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Improving the performance of solar still using different heat localization materials

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Abstract

This work aimed to explore a new technique for improving the performance of solar stills (SSs) through utilizing three different types of a new hybrid structure of heat localization materials (HSHLM) floating on the water surface to increase the evaporation rate as well as water production and minimize heat losses. The three types were exfoliated graphite flakes with wick (type A), carbon foam with wick (type B), and exfoliated graphite flakes with wick and carbon foam (type C). These hybrid structures had good features such as high absorption and hydrophilic capillary forces to interconnected pores for fluid flow through the structure. Two identical SSs were designed, fabricated, and investigated to assess SSs’ performance with and without HSHLM (modified and conventional SSs). The obtained results showed that the daily productivity was enhanced by 34.5, 28.6, and 51.8% for type A, type B, and type C, respectively, relative to the conventional one. Moreover, the efficiency of the SS reached about 37.6% for type C; while, it reached about 27% for the conventional SS. Contrary to conventional SSs, the use of HSHLM resulted in increasing the productivity proportional to water depth.

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Abbreviations

A:

absorber area, (m2)

C:

total cost of solar still operation during its lifetime, ($)

I:

fixed installation cost, ($)

I(t):

hourly solar radiation intensity (W/m2)

i:

number of annual operation days (day/yr)

Lw :

latent heat of water (kJ/kg)

md :

average daily productivity (kg/ m2 day)

mn :

average total productivity during the operation lifetime (kg)

mp :

hourly freshwater (L/m2 h)

n:

number of lifetime years (yr)

R:

running variable cost ($/yr)

Tw :

verage temperature of basin water (°C)

η d :

daily efficiency

d :

daily

HSLM:

hybrid structure of heat localization material

PCM:

phase change material

PV:

photovoltaic

pH:

power of hydrogen; a measure of hydrogen ion concentration evaluating the acidity or alkalinity of a solution

P :

productivity

SS:

solar still

TDS:

total dissolved solids

w :

water

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt

    Swellam Wafa Sharshir, Youssef Mustafa Ellakany, Abdallah Wagih Kandeal & Mofreh Hamada Hamed

  2. Production Engineering and Mechanical Design Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Ammar Hamed Elsheikh

  3. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Blue Nile, Blue Nile Roseires, Al-Roseires, Sudan

    Elbager Mohammed Awadalla Edreis

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Alsalama College of Sciences & Technology (ACST), Khartoum Bahri, Sudan

    Elbager Mohammed Awadalla Edreis

  5. Department of Automobile Engineering, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603103, India

    Ravishankar Sathyamurthy

  6. Mechanical Engineering Department, CEG Campus, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600025, India

    Amrit Kumar Thakur

  7. Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt

    Mohamed Abdelaziz Eltawil

  8. Department of Agricultural Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, P.O.Box 420, Al-Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed Abdelaziz Eltawil

  9. Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, MNF-HIET, Menoufia, Egypt

    Mofreh Hamada Hamed

  10. Mechanical power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Abd Elnaby Kabeel

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  1. Swellam Wafa Sharshir
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  2. Ammar Hamed Elsheikh
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  3. Youssef Mustafa Ellakany
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  4. Abdallah Wagih Kandeal
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  8. Mohamed Abdelaziz Eltawil
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  9. Mofreh Hamada Hamed
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  10. Abd Elnaby Kabeel
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Correspondence to Abd Elnaby Kabeel.

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Sharshir, S.W., Elsheikh, A.H., Ellakany, Y.M. et al. Improving the performance of solar still using different heat localization materials. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 12332–12344 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07800-w

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