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

This study investigates the thermal efficiency of trapezoidal porous medium solar ponds through a multifaceted approach encompassing laboratory experiments, outdoor contrasts, and numerical analysis. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the heat storage capabilities of various porous materials. Outdoor contrast experiments, involving two mini solar ponds with a surface area of 0.42m×0.42m and a bottom area of 0.09m×0.09m, examined the thermal performance enhancement offered by porous medium incorporation. Factors such as the presence of a cover and the type of porous medium were analyzed for their influence on temperature distribution. Results revealed a notable increase in the maximum temperature of the solar pond by approximately 10°C following the introduction of porous medium. Furthermore, numerical evaluation utilizing MATLAB provided deeper insights into the experimental data, enriching our understanding of the thermal dynamics specific to trapezoidal porous medium solar ponds.