Conceptual design of a downward-convecting solar pond filled with a water-saturated, porous medium

A. Hadim, L. C. Burmeister

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previous results from a stability analysis of natural convection in a water-saturated porous medium with externally imposed downward flow of the fluid and distributed internal heat generation are used in this study for a preliminary design of a saltless solar pond. The pond is filled with a water-saturated porous medium to inhibit natural convection. Downward flow of water is steadily imposed to allow the absorbed solar radiation, dependent upon the extinction coefficient of the watersaturated porous medium, to be carried down to the bottom of the solar pond from whence warm water is conveyed to the point of use. The downward velocities used have small magnitudes to alio w useful bottom temperatures to be obtained. A steadystate analytical study was performed to determine the maximum temperature that can be obtained at the bottom of the saltless solar pond which resulted in a relationship involving the internal and external Rayleigh numbers, extinction coefficient, and Peclet number of the imposed downward flow. Results from this analytical study are combined with results from the stability analysis in a design procedure. This procedure is used to design a saltless solar pond of the concept described above for several cases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)240-245
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Solar Energy Engineering, Transactions of the ASME
Volume114
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1992

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Conceptual design of a downward-convecting solar pond filled with a water-saturated, porous medium'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this