The general objective of this study is to investigate the main factors that result in differences between small- and large-scale solar pond performances.
The understanding of these factors from laboratory-scale experiments enables prediction of solar pond performance at larger scales or under real environmental conditions. To achieve this objective, a new approach that combines high-resolution thermal observations with computational fluid dynamics is presented.
In this study, for the first time, vertical high-resolution distributed temperature sensing (DTS) observations from a small-scale solar pond experiment [16,31] were compared to numerical simulations of a large-scale solar pond subject to the experimental environmental conditions. The simulations were carried out using a fully coupled double-diffusive convective model that considers the hydrodynamics within the solar pond as a density driven flow
The differences between experimental and modeled results were explained and their impacts on largescale solar pond were discussed.
The approach utilized in this study allows real-time monitoring of solar pond performance at a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.
hydrodynamics
diffusive
shortor