A solar still is a renewable energy device that converts contaminated and saline water into potable water through evaporation and condensation process. This study investigates two main objectives for increasing the yield of solar still: optimizing the channel placement in a modified double-slope solar still (DSSS + C) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and analyzing the effect of varying salt concentrations to assess the still's performance in producing potable water. The modification involved adding three macrochannels to the basin, preheating the feed water to enhance evaporation by increasing the initial temperature and improving overall yield. CFD simulations identified the optimal placement of these channels, with results showing that positioning them near the middle edge of the absorber-sidewall joint maximized the evaporation efficiency. Experimental validation of the CFD results confirmed a less than 5% deviation between numerical and experimental yield measurements. The study also evaluated the solar still’s effectiveness at different salt concentrations, ranging from 1,000 ppm to 20,000 ppm. Despite the high salinity of 20,000 ppm, the yield water by modified solar still met WHO criteria for potable water by reducing total dissolved solids (TDSs) by 99.66%, turbidity by 99.93% and electrical conductivity by 99.74%. The modified solar still achieved a 27.7% increase in water yield and 27.69% higher energy efficiency. The system’s energy-efficient design, relying solely on solar energy, offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution to water scarcity in arid regions. Future research will focus on scaling the technology for wider, sustainable applications.
Pathak et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: