Solar Pond:

To reduce the cost of large solar thermal installations

Need more economical ways of collecting and storing solar energy
An artificially constructed pond in which significant temperature rises are caused to occur in
the lower regions by preventing convection is called a solar pond
A solar pond is a body of water that collects and stores solar energy
A solar pond can store solar heat much more efficiently than a body of water of the same size
because the salinity gradient prevents convection currents
Solar radiation entering the pond penetrates through to the lower layer, which contains
concentrated salt solution
The temperature in this layer rises since the heat it absorbs from the sunlight is unable to move
upwards to the surface by convection
Solar heat is thus stored in the lower layer of the pond
 The working of a solar pond can be explained by considering the figure
Consider a pond of depth L having salts dissolved in the water
Assume the concentration at the top (C1) is less than
at the bottom (C2) and that a concentration
gradient exists from the top to the bottom
AB shows the variation of density as one moves
downwards
 It is well-known that water or air is heated they become lighter and rise upward
In an ordinary pond, the suns rays heat the water and the heated water from within the pond
rises and reaches the top but loses the heat into the atmosphere
The net result is that the pond water remains at the atmospheric temperature
The solar pond restricts this tendency by dissolving salt in the bottom layer of the pond making
it too heavy to rise
 It is about 1 to 2 m deep with a thick durable plastic liner laid at the bottom
Salts like magnesium chloride, sodium chrloride or sodium nitrate are dissolved in water, the
concentration varying from 20% to 30 % at the bottom to almost zero at the top
Left to itself, the salt concentration gradient will disappear over a period of time because of the
upward diffusion of the salt
In order to maintain it, fresh water is added at the top of the pond, while slightly saline water is
run off.
At the same time, concentrated brine is added at the bottom of the pond.
 In order to extract the energy stored, hot water is removed continuously from the bottom,
passed through a heat exchanger and returned at the bottom.
Three zones:
Surface convective zone
Non-convective concentration gradient zone
Lower convective zone
The SCZ , has small thickness and uniform concentration close to zero
The NCZ is much thicker and occupies more than half the depth of the pond
Both concentration and temperature increases with depth in this zone
It serves as an insulating layer and reduces heat losses in the upward direction
The LCZ is comparable in thickness to the NCZ. It serves as the main heat collection as well
as thermal storage medium
Temperatures maximum ranging 85 to 95 degrees, minimum 50 to 60 degrees