Abstract This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a salt gradient solar pond as a steady state flat plate solar energy collector. We explicitly take into account the convective heat and mass flux through the pond surface and evaluate the temperature and heat fluxes at various levels in the pond by solving the Fourier heat conduction equation with internal heat generation resulting from the absorption of solar radiation as it passes through the pond water. These evaluations, in combination with energy balance considerations, enable the derivation of the expressions for solar pond efficiency of heat collection as well as the efficiency of heat removal. The efficiency expressions are Hottel-Whillier-Bliss type, prevalent for flat plate collectors. Numerical computations are made to investigate the optimization of geometrical and operational parameters of the solar pond. For given atmospheric air temperature, solar insolation and heat collection temperature, there is an optimum thickness of nonconvective zone for which the heat collection efficiency is maximum. The heat removal factor is also similar to that of a flat plate collector and the maximum efficiency of heat removal depends on both the flow rate and the temperature in the nonconvective zone.
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