Computer simulation of solar pond thermal behavior

A computer model of salt gradient solar pond thermal behavior has been developed and used to verify the validity of assuming constant salt solution physical parameters and long term averaging schemes for ambient temperature and insolation in previous solar pond analytical models. A theoretical limit for pond transparency is calculated which is significantly higher than that previously assumed. It is suggested that a transparent membrane be placed just below the air/water interface of solar ponds to maintain pond solution purity and approach the theoretical limit for transparency. A means of estimating the diffuse insolation input into a solar pond is given which utilizes sky color temperatures for different values of the clearness index (K_T). A single sky color temperature is calculated for each average clearness index value ( ).