What is it about?
This research investigates how to increase the useful temperature of solar ponds by using special devices called absorption heat transformers. A solar pond naturally stores heat from sunlight in layers of salty water, but it usually can’t reach temperatures above 90°C—too low for many industrial uses. The authors designed and tested mathematical models of several types of heat transformers that can “upgrade” this stored heat to higher temperatures. They studied both traditional lithium bromide–water mixtures and a newer mixture known as Carrol (lithium bromide with ethylene glycol). Their simulations show that using these systems can raise the pond’s temperature up to 100°C, improving its usefulness for generating process heat, steam, or other forms of renewable energy.
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Why is it important?
Solar ponds are inexpensive and simple ways to collect and store solar energy, but their temperature limits have restricted their applications. This study is important because it demonstrates how absorption heat transformers can make solar ponds more practical for industrial and energy applications. The use of the Carrol mixture provides higher performance and a wider operating range than conventional fluids, potentially making solar ponds more efficient and reliable for sustainable heat generation.
Perspectives
From a technical viewpoint, the paper provides a comparative thermodynamic analysis of single-stage, two-stage, and double absorption heat transformers coupled to solar ponds. The authors found that single-stage systems offer higher efficiency (coefficients of performance around 0.48), while advanced systems reach higher temperatures (up to 100°C). The Carrol mixture shows better solubility and performance than the traditional lithium bromide–water system, expanding the possible range of condenser temperatures. This work contributes to renewable energy research by showing a viable pathway to enhance low-temperature solar technologies, making them more adaptable for industrial and process heat recovery applications.
Professor Rosenberg J Romero
Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Single-stage and advanced absorption heat transformers operating with lithium bromide mixtures used to increase solar pond's temperature, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, December 2001, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/s0927-0248(01)00074-5.
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