Energetic and exergetic investigation of single slope solar still with sponge and circular hollow fins at different water depths

In this investigation, the experimental analysis of single slope solar still (SSSS) using hollow pin fins and sponge is done. The analysis of a SSSS using various sizes of water depth located in the basin was investigated based on energy and exergy analysis. The performance was estimated for the different water depths such as 15, 30, and 45 mm in basin. Four types are considered, type 1: traditional solar still (TSS), type 2: TSS with sponge, type 3: TSS with circular hollow fins and type 4: TSS with sponge and circular hollow fins. The effects of the sponge, water depth and the use of hollow pin fins were also examined. The performance was estimated for the variation of water depth such as 15, 30, and 45 mm in basin. The energy efficiency of Type 4 (TSS with sponge and circular hollow fins) is 20% higher than that of Type 3 (TSS with circular hollow fins), 38.47% higher than that of Type 2 (TSS with sponge) and 79.98% higher than that of Type 1 (TSS).     

Experimental validation of passive regenerative solar still

A thermal analysis of a passive regenerative solar still is presented for different configurations. Based on an energy balance for each component of the system, an analytical expression for thermal efficiency has been derived in terms of the design parameters. The theoretical results have been validated for special cases of the system. There is reasonable agreement between theoretical and experimental observations.     

Numerical and experimental investigation of parabolic trough collector with focal evacuated tube and different working fluids integrated with single slope solar still

This study deals with the design and fabrication of parabolic trough solar collectors (PTCs) used to increase the yield of a single slope solar still. The designed parabolic trough solar collector is investigated numerically using Ansys Fluent 18.2. The proposed solar still is coupled with a parabolic trough solar collector with an evacuated tube receiver in its focal axis using different working fluids. The working fluids are water (case 1), oil (case 2), and nano-oil (CuO/mineral oil 3% vol; case 3). In the case when the working fluid is not water, then a heat exchanger serpentine should be used in the solar still basin. The PTC has a rim angle of 82° and an aperture width of 0.9 m and length of 2.8 m. An assessment of the performance for the studied systems was accomplished under the weather conditions of Ismailia, Egypt, during summer months, June, July, and August 2019. The outcomes of closed-loop working fluids different flow rates are investigated. The experimental results of the accumulated freshwater productivities record 2.955, 3.475, 4.29, and 5.04 L m⁻² d⁻¹ for the traditional solar still and the modified cases 1 to 3 solar stills, respectively. The modified solar still in case 3 has the highest daily accumulated freshwater productivity with a percentage increase of 71.2% than the traditional solar still. The maximum daily efficiency is 46% and 26.9% for the traditional and modified (case 3) solar stills, respectively. The cost of 1 L of fresh water is 0.057 and 0.062 $/L for the traditional and the modified (case 3) solar stills, respectively.     

Experimental investigation on pyramid solar still with single and double collector cover—Comparative study

Sun radiation is the heat energy source for solar still. That should be utilized maximum for increasing the evaporative rate at the top surface of the brine. The pyramid shape solar still (PSSS) can receive solar input radiation from all four directions. In this research, the top layer of conventional pyramid shape solar still (CPSSS) is covered with air‐packed cover and analysed the effect in the modified still after air packed in between the two glasses, finally, that result is compared with the CPSSS. The air inside the two glasses will be receiving maximum radiation and retain in it. It can be used as top side insulation and which can ensure the maximum insulation for heat energy inside the PSSS. The CPSSS and air‐packed pyramid shape solar still (APPSSS) were fabricated and experimented. The experiments were conducted at an ambient condition of the Chennai, Tamil Nadu (12.9416°N, 80.2362°E). The CPSSS gives good yield at evening when an increase in wind velocity. The APPSSS gives a lower performance as compared to the CPSSS due to the air‐packed cover.     

Effect of dye on the performance of a double basin solar still

The use of single basin solar stills for water distillation has been well demonstrated. However, the amount of distilled water produced per unit area is fairly low which makes the single basin solar still unacceptable in situations where space is a limitation. Malik has suggested a new conceptual design of a double basin solar still to overcome the above problem partially. The relative results obtained on a double basin as opposed to a single basin solar still are reported here with reference to (a) its performance, (b) the effect of dye in the lower basin, and (c) the effect of maintaining the raw water level in the basins.     

