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Performance evaluation of a locally designed stepped solar distillation-cum-active drying unit

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Abstract

Experiments have been performed on an innovative stepped solar distillation-cum-active drying unit (SSD-ADU). The basin of the distillation unit is made in the stepped form and its underneath part works as a drying unit which is integrated with a solar flat plate collector. Thermal analysis of the SSD-ADU has been performed at water flow rates of 50 and 65 mL min−1 in the distillation unit for drying ginger. The developed unit has been found to perform better at lower water flow rate for which the drying of bitter gourd and potato slices has also been tested. The average values of internal and external heat transfer coefficients at lower flow rate for distillation unit are found to be 121.20 and 18.95 Wm−2 °C, respectively. The average values of convective heat transfer coefficients for the drying of ginger, bitter gourd and potato slices have been evaluated as 5.24, 4.67 and 5.46 Wm−2 °C, respectively. The energy efficiency, exergy efficiency and daily distillate output of the distillation system at lower flow rate have been observed 15%, 28% and 12% higher than at other given flow rate. Experimental uncertainty, efficiency of solar collector and cost analysis of SSD-ADU have also been evaluated.

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Abbreviations

A b :

Area of basin tray, m-2

C v :

Specific heat of humid air, J kg−1 °C

h c :

Convective heat transfer coefficient, W m−2 °C

h cg :

Convective heat transfer coefficient for drying ginger, W m−2 °C

h cp :

Convective heat transfer coefficient for drying potato slices, W m−2 °C

h cg :

Convective heat transfer coefficient for drying bitter gourd, W m−2 °C

h ew , avg :

Average evaporative heat transfer coefficient for distillation, W m−2 °C

h cw , avg :

Average convective heat transfer coefficient for distillation, W m−2 °C

h cg , avg :

Average convective heat transfer coefficient for ginger drying, W m−2 °C

K v :

Thermal conductivity of humid air, W m−2 °C

m :

Mass evaporated, kg

m ew :

Mass of distillate collected, kg

m eg :

Mass evaporated from ginger, kg

g :

Acceleration due to gravity, ms−2

P(Tgi):

Partial saturated vapor pressure at inner condensing cover temperature, Nm−2

P(Tw):

Partial saturated vapor pressure at water temperature, Nm−2

Q c :

Rate of convective heat transfer, Jm−2 s

Q e :

Rate of evaporative heat transfer, Jm−2 s

Q r :

Rate of radiative heat transfer, Jm−2 s

Q co :

Rate of convective heat transfer through condensing cover, Jm−2 s

Q ro :

Rate of radiative heat transfer through condensing cover, Jm−2 s

T w :

Temperature of water in the stepped basin, °C

T v :

Vapor temperature just above water surface, °C

T gi and T go :

Temperature of inner and outer condensing cover, °C

T ci and T co :

Inlet and outlet air temperature in the solar collector, °C

T e :

Temperature just above the drying commodity, °C

T a :

Ambient temperature, °C

T s :

Sun temperature, °C

T d :

Drying commodity temperature, °C

X c :

Characteristic dimension, m

ΔT :

Effective temperature difference, °C

t :

Time, s

I (t) :

Solar intensity per hour, Wm−2

Exin :

Exergy input

λ i :

Latent heat of vaporization, J kg−1

λ w :

Latent heat of vaporization for distillation, J kg−1

β :

Coefficient of volumetric expansion, (K−1)

µ v :

Dynamic viscosity of humid air, Ns/m2

ε eff :

Effective emissivity

ε w :

Emissivity of water

ε g :

Emissivity of glass

ρ v :

Density of humid air, kg m−3

γ :

Relative humidity, (%)

σ s :

Stefan Boltzmann constant

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to be obliged to Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar for providing internet, laboratories and other facilities.

Funding

We have not received any reimbursements, fees, funding or salary from any organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, 125001, India

    Himanshu Manchanda & Mahesh Kumar

Authors
  1. Himanshu Manchanda
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Contributions

Dr. H M prepared the manuscript. Dr. M K reviewed and guided in preparing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Himanshu Manchanda.

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Conflict of interest

Financial competing interests: We have not received any reimbursements, fees, funding or salary from any organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, neither now nor in the future. We do not hold any stocks or shares in any organization that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, neither now nor in the future. We do not hold or currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the manuscript. We do not have any other financial competing interests. Non-financial competing interests: There are no any non-financial competing interests (political, personal, religious, ideological, academic, intellectual, commercial or any other) to declare in relation to this manuscript.

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Appendix 1 Humid air properties relations [36,37,38]

Appendix 1 Humid air properties relations [36,37,38]

$$ K_{{\text{v}}} = 0.0244 + 0.7673 \times 10^{ - 4} T_{{\text{i}}} $$
$$ C_{{\text{v}}} = 999.2 + 0.1434T_{{\text{i}}} + 1.101 \times 10^{ - 4} T_{{\text{i}}}^{2} - 6.7581 \times 10^{ - 8} T_{{\text{i}}}^{3} $$
$$ \mu_{{\text{v}}} = 1.718 \times 10^{ - 5} + 4.620 \times 10^{ - 8} T_{{\text{i}}} $$
$$ \rho_{{\text{v}}} = 353.44/\left( {T_{{\text{i}}} + 273.15} \right) $$
$$ P\left( {T_{{{\text{gi}}}} } \right) = \exp \left[ {25.317 - 5144/\left( {T_{{{\text{gi}}}} + 273.15} \right)} \right] $$
$$ P(T_{{\text{w}}} ) = \exp \left[ {25.317 - 5144/\left( {T_{{\text{w}}} + 273.15} \right)} \right] $$
$$ \lambda_{{\text{i}}} = 2.4935 \times 10^{6} \times \left[ {1 - 9.4779 \times 10^{ - 4} T_{{\text{i}}} + 1.3132 \times 10^{ - 7} \times T_{{\text{i}}}^{2} - 4.7974 \times 10^{ - 9} \times T_{{\text{i}}}^{3} } \right] $$

\( (T_{i} = \left[ {\left( {T_{\rm{d}} + T_{\rm{e}} } \right)/2} \right]\) for drying and Ti = Tv for solar distillation).

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Manchanda, H., Kumar, M. Performance evaluation of a locally designed stepped solar distillation-cum-active drying unit. J Therm Anal Calorim 147, 4383–4395 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-021-10835-x

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