Experimental study with thermal and economical analysis for some modifications on cylindrical sector and double slope, single basin solar still

Abstract

Solar stills are considered one of the most thermally eco-friendly and promising solutions for producing potable water in sunny and arid regions. However, they suffer from a disadvantage in terms of their low productivity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the performance of cylindrical sector solar stills and compare them with double-slope solar stills. The study also presents the enhanced performance of a thermo-economic system by integrating cost-effective and readily available materials. The experiments were conducted in Egyptian climate conditions, with a water depth of 2 cm in the stills basin, using different materials. Under the same operating conditions, the results showed that the accumulated productivities of the cylindrical sector solar stills (CSSS) and double slope solar stills (DSSS), using black fiber and black dye, were 3514 ml/m2 and 3029 ml/m2, respectively, representing an increase of 16.01%. Furthermore, the daily thermal efficiency of the CSSS and DSSS, using black fiber and black dye, were 30.42% and 26.32%, respectively, showing an increase of 15.58%. The cost per liter (CPL) of potable water produced by CSSS, using black dye with black natural-fiber, was approximately 0.0119 US$/L, while it was 0.0137 US$/L for DSSS. Additionally, the payback periods for CSSS and DSSS were 92 days and 106 days, respectively. In all scenarios studied, the daily accumulated productivities and thermal efficiency of CSSS were greater than those of DSSS.