Enhancement of the Evaporation and Condensation Processes of a Solar Still with an Ultrasound Cotton Tent and a Thermoelectric Cooling Chamber

Abstract

In this paper, an experimental investigation study was conducted to show the effect of enhancing the evaporation and condensation processes inside a modified solar still by placing ultrasonic humidifiers inside a cotton mesh tent in the basin water and by installing a cooling chamber with thermoelectric elements on top of the solar still. Various parameters were recorded every hour, such as temperatures at different points within the solar still, the weather conditions (e.g., solar irradiance intensity, ambient air temperature, and wind speed), the yield of distilled water, and thermal efficiency on 29 July 2021 at the Ural Federal University (Russia). The production cost of distilled water from modified and traditional solar stills was also estimated. The experimental results showed that the productivity of the modified solar still increased by 124% compared with the traditional solar still, and the highest thermal efficiency was recorded at 2:00 p.m. (approximately 95.8% and 35.6% for modified and traditional solar stills, respectively). Finally, the productivity cost of distillate water (1 L) was approximately 0.040 and 0.042 $/L for the modified and traditional solar stills, respectively. The current work has contributed to increasing solar still productivity by applying simple and new technologies with the lowest possible capital and operational costs.

Recent Advancement in Solar‐Driven Interfacial Steam Generation for Desalination: A State‐of‐the‐Art Review

“…Elgendi et al [ 215 ] highlighted the dual cooling and heating capabilities of thermoelectric module in a solar still, with the potential to increase condensation and evaporation, as well as generate electricity from thermal energy. Alwan et al [ 216 ] improved condensation rates in a modified solar still by incorporating a thermoelectric cooling, resulting in 124% increased productivity compared to conventional stills. Rahbar et al [ 217 ] developed a portable solar still that included a thermoelectric module and a heat‐pipe cooling system.…”

Performance enhancement of the solar still using textiles and polyurethane rollers

“…Therefore, exploring eco-friendly solar desalination techniques presents a significant opportunity. Solar-powered desalination units are available in various types, such as solar still (SS) 10 , 11 , humidification-dehumidification (HDH) 12 , 13 , multi-stage flashing 14 , 15 , reverse osmosis (RO) 16 – 18 , and hybrid units 19 , 20 .…”

Performance Study of Portable Semiconductor Refrigeration Device Based on CFD Simulation

“…Zhang et al [ 18 ] reviewed the research progress and proposed the research direction. For refrigeration–related applications, Alwan et al [ 19 ] installed a cooling chamber with thermoelectric elements on top of the solar still to enhance condensation. Miao et al [ 20 ] also designed a new type of plate–type ground source radiation system for space heating and cooling in buildings by utilizing the characteristics of semiconductor refrigeration technology.…”