On the performance of a salt gradient solar pond

The performance of a laboratory-scale salt-gradient solar pond is described in this paper. Different methods of saline injection to the bottom layer and corresponding temperature and concentration profiles as a function of depth are reviewed and compared with experimental results. A time history of the development of temperatures, salinities and elevations of the lower and upper layers at various climatological situations is reported. The ‘dynamic stability’ and ‘equilibrium boundary criterion’ are discussed and verified experimentally for the lower and upper gradient interfaces.