Integration of solar photovoltaic panel and A46 phase change material in double-slope solar still: A progressive approach for performance enhancement

Abstract

The growing scarcity of freshwater resources and the energy-intensive nature of traditional desalination techniques underscores the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Double slope solar stills (DSS) have emerged as an environmentally friendly solution for water purification. This work investigates a novel approach that enhances energy conversion, thermal regulation, and freshwater output by integrating a solar photovoltaic (SPV) panel on the opposite side of a DSS with A46 phase change material (PCM). In addition to producing distillate, the DSS-SPV&A46 generates electricity which resulting in dual benefits. Furthermore, the A46 PCM maintains stable evaporation and condensation by reducing temperature fluctuations due to shadowing effect. In this experimentation, the cumulative productivity, energy and exergy efficiencies of DSS-SPV&A46 outperformed the conventional DSS by 25.6 %, 8.8 % and 9.1 %, respectively. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies enhancement in DSS-SPV&A46 were about 56.7 % and 3.71 %, respectively. Furthermore, the SPV panel produced a peak power output of 47.3 W, with electrical and thermal efficiencies of 13.4 % and 35.7 %, respectively. An economic analysis revealed that the cost per liter (CPL) of water and a payback period (PBP) were reduced to 10.3 % and 9.3 % in DSS-SPV&A46 than DSS, respectively, thereby confirming the economic feasibility. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis showed that DSS-SPV&A46 long lifespans and low-interest financing make it even more feasible and could reduce production cost (PC) to around 8.47 USD/m³. Finally, the study found that DSS-SPV&A46 is a reliable, affordable, and sustainable way to cogenerate water and power in an ecologically safe behavior.