Viscosity stabilized solar ponds

Claim 5

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said transverse dimension is vertical.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 2 wherein the depth of said cells is less than or equal to ##EQU8## where: R critical is the critical Rayleigh number of the fluid in each respective one of said cells; ν is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid in the pond; α is the thermal diffusivity of the pond; g is the acceleration of gravity; B is the volume coefficient of thermal expansion of the fluid in the pond; and grad t is the temperature gradient in the pond.

Claim 7

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said transverse dimension is horizontal.

Claim 8

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said cells have horizontal transverse dimensions of L and r × L, where r is greater than or equal to 1, and a depth "d" related to each other by the equation ##EQU9## "a" being a dimensionless characteristic parameter related to the Rayleigh number of said fluid body by the following table when the upper surface of said fluid is covered by a non-slip surface ______________________________________ R "a" ______________________________________ 1,707.8 3.117 1,879.3 4.00 2,439.3 5.00 3,418.0 6.00 4,918.5 7.00 7,084.5 8.00 ______________________________________ or if the upper surface of said fluid is free ______________________________________ R "a" ______________________________________ 1,100.65 2.6825 1,120.8 3.00 1,223.5 3.50 1,528.8 4.00 ______________________________________

Claim 9

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said cells comprise at least two elongated cells formed by parallel generally vertically disposed walls wherein the distance between said parallel walls "L" is less than or equal to 2 π d/a.

Claim 10

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said cells are square in horizontal cross-section, the sides of squares being less than or equal to 2 ##EQU10##

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said cells are hexagonal in horizontal cross-section, the length of each side of said hexagons being less than or equal to 4/3 π d/a.

Claim 12

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said cells are triangular in horizontal extent and the dimension of the sides of said triangles are less than or equal to 4/3 √ 3 π d/a.

Claim 13

The method defined in claim 2 wherein the upper surface of the fluid in said cells is free and said transverse dimension is small enough to reduce the Rayleigh number of said fluid to less than 1,100.65.

Claim 14

The method defined in claim 2 wherein the upper surface of the fluid in said cells is covered by a non-slip surface and said transverse dimension is small enough to reduce the Rayleigh number of said fluid to less than 1,707.62.

Claim 15

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said cells are formed by containing said fluid in elongated light transmitting bags of a depth less than either their width or length.

Claim 18

The method defined in claim 14 further defined in that said thickening agent comprises at least one water soluble synthetic polymer and said pond is not an emulsion.

Claim 19

The method defined in claim 15 further defined in that said water soluble synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of vinyl polymers, acrylic polymers, and polymers of ethyleneoxide.

Claim 20

The method defined in claim 16 wherein said water soluble synthetic polymer is an acrylic polymer.

Claim 21

The method defined in claim 16 in which said water soluble synthetic polymer is a polymer of ethyleneoxide.

Claim 22

The method defined in claim 16 further defined in that said water soluble polymer is a high molecular weight carboxy vinyl polymer.

Claim 23

The method defined in claim 15 further defined in that said thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of water soluble chemical derivatives of cellulose and starch.

Claim 24

The method defined in claim 15 further defined in that said thickening agent is selected from the group of thickening agents derived from animal or vegetable material.

Claim 25

The method defined in claim 21 wherein said thickening agent is an extract of seaweed.

Claim 26

The method defined in claim 21 further defined in that said thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of vegetable gums, vegetable extracts, extracts of seaweed, extracts of starch, and extracts of gelatin.

Claim 27

The method defined in claim 14 further defined in that said thickening agent is a polyethyleneoxide adduct of a hydrophobic residue.

Claim 28

The method defined in claim 14 and the additional step of limiting the depth of the pond to less than that required to permit any substantial heat-induced convection.

Claim 29

The method defined in claim 25 wherein said depth is less than or equal to ##EQU11## where: R critical is the critical Rayleigh number of the pond; ν is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid in the pond; α is the thermal diffusivity of the pond; g is the acceleration of gravity; B is the volume coefficient of thermal expansion of the fluid in the pond; and grad t is the temperature gradient in the pond.

