A pond for cooling and/or recovering salt from a hot aqueous solution of a salt such as potassium chloride produced by solution mining. The pond comprises a plurality of channels arranged side-by-side, each of the channels being defined by a plurality of sides. An inlet is provided in a side of a channel for receiving the aqueous solution, and an outlet is provided in a side of another one of the channels for discharging the aqueous solution. The pond has at least one dike separating the channels from one another. A gap is formed in each dike to permit the aqueous solution to flow between the channels, the gap having a length which is about 10 to about 40 percent of the length of the sides of the channels. Salt is crystallized and the solution is cooled as it passes through the channels of the pond.

In a solar water taking and power generating device, a concentrating-cooling plate encloses the opening, and at least one freshwater collecting channel is formed between the seawater tank and the concentrating-cooling plate; a cation exchange membrane includes a semiconductor film body, nanoparticles, and a capillary water-transporting conduit, wherein the semiconductor film body is provided with cation-selective channels; sunlight illuminates the cation exchange membrane and the nanoparticles through the concentrating-cooling plate, so that the first temperature, the first seawater concentration and the first electric potential in the first side are higher than those in the second side, respectively. The evaporated seawater enters the freshwater tank after condensed, and the cations transfer from the first side to the second side to form an ionic current.

In a solar water taking and power generating device, a concentrating-cooling plate encloses the opening, and at least one freshwater collecting channel is formed between the seawater tank and the concentrating-cooling plate; a cation exchange membrane includes a semiconductor film body, nanoparticles, and a capillary water-transporting conduit, wherein the semiconductor film body is provided with cation-selective channels; sunlight illuminates the cation exchange membrane and the nanoparticles through the concentrating-cooling plate, so that the first temperature, the first seawater concentration and the first electric potential in the first side are higher than those in the second side, respectively. The evaporated seawater enters the freshwater tank after condensed, and the cations transfer from the first side to the second side to form an ionic current.

In a solar water taking and power generating device, a concentrating-cooling plate encloses the opening, and at least one freshwater collecting channel is formed between the seawater tank and the concentrating-cooling plate; a cation exchange membrane includes a semiconductor film body, nanoparticles, and a capillary water-transporting conduit, wherein the semiconductor film body is provided with cation-selective channels; sunlight illuminates the cation exchange membrane and the nanoparticles through the concentrating-cooling plate, so that the first temperature, the first seawater concentration and the first electric potential in the first side are higher than those in the second side, respectively. The evaporated seawater enters the freshwater tank after condensed, and the cations transfer from the first side to the second side to form an ionic current.

In a solar water taking and power generating device, a concentrating-cooling plate encloses the opening, and at least one freshwater collecting channel is formed between the seawater tank and the concentrating-cooling plate; a cation exchange membrane includes a semiconductor film body, nanoparticles, and a capillary water-transporting conduit, wherein the semiconductor film body is provided with cation-selective channels; sunlight illuminates the cation exchange membrane and the nanoparticles through the concentrating-cooling plate, so that the first temperature, the first seawater concentration and the first electric potential in the first side are higher than those in the second side, respectively. The evaporated seawater enters the freshwater tank after condensed, and the cations transfer from the first side to the second side to form an ionic current.

A floating pond cover comprised of a plurality of convex spherical lenses of suitable polymer and uniform thickness arranged symmetrically at maximum packing density within a singular hexagonal floatation-cell-body (Cell), said Cell comprising one of a plurality of >10{circumflex over ()}3 identical Cells, whereupon dispersed on totality of a Salt-Gradient-Solar-Pond (SGSP) or other pond-function/lagoon surface, providing coverage of >99%, forming a floating thermal insulation and evaporation barrier, whilst maximizing absorptance or reflectance of incident solar irradiance into/from the pond media. The plurality of hemispherical-surfaces of the lenses, being positioned uniformly within a hexagonal body are arranged, convex-side up, and extends upward from a horizontal x-y plane to a prescribed height above upper surface of said Cell, such that solar rays impinging on said plurality of lenses and floatation body are refracted through the transparent, opaque or translucent Cell-body into said pond media providing functions of evaporation control and insulation for (TES), electric power generation, desalinating saltwater, potable water storage, sewage waste ponds, and protecting wildlife from toxic chemicals utilized in metallurgy, or in oil and gas extraction.

A floating pond cover comprised of a plurality of convex spherical lenses of suitable polymer and uniform thickness arranged symmetrically at maximum packing density within a singular hexagonal floatation-cell-body (Cell), said Cell comprising one of a plurality of >10{circumflex over ()}3 identical Cells, whereupon dispersed on totality of a Salt-Gradient-Solar-Pond (SGSP) or other pond-function/lagoon surface, providing coverage of >99%, forming a floating thermal insulation and evaporation barrier, whilst maximizing absorptance or reflectance of incident solar irradiance into/from the pond media. The plurality of hemispherical-surfaces of the lenses, being positioned uniformly within a hexagonal body are arranged, convex-side up, and extends upward from a horizontal x-y plane to a prescribed height above upper surface of said Cell, such that solar rays impinging on said plurality of lenses and floatation body are refracted through the transparent, opaque or translucent Cell-body into said pond media providing functions of evaporation control and insulation for (TES), electric power generation, desalinating saltwater, potable water storage, sewage waste ponds, and protecting wildlife from toxic chemicals utilized in metallurgy, or in oil and gas extraction.

A carbonized manure photothermal evaporator derived from naturally abundant farm waste has high solar absorptance, effective water transportation, and rapid salt dissipation. It achieves high evaporation under 1-sun irradiance and is recyclable, durable, and cost-effective for use in energy-efficient solar-driven interfacial desalination.

A carbonized manure photothermal evaporator derived from naturally abundant farm waste has high solar absorptance, effective water transportation, and rapid salt dissipation. It achieves high evaporation under 1-sun irradiance and is recyclable, durable, and cost-effective for use in energy-efficient solar-driven interfacial desalination.

A Salinity Gradient Solar Pond has saturated salt water in the bottom of the pond and nearly fresh water at the top, with a gradient zone between the top and bottom. Due to this salinity stratification the upward diffusion of salt is a natural consequence in SGSP's. This upward diffusion of salt has been found to range 60-80 gr/m.sup.2/day (Tabor, H.; Solar Ponds, Solar Energy, v. 27 (3), pp. 181-194, 1981 and v. 30 (1), pp. 85-86, 1983). Controlling the salinity gradient in SGSP systems is vital to their reliable operation. One proposed method for controlling the salinity gradient is the so called Falling Pond method, where water is extracted from the saturated bottom layer by some means and returned to the nearly fresh upper layer. This action creates a downward velocity in the pond's layers which can be matched to counter the upward diffusion of salt, thereby maintaining the pond's gradient stationary in space.