The El Paso Solar Pond, a research, development, and demonstration project operated by the University of Texas at El Paso, is a salinity-gradient solar pond with a surface area of 3,000 m and a depth of 3.2 m. The pond utilizes an aqueous solution of predominantly sodium chloride (NaCl). The surface convective zone, main gradient zone, and bottom convective zone are approximately 0.6 m, 1.4 m, and 1.2 m, respectively. The project, located on the property of Bruce Foods, Inc., was initiated in 1983 in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Since then, the El Paso Solar Pond has successfully developed a series of technologies for solar pond operation and maintenance, as well as demonstrated several different applications. In 1985, the El Paso Solar Pond became the first in the world to deliver industrial process heat to a commercial manufacturer; in 1986 became the first solar pond electric power generating facility in the United States; and in 1987 became the nation’s first experimental solar pond powered water desalting facility. Currently, the major research at El Paso Solar Pond is focused on desalination and brine management technologies. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a systems approach for desalination/brine management via a multiple process desalination coupled with solar ponds. This systems approach will reuse the brine concentrate rejected from desalting plants thereby negating the need for disposal (zero discharge), and provide additional pollution-free renewable energy for the desalting process.
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August 2001
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El Paso Solar Pond
Huanmin Lu and,
Huanmin Lu and
College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
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Andrew H. P. Swift
Andrew H. P. Swift
College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
Search for other works by this author on:
Huanmin Lu and
College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
Andrew H. P. Swift
College of Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the ASME Solar Energy Division, Jan. 2001; final revision, Jan. 2001. Editor: J. Davidson.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Aug 2001, 123(3): 178 (1 pages)
Published Online: January 1, 2001
Article history
Revised:
January 1, 2001
Received:
January 1, 2001
Citation
Lu and , H., and Swift, A. H. P. (January 1, 2001). "El Paso Solar Pond." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. August 2001; 123(3): 178. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1384572
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