NUMERICAL-MODEL FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF A SALT-GRADIENT SOLAR-POND GREENHOUSE-HEATING SYSTEM

This paper reports a parametric study of a salt-gradient solar-pond gr eenhouse-heating system under Jordanian climatic conditions, using a o ne-dimensional numerical model which has been solved using a definite difference technique. The model makes use of several empirical correla tions for calculating solar fluxes, and heat losses from the solar pon d. The parameters considered include the surface area of the pond, the non-convective zone (NCZ) and the lower convective-zone (LCZ) thickne sses, the inclination wall angles of the pond, the greenhouse area, th e greenhouse cover transmittance, and the thermal load extracted It ha s been found that, under Jordanian climatic conditions, the solar pond can provide 30% of the heating load for the greenhouse. (C) 1997 Else vier Science Ltd.