Salt-Gradient, Solar Ponds:

One Kg of salt can supply as much electricity and three times as much heat
as a Kg of coal burned in a combustor.
Naturally occurring Salt Ponds, first discovered in 1902 a few meters below
Lake Medive in Transylvania with temperatures reaching 84 Degrees
Centigrade at the bottom.
Result of varying salinity, bottom fed by bed of salt, surface washed by
constant stream of fresh water.
Salinity gradient gives the lake a vertical density difference and allows to
trap and store solar energy.
Artificial Salt-Gradient, Solar Ponds.
Thermal Energy to:
Heat Buildings.
Drive Industrial Processes.
Generate Electricity.
Desalt Water.
Power Cooling Systems.

Israel: 7,000 sq. m. Pond provides 35 KW in Summer and 15 KW in Winter

with a peak of 150 KW.

Working:
The Pond/ Lake absorbs solar radiation in the water and material at bottom.
Heated water expands and becomes less dense, quickly rising to the surface
to lose heat to the atmosphere.
Salt-Gradient.
More Salt : More Dense.
Surface 5% by weight and relatively light.
Increase salt by depth till 20% by weight.
Bottom heats and expands.
Cannot rise, as it is denser than the top.
Becomes non-convecting.
Warm Water trapped below.
Lower waters can reach boiling point and over, recorded at 107 Degrees
centigrade.

Three Zones:
Surface Zone: Wind, evaporation and surface cooling in evenings, creates
surface zone: 1/10 to ½ m deep.
Non-Convecting Zone: 1 to 1 ½ m in depth.
Bottom Storage Zone: 1 to 2 m or as little as ½ or as much as several meters.

The deeper the zone the more the heat.

Lowest zone traps heat for long periods.
Damping daily or even seasonal changes.
Can be tapped for energy at night as well as day.
Even during long periods of cloud cover or even ice cover.
Depends upon location, water clarity and ambient temperature.
Solar Pond can trap 10 to 20 % Solar energy.
Each sq. m = ½ to 2 gigajoules of thermal energy per year.
(about 1 million BTU)
Flat Plate Collector of 1 m square is twice as efficient but 10 times more
cost.

Evaporation and mixing of salt water increases salinity of the surface,

destroying the gradient.
Feed saline water to the bottom and less saline to the surface.
Heated water is used to extract from hot brine through Heat Exchanger.
Thermo Electric Devices
Organic Rankine Cycle Engine (Turbine powered by evaporating organic
fuel).

Factors to Determine Effectiveness:

1. Availability of Lo-Cost land, salt and water.
2. Favorable climate conditions: Sunny days and high temperatures.
3. Favorable ground conditions, soil impervious to heat and water,
lack of moving groundwater, no nearby drinking water.
4. Low price compared to other energy sources.
 Fresh

Evaporation Pond
Solar Gradient Pond

SALINA:
Salt flat, marsh or lake – dry or saline water.
Low-salt water fed through submerged diffuser.
Mixing technique called Redistribution.

100 sq m – heat for single family home in developed countries.

50 to 100 families village.
Heat for converting as much Bio mass to alcohol/ methane
1/1000 th as much as forest for fuel cooking.

Brine of Oil Wells and Geo Thermal Units can be used.

US = $35/ sq m for 2000 sq m pond (1978)
$ 73/ sq. m. for 1000 sq. m. in 1981.
For Therma;l Energy = competitive.
Electricity competitive for off grid and remote locations.
Outlet for extracting brine has to be carefully sited to avoid cold spots.
Dollars per sq. m. Conservative Best
Thermal Energy 28 7
Electricity (base load) 20 12
PerformanceMegajoules per sq. m./ year

Average site Superior Site

Thermal Energy: 900 1700
Electricity (base load) 55 110
Energy Cost (20% annual charge to amortize cost): $/ gigajoule
Conservative Best case
Thermal Energy:
Average: 6.22 1.56
Superior: 3.29 0.82

Electricity:
Average: 26.00 16.00
Superior: 13.00 8.00