Experimental investigation into the performance of the solar pond in Kerbala

Abstract

Abstract Solar ponds are a low-cost technology options for harnessing solar energy. An experimental model for a solar pond was designed for Kerbala, Iraq, with the aim of heating water. The surface area of the pond was 7.29 m2, at a depth of 1 m, and with walls tilted at an angle of 45°. The experiment was conducted in February, March, and April, in the winter and spring seasons of 2020. Two types of salt were used in this work: sodium chloride and potassium chloride. Solar radiation was recorded daily, and the measured solar irradiance ranged between 360 W/m2 and 1384W/m2. Solar radiation was focused on the surface of the pond using two reflecting mirrors, the first being a flat surface and the second a concave shape, with a concavity depth of 0.1 m. Both mirrors were 1 m long by 0.8 m wide. The experimental results showed that the highest temperature of water in the pond was 44 °C, achieved using sodium chloride, while using potassium chloride produced a maximum temperature of 40 °C. The useful energy and the experimental thermal efficiencies were found to be 28.2 MJ per hour and 11.6%, respectively.