Thermal Efficiency for Each Zone of a Solar Pond

A salt gradient solar pond with a surface area of 3.5×3.5 m² and a depth of 2 m is built. Two collapsible covers are used to reduce thermal energy loss from the surface of the solar pond during the night and to increase the thermal efficiency of the pond solar energy harvesting during daytime. The covers can be rotated between 0 and 180° by a controlled electric motor and has insulation and reflection properties. The thermal efficiency for each solar pond zone is investigated theoretically and experimentally.