Reconstruction and operation of the El Paso Solar Pond with a geosynthetic clay liner system

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:438657

Lu, H; Swift, A H.P. ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States)

After the original XR-5 membrane liner failed in 1992, the El Paso Solar Pond was reconstructed and operated with a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) system. The solar pond is approximately 3,000 m{sup 2} in surface area, and 3.2 meters deep with a 15{degree} side-wall slope. A new heat extraction system includes 15-cm (6-inch) rubber hoses and two redesigned polypropylene diffusers. A new automated instrumentation system was developed for monitoring pond status. It uses a newly developed scanner combined with a computer for both position control and data logging. The salinity gradient was established using a new scanning method, as opposed to the previously used fixed point method. Fresh water was injected into brine through a newly designed PVC bar shaped diffuser, which scans automatically within preset regions. After two months, the pond bottom reached 80 C and heat extraction began. The performance of the GCL system, characterized by its hydraulic conductivity, has been monitored, and generates the first full scale, elevated temperature data for a GCL system. Preliminary hydraulic conductivity data indicate values comparable with other clay liner systems.

• OSTI ID: 438657
• Report Number(s): CONF-9603117--; ISBN 0-7918-1765-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
BRINES
CLAYS
CONSTRUCTION
DATA ACQUISITION
HEAT EXCHANGERS
LINERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
SALINITY GRADIENTS
SOLAR PONDS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TEXAS