article · Results in Engineering
This research evaluates multiple design modifications to improve freshwater generation in tubular solar stills. A modified cords wick tubular solar still was tested alongside additions including internal baffles, reflectors, nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials, and an external condenser with an active fan. The base cords wick design raised freshwater yield by 102 percent over a conventional tubular still. Adding reflectors and baffles yielded up to a 201 percent increase, while integrating the nano-enhanced phase change material for thermal energy storage produced a 240 percent improvement. The highest output occurred when pairing the system with a fan and external condenser, yielding 15,300 millilitres per square metre, representing a 256 percent gain over the standard still yield of 4,300 millilitres per square metre. Economic analysis showed the modified approach halved the cost of water production.
Clean water scarcity remains a severe issue in off-grid and sun-rich areas. Conventional solar stills are simple to build but suffer from low thermal efficiency and slow production rates. By combining inexpensive elements like wick cords, baffles, reflectors, and advanced heat storage materials, these modifications substantially boost daily water output while simultaneously reducing the production cost per litre.
This technology is relevant to low-cost solar desalination and decentralised water purification hardware. Potential adopters include water equipment manufacturers, rural communities, and relief organisations needing affordable potable water systems. The research represents an applied, tested experimental system that has demonstrated cost reductions to 0.01 dollars per litre, though the abstract does not indicate full-scale field pilot trials or manufacturing readiness.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
This study investigates the enhancement of freshwater production using a modified cords wick tubular solar still (CWTSS) compared to a traditional tubular solar still (TSS). The CWTSS design increased freshwater yield by 102 % over the baseline TSS. Also, the impact of using baffles (CWTSS-B) was tested. Incorporating reflectors into the CWTSS (CWTSS-B-R) further improved performance, achieving a 201 % increase in production with reflectors and 160 % without reflectors, highlighting the significant role of reflectors in solar energy capture and distillation efficiency. Various wick cord numbers (12, 22, 32, and 42) were tested to identify the optimal configuration. The use of nanoparticle-enhanced Phase Change Material (PCM) in the CWTSS (CWTSS-PCM) resulted in a 240 % production increase compared to the TSS, demonstrating the effectiveness of PCM in thermal energy storage and management. The most significant improvement was observed in the CWTSS-fan configuration, which employed a fan and an external condenser, leading to a 256 % increase in water production, reaching 15,300 mL/m 2 compared to 4300 mL/m 2 for the TSS. The modified design's freshwater production cost was $0.01/L, a 50 % reduction from the conventional design's cost of $0.02/L. • Performance of modified Tubular Solar Still (TSS) is investigated. • Effect of Baffles, wicks, Reflectors, and nano-PCM is tested. • Highest yield was obtained for CWTSS with a fan. • The highest yield rise for CWTSS with a fan was 256 %. • The final cost of freshwater production for CWTSS was $0.01 per liter.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.102771
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
