Salinity gradient solar ponds - Solar Energy Sciences and Engineering Applications - page 209

7.4 SOLAR PONDS -WORLDWIDE
Since the 1950s a number of demonstration and a few industrial solar ponds have been
constructed and operated around the world. This section presents a few examples of
such solar ponds from around the world.
7.4.1 Solar ponds - Israel
Figure 7.4.1 shows the solar pond power station at Bet Ha Arava in Israel. Ormat
constructed two solar ponds with a combined surface area of 250,000 m 2 near Bet
Ha Arava north of the Dead Sea. These two solar ponds supplied required thermal
energy to the Ormat power plant with a power production capacity of 5 MWe. Due to
geopolitical reasons this solar pond power station was decommissioned in 1990. Solar
pond technology is again gaining some interest for industrial process heating rather
than power generation application (Tabor and Doron, 1990).
7.4.2 Solar ponds - Australia
Figure 7.4.2 shows the 50 m 2 experimental solar pond that was constructed in 1998 at
the Bundoora East Campus of RMIT University located in Melbourne, Australia. The
solar pond is circular in shape, 8 m in diameter and 2.5 m deep; it has an observation
window to check water clarity. The overflow level control system maintains the solar
pond water depth at 2.05 m from the bottom. The solar pond walls and floor is made
from 0.2 m thick reinforced concrete and to protect the concrete floor and the inner
surface of the concrete walls and steel reinforcement from corrosion due to salt, they
are coated with a layer of epoxy. This solar pond is a partially in-ground type and has
Figure 7.4.1 The Dead Sea solar pond power station near Bet Ha Arava, Israel.