Enhancing Thermal Performance of Trapezoidal Porous Medium Solar Ponds Experimental and Numerical Analysis

2025-28-0207

02/07/2025

Event
Advances in Design, Materials, Manufacturing and Surface Engineering for Mobility (ADMMS’25)
Authors Abstract
Content
This research investigates the potential of salt gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) as a sustainable and effective solution for thermal energy storage. The study examines the design, construction, and performance of SGSP systems that incorporate coal cinder, comparing their performance with traditional SGSPs without coal cinder. A combination of experimental and numerical approaches is used to evaluate the thermal characteristics and energy efficiency of these systems. The findings indicate that the salt gradient solar pond with coal cinder (SGSP-CC) achieves notably higher temperatures across the Upper Convective Zone (UCZ), Non-Convective Zone (NCZ), and Lower Convective Zone (LCZ), with measured temperatures of 42.57°C, 56.8°C, and 69.86°C, respectively. These represent increases of 7.53%, 12.01%, and 15.49% over those in the conventional SGSP (SGSP-C). Additionally, the energy efficiency gains in the UCZ, NCZ, and LCZ for the SGSP-CC are noteworthy, with increases of 38.06%, 39.61%, and 42.73%, respectively, compared to the SGSP-C. The numerical simulations align closely with the experimental data, showing deviations of less than 5% in both temperature distribution and energy efficiency across all zones. This research highlights the potential of SGSPs with reflectors for improved thermal storage efficiency.
Meta TagsDetails
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4271/2025-28-0207
Pages
6
Citation
J, V., "Enhancing Thermal Performance of Trapezoidal Porous Medium Solar Ponds Experimental and Numerical Analysis," SAE Technical Paper 2025-28-0207, 2025, https://doi.org/10.4271/2025-28-0207.
Additional Details
Publisher
Published
Feb 07
Product Code
2025-28-0207
Content Type
Technical Paper
Language
English