Two-Dimensional Computer Simulation of Salinity Gradient Solar Pond Operation

Author(s):  
Minoo Mehdizadeh ◽  
Goodarz Ahmadi

This study is concerned with computer modeling of flow and thermal analysis of solar ponds with a salinity gradient. Solar ponds have been used as an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for collection of solar energy for low temperature thermal applications. A two-dimensional unsteady computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed and used for numerical study of stability analysis of the pond, as well as heat and mass transfer in the salt gradient solar ponds. Salinity gradient was created in order to stabilize the pond and to restrict convective motions induced by buoyancy driven solar radiation heating during the period of operation. Fluent® commercial software was enhanced with the implementation of User Defined Functions (UDF) and was used in these simulations. The user defined scalar model was included for analyzing the convection and diffusion of the salt concentration in the solar pond. In addition, user defined functions were developed for relating the water density to temperature and salt concentration, as well as, the amount of solar radiation absorption in the solar pond as functions of thermo-physical properties. In the absence of flow exchange, the natural convection in the pond was simulated and the stability of the pond was verified. Development of salt concentration was also studied, and time evolution of temperature distribution in a small scale salinity gradient solar pond was analyzed. For the case of flow exchange at the bottom of the pond, the energy production was evaluated, and the temperature, concentration and flow field were simulated.

2015 ◽  
Vol 1113 ◽  
pp. 800-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baljit Singh ◽  
Muhammad Fairuz Remeli ◽  
Alex Pedemont ◽  
Amandeep Oberoi ◽  
Abhijit Date ◽  
...  

This paper investigates the capability of running a system which uses hot fluid from solar evacuated tube collectors to boost the temperature and overall heat storage of the solar pond. The system is circulated by a solar powered pump, producing heat energy entirely from the incoming solar radiation from the sun. Solar evacuated tube collectors use a renewable source of power directly from the sun to heat the working fluid to very high temperatures. Solar ponds are emerging on the renewable energy scene with the capacity to provide a simple and inexpensive thermal storage for the production of heat on a large scale. The results of the performance of the system show a significant heat energy increase into the solar ponds lower convective region, increasing the overall performance of the solar pond.


2010 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 294-298
Author(s):  
Hua Wang ◽  
Jun Li Liu ◽  
Jia Ning Zou

In this study, adding coal cinder to bottom of solar pond as a means of increasing temperature of the solar pond is presented. A series of small-scale tests are conducted in the simple mini solar ponds. These small-scale tests include the temperature evolution comparisons of this mode with other normal modes; the comparisons of the material added to LCZ and the comparisons of the different soaking times for coal cinder. In addition, a numerical calculation on predicting temperature evolution in large area of salt gradient solar pond is also given. Both of the experimental and numerical results suggest that adding porous media with low thermal diffusivity (e.g. coal cinder) could significantly increase the temperature in the vicinity of the bottom of the pond. From the view of long-term, this effect is supposed to enhance the average temperature of the solar pond.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Akrour ◽  
Mouloud Tribeche ◽  
Djamel Kalache

A theoretical and numerical study of the effect of thermodiffusion on the stability of a gradient layer is presented. It intends to clarify the mechanisms of fluid dynamics and the processes which occur in a salinity gradient solar pond. A mathematical modelling is developed to describe the thermodiffusion contribution on the solar pond where thermal, radiative, and massive fluxes are coupled in the double diffusion. More realistic boundary conditions for temperature and concentration profiles are used. Our results are compared with those obtained experimentally by authors without extracting the heat flux from the storage zone. We have considered the stability analysis of the equilibrium solution. We assumed that the perturbation of quantities such as velocity, temperature, and concentration are infinitesimal. Linearized equations satisfying appropriate prescribed boundary conditions are then obtained and expanded into polynomials form. The Galerkin method along with a symbolic algebra code (Maple) are used to solve these equations. The effect of the separation coefficient y is analyzed in the positive and negative case. We have also numerically compared the critical Rayleigh numbers for the onset of convection with those obtained by the linear stability analysis for Le = 100, ?a = 0.8, and f = 0.5.


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (05) ◽  
pp. 669-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
GÁBOR HÁZI ◽  
GÁBOR TÓTH

This paper reports on a numerical study of two-dimensional decaying turbulence in a square domain with no-slip walls. The generation of strong small-scale vortices near the no-slip walls have been observed in the lattice Boltzmann simulations just like in earlier pseudospectral calculations. Due to these vortices the enstrophy is not a monotone decaying function of time. Considering a number of simulations and taking their ensemble average, we have found that the decay of enstrophy and that of the kinetic energy can be described well by power-laws. The exponents of these laws depend on the Reynolds number in a similar manner than was observed before in pseudospectral simulations. Considering the ensemble averaged 1D Fourier energy spectra calculated along the walls, we could not find a simple power-law, which fits well to the simulation data. These spectra change in time and reveal an exponent close to -3 in the intermediate and an exponent -5/3 at low wavenumbers. On the other hand, the two-dimensional energy spectra, which remain almost steady in the intermediate decay stage, show clear power-law behavior with exponent larger than -3 depending on the initial Reynolds number.


2013 ◽  
Vol 448-453 ◽  
pp. 1521-1524
Author(s):  
Chun Juan Gao ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Hai Hong Wu ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Xi Ping Huang

The solar ponds with a surface of 0.3m2were filled with different concentration salt water and fresh water. The three layer’s structure of solar ponds was formed in the laboratory ponds by using the salinity redistribution. The performance and diffusion of salinity were xperimentally in the solar pond. The measurements were taken and recorded daily at various locations in the salt-gradient solar pond during a period of 30 days of experimentation. The experimental results showed that the salinity gradient layer can sustain a longer time when the lower convective zone is thicker, which is benefit to store solar energy. Therefore, properly increasing the height of LCZ is a good method to enhance the solar pond performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 486-492
Author(s):  
Periyasamy Rangaraju ◽  
Santhia Sivakumar

Varying salt density solar pond is a method that is best suited to absorb and store solar energy. This examination includes the test enhancement of the permeable and non-permeable sunlight-based ponds dependent on its exhibition in different conditions. This experiment was done in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. This particular topographical area has a high level of solar radiation and is a tropical district. Readings for a period of 30 days were taken; the temperature circulation, a measure of heat energy stored and concentration of salt density was assessed. For examination, two comparable solar ponds of volume 0.02 m3 and a height of 0.32 m was built. Black granite pieces, broken glass pieces, and welding spatter were used as a permeable medium in the lower convective zone (LCZ) in one of the two solar ponds. The temperatures of the permeable solar pond and non-permeable solar pond reached the highest values of 42.3℃ and 40.6℃ respectively. The solar pond with a permeable medium demonstrated an increase of 4.18% in temperature. The difference in amounts of stored thermal energy is 4.54 kJ. From the obtained parameters, the optimization is done and the permeable medium solar pond is found to store more amount of heat energy than the non- permeable solar pond. For the optimization of the mixed medium, criterion parameter βelk has been acquired in the solar pond.


2011 ◽  
Vol 347-353 ◽  
pp. 174-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Hong Sheng Liu ◽  
Wen Ce Sun

The performance of Salt-gradient solar ponds (SGSP) with and without the solar collector are investigated experimentally in this paper. Two mini solar ponds with same structure are built, and one the them is appended with an exceptive solar collector for compared study. The salinity, temperature and turbidity of solar pond are studied contrastively for the two solar ponds under the same ambient conditions. The ambient temperatures,humidity and solar radiation are investigated during the experimental period. It was found that the temperature of the lower convective zone in the solar pond coupled with a solar collector increases by about 20% due to the introduce of solar collector.


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