Heat Extraction from a Diffusely Reflecting Bottom Salt Gradient Solar Pond

This paper presents an investigation of a three zone solar pond with a diffusely reflecting bottom under two modes of heat extraction viz. constant flow rate of the heat removal fluid and heat retrieval zone at constant temperature. At a typical flow rate of 10^-3 kg/s m ² M. S. Sodha , N. D. Kaushika and S. K. Rao , Energy Research , 5 , 321 – 340 , 1981 . Google Scholar], optimal heat retrieval efficiencies of 32.4% (at non-convective zone depth, l_-2 = 1.25m), 25.2% (at l_-2 = 0.75m) and 21.5% (at l_-2 = 0.6m) are predicted at bottom reflectivities of 0.0, 0.5 and 0.8 respectively. In the mode of heat retrieval at constant temperature, efficiencies of 32.5% and 23.5% are obtained at extraction temperatures of 40°C and 100°C respectively for R = 0.0. However, these values of efficiency go down to 22.3% and 12.4% respectively for a typical value of R = 0.6.