Synergizing Water Desalination of A Conical Solar Distiller Using Copper Fins Filled with Phosphate As A Porous Sensible Heat Storage Material

Abstract

The increasing global demand for freshwater necessitates innovative and sustainable water desalination techniques. This study presents a novel approach to enhance the performance of conical solar distillers by integrating phosphate-filled copper fins as a porous sensible heat storage material. Three configurations were tested: a traditional conical solar still (TCSS), one with copper conical fins (CSS-CCF), and one with phosphate-filled copper conical fins (CSS-CCF&P), each evaluated at fin spacings of 0 cm, 1 cm, and 2 cm. The CSS-CCF&P configuration at 0 cm spacing achieved a maximum daily water yield of 8.2 L·m⁻², compared to 4.8 L·m⁻² for the TCSS, a 69.8 % improvement. Thermal efficiency reached 84.6 % for CSS-CCF&P0 versus 54.7 % for the TCSS. Furthermore, annual CO₂ mitigation was 3.5 tons for CSS-CCF&P0, significantly exceeding the 2.1 tons achieved by the unmodified system. The key novelty lies in the synergistic use of copper fins and phosphate material, which combines high thermal conductivity with enhanced heat storage to maintain evaporation during low solar intensity periods. These findings highlight the system's potential for efficient and eco-friendly freshwater production, particularly in arid and resource-constrained regions.