Claim 30

The method defined in claim 14, further defined in that said soluble thickening agent is a non-solidifying agent, and said pond remains fluid.

Claim 31

A viscosity stabilized solar pond comprising: A. a large fluid body shallow in depth compared with its lateral extent a. deployed to receive and collect sunlight, b. said fluid body being substantially transparent to sunlight; B. a large vessel having a blackened light-absorbing bottom for containing said fluid body; C. means for withdrawing heat from the warmer lower part of said fluid body; and D. at least one thickening agent added to said fluid body to stabilize the same against any substantial circulation due to natural heat-induced convection resulting from the heat generated by the absorption of light at the bottom, said agent being substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the fluid and not substantially reducing the sunlight transmisivity of the fluid body.

Claim 32

A viscosity stabilized solar pond comprising: A. a large fluid body shallow in depth compared with its lateral extent a. deployed to receive and collect sunlight, b. said fluid body being substantially transparent to sunlight; B. a large vessel having a blackened light-absorbing bottom for containing said fluid body; C. means for withdrawing heat from the warmer lower part of said fluid body; and D. at least one thickening agent added to said fluid body to stabilize the same against any substantial circulation due to natural heat-induced convection resulting from the heat generated by the absorption of light at the bottom, said agent being substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the fluid and not substantially reducing the sunlight transmisivity of the fluid body.

Claim 33

The solar pond defined in claim 28, and: E. at least one generally vertically disposed wall in said pond dividing it into at least two cells having horizontal dimensions of L and r × L where r is greater than or equal to 1 and a depth "d" related to each other by the equation ##EQU12## "a" being a dimensionless characteristic parameter related to the Rayleigh number of said fluid body by the following table when the upper surface of said fluid is covered by a non-slip surface ______________________________________ R "a" ______________________________________ 1,707.8 3.117 1,879.3 4.00 2,439.3 5.00 3,418.0 6.00 4,918.5 7.00 7,084.5 8.00 ______________________________________ or if the upper surface of said fluid is free ______________________________________ R "a" ______________________________________ 1,100.65 2.6825 1,120.8 3.00 1,223.5 3.50 1,528.8 4.00 ______________________________________

Claim 34

The solar pond defined in claim 29 wherein said cells comprise at least two elongated cells formed by parallel generally vertically disposed walls wherein the distance between said parallel walls "L" is less than or equal to 2 π d/a.

Claim 35

The solar pond defined in claim 29 wherein said cells are square in horizontal cross-section, the sides of squares being less than or equal to 2 √ 2 π d/a.

Claim 36

The solar pond defined in claim 29 wherein said cells are hexagonal in horizontal cross-section, the length of each side of said hexagons being less than or equal to 4/3 π d/a.

Claim 37

The solar pond defined in claim 29 wherein said cells are triangular in horizontal extent and the dimension of the sides of said triangles are less than or equal to 4/3 √ 3 π d/a.

Claim 38

The solar pond defined in claim 28 wherein the Rayleigh number of said fluid body is less than 1,100.65.

Claim 39

The solar pond defined in claim 28 and E a solar light transmitting cover over and in contact with said fluid body and wherein the Rayleigh number of said fluid body is less than 1,707.62.

Claim 40

The solar pond defined in claim 28, and; E. at least one generally horizontal light transmitting divider in said pond dividing said fluid body into at least two cells, each of a depth less than or equal to ##EQU13## where: R critical is the critical Rayleigh number of the fluid in each respective one of said cells; ν is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid in the pond; α is the thermal diffusivity of the pond; g is the acceleration of gravity; B is the volume coefficient of thermal expansion of the fluid in the pond; and grad t is the temperature gradient in the pond.

Claim 41

The solar pond defined in claim 36 further defined in that said fluid in said pond is contained in light transmitting bags, of a depth less than their width or length.