Experimental studies on the effect of using phase change material in a salinity-gradient solar pond under a solar simulator

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a technology that stocks thermal energy by heating a storage medium so that the stored energy can be used at a later time for heating applications and power generation. This paper is focused on an experimental study of the thermal behavior of a mini Salinity-Gradient Solar Pond (SGSP) exposed to a solar simulator. Experiments were carried out in an environmental chamber. In fact, a comparison between the integration and the absence of Ultra Violet (UV) filter has been done using two experimental prototype solar ponds built at the Environmental Energy Laboratory at the Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, Italy. Furthermore, representative results illustrating the influence of simulator spectrum on the distribution of temperature on a SGSP and the effects of the thermal performance has been discussed. In the present study, we have also focused on the assessment of Phase Change Material (PCM) properties. For this purpose, the performance of adding salt hydrates PCMs to a small salinity-gradient solar pond has been studied. The obtained result provides evidence that the solar pond with PCM may be used as a hot water source for domestic applications by collecting and storing solar energy at the same point.