Advancements in Salinity Gradient Solar Pond Technology Based on Sixteen Years of Operational Experience

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 759-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanmin Lu ◽  
Andrew H. P. Swift ◽  
Herbert D. Hein, ◽  
John C. Walton
Keyword(s):  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
El Paso ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Heat Extraction ◽  
Injection Technique ◽  
Operational Experience ◽  
Solar Ponds ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Analysis Strategy

The El Paso salinity gradient solar pond, initiated in 1983, has been in operation since 1985. Through 16 years of research and operation, the El Paso Solar Pond has successfully demonstrated applications including desalination, waste brine management, industrial process heat production, and electricity generation; and has developed and implemented key technical advancements to improve the technical viability and economic feasibility of salinity gradient solar ponds, including: 1) an automated instrumentation monitoring system, 2) a stability analysis strategy and high temperature (60–90°C) gradient maintenance methods, 3) a scanning injection technique for improved salinity gradient construction and maintenance, 4) new liner technology, and 5) an improved heat extraction system.

El Paso Solar Pond

2001 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 178-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanmin Lu and ◽  
Andrew H. P. Swift
Keyword(s):  
Systems Approach ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
El Paso ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Convective Zone ◽  
Bureau Of Reclamation ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Brine Management

The El Paso Solar Pond, a research, development, and demonstration project operated by the University of Texas at El Paso, is a salinity-gradient solar pond with a surface area of 3,000 m2 and a depth of 3.2 m. The pond utilizes an aqueous solution of predominantly sodium chloride (NaCl). The surface convective zone, main gradient zone, and bottom convective zone are approximately 0.6 m, 1.4 m, and 1.2 m, respectively. The project, located on the property of Bruce Foods, Inc., was initiated in 1983 in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Since then, the El Paso Solar Pond has successfully developed a series of technologies for solar pond operation and maintenance, as well as demonstrated several different applications. In 1985, the El Paso Solar Pond became the first in the world to deliver industrial process heat to a commercial manufacturer; in 1986 became the first solar pond electric power generating facility in the United States; and in 1987 became the nation’s first experimental solar pond powered water desalting facility. Currently, the major research at El Paso Solar Pond is focused on desalination and brine management technologies. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a systems approach for desalination/brine management via a multiple process desalination coupled with solar ponds. This systems approach will reuse the brine concentrate rejected from desalting plants thereby negating the need for disposal (zero discharge), and provide additional pollution-free renewable energy for the desalting process.

Assessing the Maximum Stability of the Nonconvective Zone in a Salinity-Gradient Solar Pond

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Abdullah ◽  
K. A. Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Fluid Velocity ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Convective Zone ◽  
Heat Extraction ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Maximum Stability ◽  
Storage Zone ◽  
The Stability

The quality of the stability of the nonconvective zone of a salinity-gradient solar pond (SGSP) is investigated for an operating protocol in which the flushing procedure exactly compensates for evaporation losses from the solar pond and its associated evaporation pond. The mathematical model of the pond uses simplified, but accurate, constitutive expressions for the physical properties of aqueous sodium chloride. Also, realistic boundary conditions are used for the behaviors of the upper and lower convective zones (LCZs). The performance of a salinity-gradient solar pond is investigated in the context of the weather conditions at Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for several thickness of upper convective zone (UCZ) and operating temperature of the storage zone. Spectral collocation based on Chebyshev polynomials is used to assess the quality of the stability of the pond throughout the year in terms of the time scale for the restoration of disturbances in temperature, salinity, and fluid velocity underlying the critical eigenstate. The critical eigenvalue is found to be real and negative at all times of year indicating that the steady-state configuration of the pond is always stable, and suggesting that stationary instability would be the anticipated mechanism of instability. Annual profiles of surface temperature, salinity, and heat extraction are constructed for various combinations for the thickness of the upper convective zone and storage zone temperature.

Thermal Heat Storage Gain of Salinity Gradient Solar Pond Using Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors

2015 ◽  
Vol 1113 ◽  
pp. 800-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baljit Singh ◽  
Muhammad Fairuz Remeli ◽  
Alex Pedemont ◽  
Amandeep Oberoi ◽  
Abhijit Date ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Heat Storage ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Heat Energy ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Ponds ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Evacuated Tube Collectors ◽  
Evacuated Tube

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.

Heat extraction methods from salinity-gradient solar ponds and introduction of a novel system of heat extraction for improved efficiency

Solar Energy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 3103-3142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy Leblanc ◽  
Aliakbar Akbarzadeh ◽  
John Andrews ◽  
Huanmin Lu ◽  
Peter Golding
Keyword(s):  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Heat Extraction ◽  
Solar Ponds

Topics in Gradient Maintenance and Salt Recycling in an Operational Solar Pond

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. P. Swift ◽  
Peter Golding
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Power ◽  
El Paso ◽  
Industrial Process ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Experimental Production ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
System A ◽  
Storage Zone ◽  
Brine Concentration

Since 1986, the 3355 m2 salt gradient solar pond facility in El Paso, Texas, has operated with a temperature difference between the upper and lower zones of 55 to 75° C while delivering industrial process heat, grid-connected electrical power, and thermal energy for the experimental production of desalted water. Because the El Paso solar pond is an inland facility, it is necessary to recycle the salt in a sustainable salt management system. A method that uses the main pond surface for initial brine concentration and short-term storage was developed after it became evident that the original evaporation pond system was undersized. This paper examines the method for brine concentration and storage, the effects of a brine storage zone on pond operation, and the installation of an enhanced evaporation net system and an automatic scanning injection system. A short description of the performance history and current status of the project is also included.

Heat extraction and brine management from salinity gradient solar pond and membrane distillation

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 226-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamran Manzoor ◽  
Sher Jamal Khan ◽  
Yousuf Jamal ◽  
Muhammad Aamir Shahzad
Keyword(s):  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Membrane Distillation ◽  
Heat Extraction ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Brine Management

The Influence of Height of LCZ on the Salinity Diffusion of Solar Pond

2013 ◽  
Vol 448-453 ◽  
pp. 1521-1524
Author(s):  
Chun Juan Gao ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Hai Hong Wu ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Xi Ping Huang
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Good Method ◽  
Convective Zone ◽  
Solar Ponds ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Salt Gradient ◽  
And Diffusion

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.

Effect of Water Distribution Ways on the Operation of Solar Pond

2013 ◽  
Vol 805-806 ◽  
pp. 74-77
Author(s):  
Chun Juan Gao ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xi Ping Huang
Keyword(s):  
Water Distribution ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
Convective Zone ◽  
The Body ◽  
Solar Ponds ◽  
Solar Pond ◽  
Storage Zone ◽  
Small Model ◽  
Laboratory Tank ◽  
Salt Diffusion

An experimental study on the evolution of the salinity profiles in the salinity gradient solar ponds was executed using a small model pond. The body of the simulated pond is a cylindrical plastic tank, with 50 cm height and 45 cm diameter. The salinity gradient was established in the laboratory tank by using the salinity redistribution technique. The measurements were taken during a period of 20 days of experimentation. This period of time allowed the existence of salt diffusion from the storage zone to the surface. Results obtained from this study show that when the ratio of brine/water is 1/1, the salinity gradient layer can sustain a longer time and the lower convective zone is thicker, which is benefit to store solar energy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document