Analytical expression for instantaneous exergy efficiency of a shallow basin passive solar still

An expression for instantaneous exergy efficiency of a passive solar still has been developed. The effect of design, operational and climatic parameters, namely effective absorptivity of basin liner (0.9–0.6), glass cover tilt (15–45°) and wind velocity (0.0–10 m/s) have been taken into account. It is found that with decrease in absorptivity (0.9–0.6) with time, the energetic and exergetic efficiencies decrease by 21.8% and 36.7% respectively. The effect of glass cover tilt is found to be insignificant and the respective efficiencies decrease by 0.75% and 0.47% per degree increase in tilt. These efficiencies increase rapidly up to a wind velocity of 2 m/s.     

Effect of glass cover inclination and parametric studies of concentrator-assisted solar distillation system

In this communication, a thermal analysis of concentrator-assisted solar distillation unit has been developed to optimize the glass cover inclination. The thermal energy is based on the energy balance equation for each component of the distillation unit by incorporating the proposed modified Dunckle's relation for internal heat loss. An analytical expression for various parameters, namely the water and glass cover temperatures, hourly and daily yield and an instantaneous thermal efficiency, has been derived. Numerical computations have been carried out and it has been observed that the daily output increases with inclination.     

Recent advancements in condensers to enhance the performance of solar still: A review

Pure drinking water sources are continuously decreasing day by day in the world and in contrast requirement is continuously increasing. Solar still is a device, which converts the saline water into pure form at a lower cost and is useful in the remote areas. But its less productivity and low efficiency is a significant issue to use it as potable water provider. Solar still productivity can be increased by using flat plate collectors, fins, evacuated tubes, different absorbing, and nanomaterials, but the major problem on its productivity is heat loss from glass cover to the ambient. Condenser reduces the temperature of the water vapor and maintain the condensation to enhance the productivity. This review shows different modification in the design of condenser attached with solar still to enhance the yield. At last the future work on the condenser is also discussed here.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of using the cylindrical parabolic collector,different solar panels and their cooling on seawater desalination in double-slope solar still

ABSTRACT

The present study was aimed at examining the effect of using solar panels and cylindrical parabolic collectors, or CPCs, on solar still unit. Cooling of the solar panels up to 25°C has been also conducted in order to rise the amount of produced freshwater. In the first setup, the solar still unit has been made up of 300 W and 600 W solar panels along with the CPC devices of lengths 1 m and 2 m outside for water heating. The second setup was designed in a way that water is heated by the solar panels as well as the CPC device with the copper pipe circulation inside the solar still unit, so the hot water within the pipe has raised the temperature of the water as a heat exchanger inside the solar still. Based on the results, the second setup had a higher efficiency than the first setup. Moreover, the highest amount of fresh water was 4.215 kg and 5.091 kg during one day in the first setup and the second setup, respectively. Cases 1 to 6 are related to the first setup and cases 7 to 12 are related to the second setup. The lowest fresh water production in case 1 was 2.852 kg. the highest water temperature in experimental setup 1 was 71.9 °C and in experimental setup 2 was 84.8°C.     

Experimental study on performance of passive and active solar stills in Indian coastal climatic condition

This present work is aimed to examine the effect of mass flow rate on distillate output and performance of a solar still in active mode. Outdoor experiments were conducted at the coastal town, Kakinada (16°93′N/83°33′E), Andhra Pradesh, India. A solar still with a 30° of fixed cover inclination, 1m² of effective basin area, and a flat-plate collector (FPC) with an effective area of 2 m² were used. An attempt was also made earlier in passive mode to optimize the water depth for the same solar still for maximum yield and distillation efficiency. For the passive still, it is observed that the capacity of heat storage and heat drop are significant parameters that affect the still performance. For the selected still design, the study reveals that 0.04 m water depth is the optimum value for specific climatic conditions. In the active solar still, with the optimum water depth, different flow rates of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 L/min are considered through FPC. It is observed that both the mass flow rate and the variation of internal heat transfer coefficients with the mass flow rate have a significant effect on the yield and performance of the still. The experimental results show that the combination of 1.5 L/min mass flow rate and an optimum water depth of 0.04 m leads to a maximum yield for the active solar still. The enhanced yield of the active solar still is 57.55%, compared with that of the passive solar still, due to increase in area of radiation collection and more heat absorption rate.     

Effect of inclination on the performance of CPC solar energy collectors

A theoretical numerical model of thermal transfer in a line-axis, symmetric, compound parabolic concentrating solar energy collector (CPC) is presented. The effect of the angle of axial inclination of an east-west aligned CPC and hence the effect of the latitudinal and tracking configuration of the CPC system on performance is investigated. The angle of inclination is taken into consideration in the determination of both internal and external convective heat transfer. The convective, radiative, conductive and overall heat transfer coefficients and system efficiency for various angles of inclination, concentration ratios and insolations was determined, and are presented as graphs of heat transfer variation and Hottel-Whillier-Bliss characteristic curves respectively.     

