Transmittance of Distilled Water and Sodium-Chloride-Water Solutions

The spectral transmittance of pure water and salt water solutions of various concentrations, which are important for the thermal calculation of a solar pond, is measured experimentally for specimen thickness of 1 to 100 mm by means of an autorecording spectro-radiometer inside an air-conditioned room. On the basis of the measured spectral transmittance, the total transmittance of pure and salty waters to 3 m of water depth is calculated as a ratio of the total radiation energy over all wavelengths arriving at any depth from the water surface of the solar pond to the solar radiation incident upon the water surface with various air masses. According to Nielsens’ four-partition method, the effective absorption coefficient is calculated for each wavelength band. Lastly, the transmission properties obtained for pure water, i.e., spectral and total transmittances, absorption wavelength band, and effective absorption coefficient, are compared with past results, and those for salty water with various concentrations are compiled as basic data for the use of solar energy by a solar pond.