Small Scale Multipurpose Solar Pond for the Farmers

A small scale prototype multipurpose solar pond (SSMSP) in the form of a farm apparatus is indigenously prepared having the dimensions 11.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 inches with a view to provide a technique for collecting and storing solar energy.The solar pond (SP) was filled with fertilized salt by maintaining definite concentration of halocline vertically with three zones -i) UCZ -Upper Convective Zone < 5% salt concentration called as Surface convective zone, ii) Non-Convective Zone NCZ-(Salinity increases with depth) (20-30% salt concentration) with 1-1.5m depth and iii) LCZ-Lower Convective Zone with Salinity 20% called storage zone with the bottom of thick durable liner of butyl rubber or lampblack.The NCZ is much thicker and occupies more than half the depth of the pond, both concentration and temperature increases with depth in it.It serves as mainly insulating layer and reduces heat loss in the upward direction.LCZ acts as main heat collector as well as thermal storage medium.The SSMSP could be utilized to generate limited power, industrial process heating, water desalination, solar crop dryer, green house for vegetables heating, cooler, algae lamps, and soak-pit for the farmers.