Performance of Modified Conical Solar Still Integrated with Continuous Volume Flow Rate

Abstract

Solar energy desalination process is the most efficient and cost-effective method for producing fresh water from saline water by employing solar energy from the sun's free source of heat. In the current study, experimental and theoretical methods were used to investigate the performance of a novel design of conical solar still integrated with conical glass cover and conical basin area with continuous volume flow rate at different values of volume flow rate, 80, 60, and 40 mL/sec compared to traditional solar still. Experimental results showed that maximum productivity and efficiency can be achieved by utilizing the conical solar still at lower volume flow rate of saline water. Highest efficiency can be obtained by utilizing traditional single solar still (TSS), conical solar still with volume flow rate of 80 mL/sec (CSSF), conical solar still with volume flow rate of 60 mL/sec (CSSH), conical solar still with volume flow rate of 40 mL/sec (CSQ), and conical solar still with volume flow rate of 40 mL/sec with an array of the mirror (CSQM) on average is 28.2, 42.04, 53.78, 63.4, and 69.15 %, respectively. Freshwater productivity of CSQ was enhanced by employing the arrays of the mirror. Daily freshwater productivity of CSSF, CSSH, CSQ, and CSQM was enhanced on average by 221.5%, 160.4%, 157%, and 174.7%, respectively, over the freshwater productivity of TSS. Theoretical model is obtained utilizing Mathcad software and is validated by comparing it with experimental findings. The theoretical results obtained from the mathematical model are in good agreement with the experimental results.