An investigation of the parameters involved in simple solar still with inclined yute

Desalination of water has been one of the most important technological work undertaken in many countries, in particular Middle East. For this purpose, solar energy is the attractive familiar way in producing such fresh water where the cost of other energy is continuously increased. This paper represents the experimental results carried out with a solar still with inclined evaporating yute to study the effects of air gap, base slope angle and glass cover slope angle on the performance of the still. In order to investigate the parameters involved in the still, three models have been designed, manufactured and tested against some experimental measurements on a still having 1m × 1m basin area. The models have been designed in a way that it can give different base slope angle and glass slope angle. A comparison between the three models has been made for three glass slope angles. The test results show that the model with base slope of 15° and glass slope of 35° gives the best results. It gives a daily desalinated water quantity of 5.6 liter/m².day.     

Experimental evaluation of the wind convection heat transfer on the glass cover of the single-slope solar still

Accurate evaluation of the wind convection heat transfer coefficient (h_w) for solar-based systems is essential, especially for solar desalination systems. Thermal behavior and productivity of solar stills are highly affected by the external heat loss through the glass cover. This paper describes a new experimental approach to estimate the h_w on the glass cover of the conventional single-slope solar distiller (CSS). Indoor experiments have been conducted under steady-state conditions for a wind speed between 0 and 3 m/s. The h_w has been evaluated through an energy balance performed on the distiller's glass cover. The results showed that increasing the wind speed increases the hw (from 5.64 to 31.57 W/m² K) and enhances the distillation rate (from 5.28 to 7.61 mL/min). A new relationship for the h_w was proposed for the CSS and compared with the experimental data available in the literature. The comparison shows that the obtained results are close to the data from solar systems, with a deviation ranging from 27.4% to 37%. However, a significant deviation was obtained with earlier models derived from flat plates (from 29.5% to 59%).     

Annual performance analysis and thermal modelling of passive solar still for different inclinations of condensing cover

This paper reports the annual as well as seasonal performance analysis of single‐slope passive solar stills having three different inclinations of condensing cover, namely 15, 30 and 45°. The analysis is based on the experiments conducted throughout the year from June 2004 to May 2005 on one clear day every month. Each experiment has been carried over for 24 h for the New Delhi (Latitude: 28°37′ North and Longitude: 77°13′ East) climatic conditions. It was observed that the 15° inclination of condensing cover gives maximum annual yield and distillation efficiency. The concept of solar fraction has been used for the validation of thermal modelling. The fair agreement has been noted between the values observed experimentally and calculated theoretically for temperatures and yield in all seasons. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative study on the multistage solar still performance utilizing PCM in variable thicknesses

In the present experimental research, a five-stage solar still was investigated using phase change material paraffin wax. Owing to Iran's climatic conditions and its location in a dry area and nonexistence of fresh water sources, producing this water from saline water sources is essential. In this research, thus, a multistage solar still was planned and examined as a commonly used freshwater source via (phase change material) paraffin wax. On the back of the collector absorber plate, paraffin wax (phase change material) was used as an additional energy source for the sun. The volume of water produced in different thicknesses of 2.5 cm, 5 cm, and without PCM was investigated. The study results specified that the application of phase change material paraffin wax in the thickness of 2.5 cm agent led to a 15% increase in freshwater production. The quantity of water generated in the flow rates of 0.7, 1.3, and 1.8 L/min was also studied. The highest quantity of water produced was obtained in the 1.3 L/min flow rate. Moreover, the quantity of water generated in the five stages of the desalination process was separately measured that the highest amount of production was associated with the first stage.     

Life cycle cost analysis of single slope hybrid (PV/T) active solar still

This paper presents the life cycle cost analysis of the single slope passive and hybrid photovoltaic (PV/T) active solar stills, based on the annual performance at 0.05 m water depth. Effects of various parameters, namely interest rate, life of the system and the maintenance cost have been taken into account. The comparative cost of distilled water produced from passive solar still (Rs. 0.70/kg) is found to be less than hybrid (PV/T) active solar still (Rs. 1.93/kg) for 30 years life time of the systems. The payback periods of the passive and hybrid (PV/T) active solar still are estimated to be in the range of 1.1–6.2 years and 3.3–23.9 years, respectively, based on selling price of distilled water in the range of Rs. 10/kg to Rs. 2/kg. The energy payback time (EPBT) has been estimated as 2.9 and 4.7 years, respectively.     

