Performance assessment of single slope solar still integrated with hanging cotton wick

Experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate and compare the performance of a conventional single-slope solar still (SCSS) and a modified configuration incorporating a hanging cotton wick to enhance the effective evaporative surface area. For this purpose, two identical conventional solar stills were fabricated to ensure a controlled comparative assessment of the effect of surface area augmentation on water evaporation and distillate yield. In the modified solar still (MCSS), the additional evaporative surface was arranged vertically and parallel to the galvanized iron (GI) sidewalls, supplementing the horizontal basin water surface and the system?s sensible heat storage capacity. Outdoor experiments were conducted during May and June 2023 with a basin water depth of 10 cm. The cumulative distillate yield of the MCSS demonstrated a 39.51% enhancement compared to the SCSS. Moreover, the cost of distilled water production was reduced from ?0.72/L for the SCSS to ?0.51/L for the MCSS, indicating both performance and economic advantages of the proposed modification.