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Enhancing the double-slope solar still performance using simple solar collector and floatable black wicks

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Abstract

This research aims to investigate the effect of integrating a simple solar collector, floatable black wicks, and orientation as modified double-slope solar still (MDSSS), and to compare its performance with conventional double-slope solar still (CDSSS). Costs of the developed desalination system were estimated, and its performance was compared with the previous literatures. A black hose was coiled and used as simple solar collector for preheating the saline water that is fed to the solar still. The floatable black wicks were used to increase the evaporation surface area and cause a localization of absorbed insolation at the evaporation surface of saline water. The longitudinal axis of solar still was oriented to north-south and east-west, the and productivity from each side was quantified. The northern side of MDSSS has more yield than the southern side by 33.98% for the east-west orientation and preheating. For the east-west orientation, preheating, and floatable black wicks, the total yield of MDSSS exceeded the CDSSS by 45.65%. And at the same conditions, the daily average efficiency of southern and northern sides of MDSSS was 25.33 and 37.25%, while for CDSSS, it was 13.87 and 30.73%, respectively. Estimated costs revealed that cost per liter water was about 0.062 and 0.059 $ for CDSSS and MDSSS, respectively. Solar still can provide a reasonable amount of water for irrigation based on daily production by installing the MDSSS in furrow, but keeping the longitudinal axis to east-west can secure more amount of water. The used modifications improved the solar still productivity and efficiency.

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Abbreviations

MDSSS:

Modified double-slope solar still

CDSSS:

Conventional double-slope solar still

T_fw :

Temp. of feed water tank, °C

T_W_coll :

Temp. of water after preheating collector, °C

T_bw.MDSSS :

Temp. of basin water in the MDSSS, °C

T_vapor_MDSSS :

Temp. of vapor in the MDSSS, °C

T_gS_MDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the southern side of MDSSS, °C

T_gN_MDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the northern side of MDSSS, °C

T_gE_MDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the eastern side of MDSSS, °C

T_gW_MDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the western side of MDSSS, °C

T_gS_CDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the southern side of CDSSS, °C

T_gN_ CDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the northern side of CDSSS, °C

T_gE_ CDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the eastern side of CDSSS, °C

T_gW_ CDSSS :

Temp. of glass cover in the western side of CDSSS, °C

T_vapor_CDSSS :

Temp. of vapor in the CDSSS, °C

T_bw.CDSSS :

Temp. of basin water in the conventional solar still, °C

Insolation:

Incident solar radiation

Ins_S :

Insolation on the southern glass cover, W/m2

Ins_N :

Insolation on the northern glass cover, W/m2

Ins_E :

Insolation on the eastern glass cover, W/m2

Ins_W :

Insolation on the western glass cover, W/m2

Ins_H :

Insolation on the horizontal level, W/m2

T_amb :

Ambient air temperature, °C

WS:

Wind speed, m/s

W_MDSSS_S :

Water productivity from southern side of MDSSS, ml

W_MDSSS_N :

Water productivity from northern side of MDSSS, ml

W_MDSSS_E :

Water productivity from eastern side of MDSSS, ml

W_MDSSS_W :

Water productivity from western side of MDSSS, ml

W_CDSSS_S :

Water productivity from southern side of CDSSS, ml

W_CDSSS_N :

Water productivity from northern side of CDSSS, ml

W_CDSSS_E :

Water productivity from eastern side of CDSSS, ml

W_CDSSS_W :

Water productivity from western side of CDSSS, ml

Effi_S_MDSSS :

Efficiency of southern side of MDSSS, %

Effi_N_MDSSS :

Efficiency of northern side of MDSSS, %

Effi_E_MDSSS :

Efficiency of eastern side of MDSSS, %

Effi_W_MDSSS :

Efficiency of western side of MDSSS, %

Effi_S_CDSSS :

Efficiency of southern side of CDSSS, %

Effi_N_CDSSS :

Efficiency of northern side of CDSSS, %

Effi_E_CDSSS :

Efficiency of eastern side of CDSSS, %

Effi_W_CDSSS :

Efficiency of western side of CDSSS, %

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Funding

The authors express their sincere appreciation to deanship of scientific research, King Faisal University, for moral support and financial funding for this project (150036).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Natural Resources Dept., College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Hofuf, P.O. Box 420, 31982, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Yousef Abdulaziz Al-Molhem

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

    Mohamed A. Eltawil

  3. Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, box 33516, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt

    Mohamed A. Eltawil

Authors
  1. Yousef Abdulaziz Al-Molhem
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  2. Mohamed A. Eltawil
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Correspondence to Mohamed A. Eltawil.

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Al-Molhem, Y.A., Eltawil, M.A. Enhancing the double-slope solar still performance using simple solar collector and floatable black wicks. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 35078–35098 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09509-2

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