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Journal ArticleDOI

Effect of fins and silicon dioxide nanoparticle black paint on the absorber plate for augmenting yield from tubular solar still

TL;DR: In this paper, a tubular solar still (TSS) was tested in a bright sunny climatic condition of Chennai, Indian (lat. 13° 08′ N and long. 80° 27′ E).
Abstract: The present study aims at enhancing the yield of tubular solar still (TSS) by employing fins and coating the absorber plate. We doped the SiO2 nanoparticles into black paint at the weight concentration ranging from 10 to 40%. The solar still was tested in a bright sunny climatic condition of Chennai, Indian (lat. 13° 08′ N and long. 80° 27′ E). Under transient heat flux conditions, water, basin, and TSS glass temperatures with and without fin were measured. The rate of heat transfer by convection between the water and absorber plate was increased. Results revealed that the basin and water temperatures were improved by 10.49% and 10.88%, respectively when using black paint with SiO2 nanoparticle in the concentration of 20%, coated on the absorber plate compared to that when using the ordinary black paint, while using the fins on the absorber plate enhanced the potable water produced by 55.18% when using 20% SiO2 nanoparticle compared to that of conventional TSS. The cost per liter of water produced using the flat and finned absorber coated using 20% SiO2 nanoparticle in black paint is found as 0.0187 and 0.012 $/L respectively.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new convex absorber was used for the first time instead of the flat plate absorber to increase the vaporization and exposure surface areas inside the solar still.

60 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The experimental results revealed that using the corrugated and curved liners increased the productivity of the modified stepped solar still (MSSS) by 42% and 33% and vapor suction by 95%, 127%, and 170%, respectively.
Abstract: This paper aimed to improve the thermal performance of the stepped solar still. So, the effects of using different types of basin liners (corrugated and curved basin liners), jute cloth wick, CuO/paraffin wax, and vapor suction on the stepped solar still performance were investigated. The CuO/paraffin wax was placed into a groove parallel to the basin steps’ liner. Also, the stepped distiller was integrated with an external condensation unit. The experimental results revealed that using the corrugated and curved liners increased the productivity of the modified stepped solar still (MSSS) by 42% and 33%, respectively. In addition, using the corrugated liner with wick, corrugated liner with wick and CuO/paraffin wax, corrugated liner with wick, CuO/paraffin wax, and vapor suction improved the freshwater productivity of the distiller by 95%, 127%, and 170%, respectively. At the last studied case (MSSS with corrugated liner, wick, CuO/paraffin wax, and vapor suction), the daily freshwater productivities of the MSSS and conventional still (CSS) were 7000 and 2600 mL/m2·day, respectively. Also, the thermal efficiency of MSSS was calculated as 59% which was obtained at the last studied case. And the efficiency of the CSS was 35%. Besides, the distilled water cost of CSS and MSSS with corrugated liner with wick, CuO/paraffin wax, and vapor suction was 0.023 and 0.014 $/L, respectively.

43 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper , a design modification that includes the use of a convex dish absorber instead of a flat absorber liner was proposed, and a circular stepped surface was used instead of the flat absorbers surface.
Abstract: As well known, the solar distiller is one of the introduced solutions to the freshwater shortage problem, but it is demerited by the low freshwater output. In this paper, a design modification that includes the use of a convex dish absorber instead of a flat absorber liner was proposed. Also, a circular stepped surface was used instead of the flat absorber surface. The modified solar distiller is nominated by dish solar distiller and abbreviated by DSD. In addition, a cotton wick was used as a wetting material for facilitating the evaporation process inside the distiller. Besides, the effect of different water heights in the steps was investigated for 0.50, 1, 1.50, 2, and 3 cm. Finally, the space under the dish absorber is filled with a phase change material (PCM) of paraffin wax mixed with CuO nanoparticles. Experimental results revealed that the best water depth over the steps absorber of DSD that provided the highest freshwater productivity was 1.50 cm, where the average daily yields of DSD (at 1.50 cm) and conventional distillers were reported as 6525 and 2800 mL/m².day, respectively. Then, the productivity of DSD was improved by around 133% over that of the conventional distiller. In addition, when using the phase change material, the average daily distillate of stepped DSD was improved by approximately 178% compared to that of the conventional solar still, where the distillate of conventional still and DSD with PCM at 1.50 cm water depth over the steps absorber of DSD was 2950 and 8200 mL/m².day, respectively. The water productivity of the three established solar distillers has been predicted using machine learning algorithms. Besides, the maximum thermal efficiency of DSD was obtained when using PCM at 1.5 cm water depth over the steps absorber of DSD, where it was 67.62% compared to 31.71% for the conventional distiller. The proposed machine learning algorithms succeeded in predicting water productivity with a high correlation coefficient of 0.99.

