An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance
This study evaluates five solar still (SS) designs—spherical, cylindrical, pyramid, conventional, and double-slope—to determine the most efficient configuration for freshwater production at a specific test location. In initial testing, the unmodified SS designs were compared to a traditional distill...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Results in Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024017808 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846115725197967360 |
|---|---|
| author | Umar F. Alqsair A.S. Abdullah Z.M. Omara Fadl A. Essa |
| author_facet | Umar F. Alqsair A.S. Abdullah Z.M. Omara Fadl A. Essa |
| author_sort | Umar F. Alqsair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study evaluates five solar still (SS) designs—spherical, cylindrical, pyramid, conventional, and double-slope—to determine the most efficient configuration for freshwater production at a specific test location. In initial testing, the unmodified SS designs were compared to a traditional distiller. Modifications were then made to the spherical SS by adding external reflectors, followed by integrating phase change materials (PCM) with silver nanomaterials. The final configuration tested included the spherical SS with reflectors, fans, and external condensers. Results showed substantial productivity increases over the conventional solar still (CSS), with production enhancements of 115 %, 105 %, 68 %, and 31 % for the spherical, cylindrical, pyramid, and double-slope SS designs, respectively. The spherical SS with optimized Nano-PCM and reflectors achieved a 230 % increase over CSS (10,420 kg/m² vs. 3150 kg/m²). The best-performing configuration, combining a fan, condenser, and reflectors, yielded a 253 % improvement, with daily outputs of 11.3 kg/m² compared to 3.2 kg/m² for CSS. Economic analysis revealed that the optimized spherical SS configuration reduced the cost of freshwater production to 0.01 $/kg, significantly lower than the conventional SS cost of 0.024 $/kg. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-439624525c3746ea926bef7cf3fa4b3c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-439624525c3746ea926bef7cf3fa4b3c2024-12-19T10:59:53ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302024-12-0124103537An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performanceUmar F. Alqsair0A.S. Abdullah1Z.M. Omara2Fadl A. Essa3Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding authors.Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta 31521, EgyptMechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt; Pharos University in Alexandria, Canal El Mahmoudia Street, Beside Green Plaza Complex 21648, Alexandria, Egypt; Corresponding authors.Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt; Pharos University in Alexandria, Canal El Mahmoudia Street, Beside Green Plaza Complex 21648, Alexandria, EgyptThis study evaluates five solar still (SS) designs—spherical, cylindrical, pyramid, conventional, and double-slope—to determine the most efficient configuration for freshwater production at a specific test location. In initial testing, the unmodified SS designs were compared to a traditional distiller. Modifications were then made to the spherical SS by adding external reflectors, followed by integrating phase change materials (PCM) with silver nanomaterials. The final configuration tested included the spherical SS with reflectors, fans, and external condensers. Results showed substantial productivity increases over the conventional solar still (CSS), with production enhancements of 115 %, 105 %, 68 %, and 31 % for the spherical, cylindrical, pyramid, and double-slope SS designs, respectively. The spherical SS with optimized Nano-PCM and reflectors achieved a 230 % increase over CSS (10,420 kg/m² vs. 3150 kg/m²). The best-performing configuration, combining a fan, condenser, and reflectors, yielded a 253 % improvement, with daily outputs of 11.3 kg/m² compared to 3.2 kg/m² for CSS. Economic analysis revealed that the optimized spherical SS configuration reduced the cost of freshwater production to 0.01 $/kg, significantly lower than the conventional SS cost of 0.024 $/kg.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024017808SustainabilityPhase change materialsSpherical stillsPyramid stillsCylindrical solar stillsDouble slope stills |
| spellingShingle | Umar F. Alqsair A.S. Abdullah Z.M. Omara Fadl A. Essa An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance Results in Engineering Sustainability Phase change materials Spherical stills Pyramid stills Cylindrical solar stills Double slope stills |
| title | An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance |
| title_full | An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance |
| title_fullStr | An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance |
| title_short | An experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs' thermo-economic performance |
| title_sort | experimental assessment of five distinct solar distiller designs thermo economic performance |
| topic | Sustainability Phase change materials Spherical stills Pyramid stills Cylindrical solar stills Double slope stills |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123024017808 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT umarfalqsair anexperimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT asabdullah anexperimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT zmomara anexperimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT fadlaessa anexperimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT umarfalqsair experimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT asabdullah experimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT zmomara experimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance AT fadlaessa experimentalassessmentoffivedistinctsolardistillerdesignsthermoeconomicperformance |