Finite element modelling of the thermal performance of salinity gradient solar ponds

Argyrios Anagnostopoulos, Daniel Sebastia-Saez, Alasdair N. Campbell and Harvey Arellano-Garcia

Energy, 2020, vol. 203, issue C

Abstract: Solar ponds are a promising technology to capture and store solar energy. Accurate, reliable and versatile models are thus needed to assess the thermal performance of salinity gradient solar ponds. A CFD simulation set-up has been developed in this work to obtain a fully versatile model applicable to any practical scenario. Also, a comparison between the results obtained with an existing one-dimensional MATLAB model and the two- and three-dimensional CFD models developed in this work has been carried out to quantify the gain in accuracy and the increase in computational resources needed. The two and three-dimensional models achieve considerably higher accuracy than the 1-D model. They are subsequently found to accurately evaluate the heat loss to the surroundings, the irradiance absorbed by the solar pond and the thermal performance of the pond throughout the year. Two geographic locations: Bafgh (Iran) and Kuwait City, have been evaluated.

Keywords: Solar energy; Solar pond; Finite element method; Numerical analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:203:y:2020:i:c:s0360544220309683

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.117861

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