32 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present, clarify, and analyze the status of several solar distillers with various rotary component arrangements such as a fan, rotating wick, shaft, drum, disc, etc.
Abstract: Access to freshwater is narrowed down every day in the world. Many diseases of human beings are related to water supplies contaminated or unpurified. Nowadays, there are massive water shortages in developed and developing nations due to unplanned mechanisms and water pollution caused by human behavior. Water desalination with no impact on the environment is the necessity of the hour. The distillation of saline or brackish water using free solar energy such as solar still is one of the techniques of water purification providing ultrapure distilled water. Besides, solar still is an economical and eco-friendly method, particularly in arid areas. Solar distillers also provide renewable equipment for freshwater productivity. The still design was affected by several operating and environmental factors. The low productivity of the solar still is its major drawback, so many researchers have studied various models to enhance solar still productivity. This paper aims to review the numerous studies of solar still incorporated with rotating parts that are deemed to be effective and efficient design because rotating parts break water surface tension, increase evaporation area, and improve the still performance. Throughout this detailed review, the scholars intend to present, clarify, and analyze the status of several solar distillers with various rotary component arrangements such as a fan, rotating wick, shaft, drum, disc... etc. In addition, based on the entire work, it was confirmed and recommended that the solar still with rotating parts should be continuously followed to supply potable water efficiently and economically. Different results showed the importance of part rotation (best daily yield & improvement) such as vertical disc distiller (16.5 L/m2/d & 617.4%), drum distiller (9.22 L/m2/d & 350%), moving wick solar still (9.17 L/m2/d & 315%), shaft still (0.83 L/m2/d & 39.49%), and vibratory distiller (5.8 L/m2/d & 132%). These important results obtain the importance of embedding rotating parts into the solar stills.

26 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the recent advances in the nanofluids' applications in solar energy systems, i.e., solar collectors, photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems, solar thermoelectric devices, solar water heaters, solar-geothermal combined cooling heating and power system (CCHP), evaporative cooling for greenhouses, and water desalination.
Abstract: Solar energy systems (SESs) are considered as one of the most important alternatives to conventional fossil fuels, due to its ability to convert solar energy directly into heat and electricity without any negative environmental impact such as greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing nanofluid as a potential heat transfer fluid with superior thermophysical properties is an effective method to enhance the thermal performance of solar energy systems. The purpose of this review paper is the investigation of the recent advances in the nanofluids’ applications in solar energy systems, i.e., solar collectors (SCs), photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems, solar thermoelectric devices, solar water heaters, solar-geothermal combined cooling heating and power system (CCHP), evaporative cooling for greenhouses, and water desalination.

326 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Omar Bait1
TL;DR: In this paper, a tubular solar collector assisted solar still was suggested for desalting saline water, and its exergy performance, enviro-economic and economic analysis has been carried out.

190 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the thermal conductivity of graphene oxide nanoparticle in PCM acts as the key role in improving the thermal performance of a tubular solar still, as compared to that of PCM without nanoparticle.
Abstract: Storing of energy in the form of latent or sensible heat is the best method in improving the performance of any thermal application. Desalination using renewable energy is the best method in getting potable water and due to its lower performance and yield it is not commercially available. The present investigation deals with improving potable water produced using nanomaterial in phase change material from a tubular solar still. Three different solar still namely TSS, TSS with PCM and TSS with NPCM were used in the present study and tested under the climatic conditions of Chennai, India. The thermal conductivity of graphene oxide nanoparticle in PCM acts as the key role in improving the thermal performance as the thermal conductivity of NPCM improved by 52% compared to that of PCM without nanoparticle. There is no significant improvement in the thermal conductivity of nano enhanced PCM with concentration beyond 0.3%. With a significant improvement in the thermal conductivity of NPCM, the water temperature increased by 7 °C and 3 °C as compared to TSS loaded with PCM and TSS without PCM respectively. The maximum enhancement in temperature of NPCM is found as 24% and the temperature is higher during off shine hours compared to that of PCM without nanoparticle. Similarly, with improved water temperature using NPCM as energy material, the evaporation rate from the absorber is improved by 41.3%, whereas, the average EHTC for TSS and TSS loaded with PCM alone is improved by 32.76 and 34.32% respectively. The total cumulative yield produced per m2 area from TSS, TSS with PCM, and TSS with NPCM is found to be 2.59, 3.35 and 5.62 kg respectively. Results also revealed that the daily efficiency of TSS with NPCM is improved to about 116.5% and comparatively higher than TSS with PCM and conventional tubular solar still.

170 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a detailed review of a solar still integrated to solar collectors for augmenting the yield of fresh water is presented, and the yield, economic aspects and payback period of different solar still are reviewed, and a possible conclusion with the integration of low-cost solar water heater and nanofluids in solar Water heater are arrived.
Abstract: Water is one of the important sources for the survival of living species on the earth. As earth having only a small amount of water resources for drinking purpose people in rural and urban areas are getting affected by consuming contaminated water that leads to water-borne diseases. Even ground water has to be properly treated before its use for internal consumption. Salt water contains dissolved and undissolved contents and hence it is not suitable for domestic purpose (cleaning, washing, bathing, etc.). This paper completely deals with the detailed review of a solar still integrated to solar collectors for augmenting the yield of fresh water. However, these methods appear to be uneconomical to the middle and low-income families. The yield, economic aspects and payback period of different solar still are reviewed, and a possible conclusion with the integration of low-cost solar water heater and nanofluids in solar water heater are arrived.

153 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of compound parabolic concentrator assisted tubular solar still (CPC-TSS) with different augmentation systems was studied. And the results showed that, the productivity of un-augmented CPCTSS and CPC-CTSS were 3710 ml /day and 4960 ml/day, respectively.

147 citations