Nan Li¹, Ruiyang Xu¹, Caihong Zhang^1,*, Guoping Wu²

Energy Engineering, Vol.118, No.4, pp. 1185-1195, 2021, DOI:10.32604/EE.2021.014741

Abstract An improved radiation transmission and thermal efficiency model for solar ponds has been proposed based on both the Hull Model and Wang/Seyed-Yagoobi Model in this paper. The new model is more accurate to actual measured conditions because multiple reflections and turbidity effects are included. Absorption penetration, thermal conductivity loss and thermal efficiency under different Non-Convective Zone thicknesses are numerically analyzed and thoroughly discussed. The results show that ΔT/I0 plays a critical role for the thermal efficiency of solar pond. Furthermore, it is found through calculation that there is an optimum thickness of the Non-Convective Zone. When the Non-Convective Zone thickness… More >

Asaad H. Sayer¹, Hameed B. Mahood^2,*

Energy Engineering, Vol.117, No.6, pp. 367-379, 2020, DOI:10.32604/EE.2020.011156

Abstract Salinity gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) provide a tremendous way to collect and store solar radiation as thermal energy, and can help meet the critical need for sustainable ways of producing fresh water. However, surface evaporation results in the loss of both water and heat. This study therefore theoretically investigates the effect on temperatures within an SGSP when its surface is covered with a layer of air encased in a nylon bag. An earlier SGSP model was slightly modified to add the air layer and to estimate the temperature distributions of the upper layer or the upper convective zone (UCZ) and… More >