Gradient zone boundary control in salt gradient solar ponds

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:864858

Hull, John R ^[1]

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1. Downers Grove, IL

A method and apparatus for suppressing zone boundary migration in a salt gradient solar pond includes extending perforated membranes across the pond at the boundaries, between the convective and non-convective zones, the perforations being small enough in size to prevent individual turbulence disturbances from penetrating the hole, but being large enough to allow easy molecular diffusion of salt thereby preventing the formation of convective zones in the gradient layer. The total area of the perforations is a sizable fraction of the membrane area to allow sufficient salt diffusion while preventing turbulent entrainment into the gradient zone.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4429683
• OSTI ID: 864858
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/126/4/
allow
allow sufficient
apparatus
boundaries
boundary
control
convective
diffusion
disturbances
easy
entrainment
extending
formation
fraction
gradient
gradient solar
individual
layer
membrane
membranes
method
migration
molecular
non-convective
penetrating
perforated
perforations
pond
ponds
prevent
preventing
salt
salt gradient
sizable
size
solar
solar pond
sufficient
suppressing
total
turbulence
turbulent
zone
zone boundary
zones