Enhancing Solar Still Efficiency: Optimal Water Depth and Wire Mesh-Pebble Structures

Abstract

In underdeveloped countries, the shortage of clean drinking water is a major problem. One approach to tackle this issue has been to use solar energy for desalination, a process that turns saltwater into fresh water. This method utilizes solar thermal energy to evaporate water, separating the pure water from the salty water. However, traditional solar stills face challenges in producing sufficient water because of the limited heat transfer between the absorbing plate and the fluid used to extract energy. The research aims to improve the efficiency of solar stills for water desalination. In conventional solar stills, maintaining optimal water depth is a challenge. The study experimented with varying water depths (2 cm to 12 cm) in a modified solar still. The best result, with a maximum distillate output of 2050 ml/m²day, was achieved at a 2 cm water depth. To enhance performance, wire mesh and pebbles were added to increase absorptivity, raising the temperature of saline water. This modification led to a significant improvement, with the modified solar still producing a maximum distillate of 2670 ml/m²day. This research provides valuable insights into optimizing solar stills for better water yield and thermal efficiency.