NON CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES: SOLAR POND

Abstract

The sun is the largest source of renewable energy and this energy is abundantly available in all parts of the earth. It is in fact one of the best alternatives to the non-renewable sources of energy. One way to tap solar energy is through the use of solar ponds. Solar ponds are large-scale energy collectors with integral heat storage for supplying thermal energy. It can be use for various applications, such as process heating, water desalination, refrigeration, drying and power generation. The solar pond works on a very simple principle. It is well-known that water or air is heated they become lighter and rise upward e.g. a hot air balloon. Similarly, in an ordinary pond, the sun’s rays heat the water and the heated water from within the pond rises and reaches the top but loses the heat into the atmosphere. The net result is that the pond water remains at the atmospheric temperature. The solar pond restricts this tendency by dissolving salt in the bottom layer of the pond making it too heavy to rise. Though solar ponds can be constructed anywhere, it is economical to construct them at places where there is low cost salt and bittern, good supply of sea water or water for filling and flushing, high solar radiation, and availability of land at low cost.