Salina Fielding

We have been creating an experiment in our back garden to make salt by concentrating sea water from Cemlyn Bay. We started the experiment on 23 April by filling 10 gravel trays with sea water, later increasing the number to 16.

Each tray is made from black plastic and is 250mm x 400mm x 60mm and holds 2.5 litres of sea water.
As soon as the trays evaporate by half their volume the contents of two trays is combined to fill the next tray in the sequence, thus concentrating the brine in the set of salt trays (pans).

There are eight starter pans, four concentrator pans passing to two concentrator pans and then two single crystaliser pans.

8 starter pans - 20ltr
4 concentrator pans - 10ltr
2 concentrator pans - 5ltr
1 crystaliser pan A - 2.5ltr
1 crystaliser pan B - 2.5ltr or less

This makes a total sea water content of the salina 38.75ltr

To the original 25ltrs of starter sea water we added a further 25ltrs on the 30 April, 20ltrs on the 3 May and 20ltrs on the 17 May. Making a total volume of 90 ltrs having been added to the salina. Thus the salina had evaporated 51.25ltrs since it had started operations.

The first salt crystals were observed on 29 May. Though it had been stored in a closed garage for a week as we were away looking at salt making sites in Cumbria for Ecosal! This does also mean that it is not left outside during wet weather, which perhaps distorts its true operational parameters!

Image of the first salt crystals forming in Crystaliser Pan B.

Some nice pyramidal crystals