them in most parts of the world.
Solar Ponds copyright 2011 Digtheheat.com
