Transient heat and mass transfer and long-term stability of a salt-gradient solar pond

Abstract In this work, the problem of transient heat and mass transfer and long-term stability of a SGSP has been numerically investigated using a 2D-transient-variable properties model and a finite-control-volume numerical method. The pond, which was assumed initially stabilized with linear temperature and salinity profiles, has been subject to real weather conditions. The numerical model has been satisfactorily validated against measured temperature data. Numerical results have clearly shown that the solar heating effect appears considerably more pronounced during the hot seasons (spring and summer) than during the cold ones (winter and autumn). The existence of two critical zones, one beneath the water surface and the other one located near the pond bottom, has clearly been established at a very early time of operation. It has been found that such critical zones have progressively become more vulnerable in time. Also, the solar heating effect, the heat losses through the free surface as well as the water transparency have an important influence on the pond stability characteristics and its temporal evolution. The presence of a heat extraction with its cooling effect tends to stabilize the pond. Such a beneficial effect, which is mainly observed in the bottom region of the pond, has been found to be more pronounced during the summer than during the winter time. Results have also shown that the pond with good transparency water would likely be more susceptible to develop instabilities than the one with poorer transparency water. Such an effect appears to be more important inside the lower critical zone.