Estimation of internal heat transfer coefficients of a hybrid (PV/T) active solar still

In this paper, an attempt is made to estimate the internal heat transfer coefficients of a deep basin hybrid (PV/T) active solar still. The estimation is based on outdoor experimental observation of hybrid (PV/T) solar still for composite climate of New Delhi (latitude 28°35′N and longitude 77°12′E). The internal heat transfer coefficients are evaluated by using thermal models proposed by various researchers. The comparison of hourly yield predicted using various thermal models to the experimental has also been carried out by evaluating the correlation coefficient and percentage deviation. It is observed that, Kumar and Tiwari model (KTM) better validate the results than the others model. The average annual values of convective heat transfer coefficient for the passive and hybrid (PV/T) active solar still are observed as 0.78 and 2.41 W m⁻² K⁻¹, respectively at 0.05 m water depth.     

Productivity amelioration of stepped solar still using phase change material and evacuated tube collector

This study investigates the individual and cumulative effects of phase change material (PCM) and evacuated tube collector (ETC) on the performance of a stepped solar still (SSS). Experiments have been performed on SSS, SSS loaded with PCM (SSS-PCM), SSS coupled with ETC (SSS-ETC), and SSS loaded with PCM and coupled with ETC (SSS-PCM-ETC). An innovative way of loading paraffin wax as PCM is introduced to utilize solar energy efficiently for the distillation process during off-sunshine hours. ETC is used to provide pre-heated RO wastewater to the distillation unit. The distillate output was observed maximum for SSS-PCM-ETC (4.97 kg/m² day) which is 99% more than that of the SSS unit. The PCM and ETC individually with SSS unit increases the distillate output by 31% and 24%, respectively. The working time of the distillation unit was observed to be increased by 3 h by the use of PCM. The total heat transfer coefficient was evaluated at the maximum for SSS-PCM-ETC and was observed in the range of 16.94–167.04 W/m² °C. The thermal energy efficiencies of SSS, SSS-ETC, SSS-PCM, and SSS-PCM-ETC were evaluated as 28.65%, 35.59%, 43.88%, and 44.04%, respectively. SSS-PCM-ETC is found to be the most economic with the best environmental conservation having maximum values of daily productive cost ($0.69) and carbon credits earned ($184.8).     

The effect of condenser heat transfer on the energy performance of a plate heat pipe solar collector

For a novel prototype solar collector, using a plate heat pipe, condenser heat transfer was analysed in detail. The condenser has the shape of a rectangular channel. Flow and heat transfer of water in the rectangular channel was modelled and the heat transfer coefficient assessed, using the Fluent code. Under typical operating conditions a mixed convection situation occurs. The channel is inclined and heating is through one wall only (upper channel surface). The range of temperature differences considered was similar to the one verified under real operating conditions, covering a wide range of Grashof numbers. Results showed that the Nusselt number is significantly higher than the one for forced convection in a rectangular channel with fully developed boundary layers. In order to enhance heat transfer, a modification to the rectangular channel was analysed, using baffles to improve flow distribution and increase velocity. The effect of this modification on collector energy performance (efficiency) was assessed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The experimental study of energy features for solar air heaters with different turbulator configurations

To assess the thermal performance in the climate conditions of western and central Iraq, the advantages of using a solar air collector with various turbulator absorber plates are experimentally explored. Four distinct kinds of absorber plates are provided flat plate (F), triangular (T), rectangular (R), and circular (C) turbulators at different air mass flow rates. The collector's economic properties and overall thermal performance are compared to the conventional flat plate turbulator heating systems. The main findings suggest that delta turbulators improve collector economics and overall thermal performance by generating vortex and dampening the formation of the thermal boundary layer in the direction of airflow. Furthermore, when the mass flow rate increases, the thermal performance improves, and the efficiency increases for all mass flow rates, resulting in good thermal performance for the rectangular plate collector when compared to other collectors. When compared to other types of configurations, the daily average efficiency of solar air collectors for flat plate (F), triangular (T), rectangular (R), and circular (C) turbulators are 28%, 67%, 39%, and 48%, respectively, at 50° tilt angle while at 90° tilt angle they are 44%, 76%, 54%, and 63%, respectively, as ṁ = 0.0377 kg/s. The maximum daily average efficiency fitted with rectangular turbulators have about 86% at the largest ṁ = 0.1 kg/s. This study will also give a unique direction to the work trend in the western and central parts of Iraq throughout the winter months.