Harnessing Solar Energy: An Analysis of Solar Ponds

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Literature Review
Power Generation from Solar Ponds

Literature Review:
Solar pond is the concept of solar energy collector that is large in size and look like a pond.
This process of solar pond works in a large salty lake area with using a flat plate collector that
used to absorbs and store the energy in the lowest layer of the pond from the Sun. these kinds
of solar ponds founds in both types, artificial or man made and natural.
According to the article of Aljaradin, 2017 that is about the establishment of small-scale solar
pond in dead sea, Jordan. This time period of this period is three months with the volume of
5m3. Evaluate the parameter as, temperature and salinity concentration with the measurement
of pond respectively with time. In the last few years, the solar ponds are using as the
alternative source of solar energy, biomass, geothermal energy and wind energy. The basic
requirement of the Jorden is to import oil & gas from the different sources as it is the
developing country which not produce oil and gas. The cost to produce energy is $3.6 billion
US dollar with 13.5% country GDP. The 2% of the total energy is the useable for renewable
energy in the Jorden. The concentration in the different source of water in the country is with
different rate as, Pacific Ocean 38 and red sea is with 41 (Al-whoosh, K., Mohammad
Aljaradin, M., Bashitialshaaer, R. and Balawneh, H., 2017).
As per the research of J Srinivasan in 1991, that was about the solar pond technology. Solar
energy is the source of renewable energy that is also abundant. In the principle of the solar
pond, around 30% solar radiation found in a natural pond in the depth of 2 meters. This
radiation absorbs from the bottom of the pond. Mix the upper layer and lower layer of water
for the transparent honeycomb structure with air and transparency of solar radiation. The
thermal performance of the solar represents with the flat plate collector in the condition as:
Qu = Qa – Qe, in which Qe is the loss heat, Qa is the absorbs energy of solar and Qu is the
extracts heat. The construction of the pond depends on different factors as, stability of pond,
replenishment of salt, algae control and extraction of heat from the pond. In the final
conclusion of the journal, the solar pond technology has great process in last few years
(Srinivasan, J., 1993).
According to the research of, 2nd international conference of Energy and Power, on the topic
of an experimental study to establish a salt gradient solar pond by Faqeha, in 2018. This
research paper describes in RMIT, Melbourne University. Solar ponds found in different
varieties that based on the salinity gradient. The categories of the solar ponds are as, galled or

non-galled, in pond storage or separate collector, non-convicting or convicting and the last
one is, multilayer that is known as partitioned and non-partitioned. A simple system was
established in this journal that is, SGSP (salinity gradient solar pond) for the storage of
thermal energy in daily life cycle. Different methods are defined for the establishment of the
solar pond as, natural diffusion, stacking and redistribution these methods are based on the
working of different layers of the solar pond. The salinity gradient setting up with the MgCl2
by the injection filling technique. Follow the process of diffuser to make the injections for
establish the profile of gradient salinity that starts from the bottom and move to up
successfully (Faqeha, H., Bawahab, M., Vet, Q.L., Faghih, A., Date, A. and Akbarzadah, A.,
2019). In the result of the injection process in the solar ponds, different resultant graphs
represented as:
Figure 1: Density profiles changes during injections layers
According to the research of European Scientific Journal 2013, on the topic of construction
and analysis of a salt gradient solar pond for hot water supply by Yousaf, the technique of
solar pond also using in the economic crisis countries. The major keywords of this journal
are, solar pond, green & renewable energy with heat extraction and salt gradient. The

schematic design of the solar pond includes insulation walls that filled with water, the heat
exchanger, pipes, valve, water pump and heat exchanger.
Figure 2: Schematic of Solar Pond
The above equation is about the solar thermal energy calculation of the radiation of 365 days.
Figure 3: The schematic of salt concentration gradient formation in solar pond
The temperature and diffusion rate are the factors that affects salt in solar pond. In other
technical reasons, environmental pollution, cost and availability are other factors that affect
the salt of solar pond. Use the process of inner heat exchanger in the operational of
experiment of solar pond that given in the below image (Ahmad Aizaz, D. and Yousaf, R.,
2013).

Figure 4; Experimental solar pond
The next journal is discussed on the location on Africa, by Egbe on the topic of, design of
solar pond calculation and technique in Africa. Photovoltaic system are used to produce or
generate electricity as well as use the solar hot water in the process of solar energy. The
process of insulation uses the salt water as the source, that is NaCl and water source as
sodium chloride as it includes the max. density with 1200kg/m3
The radiation of process directly affect the storage zone temperature and it depends on the
thickness of the layer of solar pond. The cost estimation depends on the different factors as,
steels, excavation and concretes (Egbe, J.G., Khan, A.H. and Wisatesajja, W., 2013).

Reference:
Ahmad Aizaz, D. and Yousaf, R., 2013. CONSTRUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF A SALT
GRADIENT SOLAR POND FOR HOT WATER SUPPLY.
Al-whoosh, K., Mohammad Aljaradin, M., Bashitialshaaer, R. and Balawneh, H., 2017.
Establishing Small-Scale Salt-Gradient Solar Pond Experiment, Dead Sea Jordan. Sustain.
Resour. Manag. J, 2, pp.1-10.
Egbe, J.G., Khan, A.H. and Wisatesajja, W., 2013. Design of solar pond calculation and
technique in Africa. IOSR J. Mech. Civ. Eng.(IOSRJMCE), 6(1), pp.22-32.
Faqeha, H., Bawahab, M., Vet, Q.L., Faghih, A., Date, A. and Akbarzadah, A., 2019. An
experimental study to establish a salt gradient solar pond (SGSP). Energy Procedia, 160,
pp.239-245.
Srinivasan, J., 1993. Solar pond technology. Sadhana, 18(1), pp.39-55.