Optimum Salt-Gradient Solar Pond in Jordan

ABSTRACT

A brief description of the various models of solar ponds, their main objectives and their development, including a detailed review of the world wide activities in this field are given. Such models usually give an accurate representation of seasonal variation in pond performance and help understand the effect of varying pond designs parameters. In this work, a mathematical model was developed for a one dimension transient conduction heat transfer with heat generation in a Salt Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP). The model incorporates an attenuation model for solar radiation through the water body as proposed by Brinkworth and Hawalder. The model includes a detailed representation of the loss from the pond service by using average daily and monthly meteorological data for the Dead Sea region, in middle Jordan (31.03°N lat) and (348°E long). The relationship derived by the model is solved numerically by employing an implicit finite difference approach, and incorporating initial and boundary conditions and load variation. Next, the stability and convergence of solar pond is examined over a wide range of depth difference and time difference. Finally, numerical results confirm that solar heating In the SGSP is considerably more pronounced during the hot seasons than during the cold ones.

Key words:

• salt gradient
• solar pond
• math modeling
• finite difference
• heating load