Abstract:
The performance of a salt gradient solar pond (SGSP) invariably depends on the
properties across its various zones. This paper presents an experimental study of salt diffusion,
electrical and thermal performance of a trapezoidal-shaped SGSP. The variations of various
parameters such as salt concentration, temperature gain, electrical conductivity (EC), thermal
conductivity, density, specific heat and total dissolved solids (TDS) are studied across different
zones of SGSP. This study reveals that for a given level of solar insolation, the rate of
temperature gain within the lower convective heat zone (LCHZ) is high during the initial stages
of operation where the salt diffusion rate is slow. Temperature gain of 16.06o
is observed
during a month comprising both rainy and sunny days. Within LCHZ, it is found that thermal
conductivity, density and specific heat depend strongly on the salinity and their dependence on
the temperature is relatively weaker. However, the effect of temperature on these three
parameters is observed in the upper convective cold zone (UCCZ). Additionally, in UCCZ and
LCHZ, TDS and EC depend on both salinity and temperature. The present observations are
proposed to be useful in applications related to solar pond based desalination and energy
generation.
