Enhancing conical solar stills with aluminum ball energy storage: Optimal distance for improved performance

Abstract

The aim of this investigation is to ascertain the optimal arrangement of aluminum spheres, each with a consistent diameter of 2 cm, to serve as a cost-efficient means of energy storage for augmenting the efficacy of conical solar distillation apparatus. For this purpose, three identical conical stills were manufactured. Experimental procedures were conducted over a two-day timeframe. Initially, on the first day, the first distiller operated without any aluminum spheres, while the second and third distillers were equipped with aluminum spheres positioned at intervals of 3 cm and 4 cm, respectively. Subsequently, on the second day, the initial distillation process did not involve the presence of aluminum spheres. Nevertheless, in subsequent distillations, aluminum spheres were introduced near the base of the vessel, with respective spacings of 5 cm and 6 cm for the second and third distillations. Throughout the experiment, the brine within the vessels maintained a depth of 2 cm. The investigation revealed that the highest distillation productivity, measured at 8400 g/m^2, was attained when employing aluminum spheres with a diameter of 2 cm and spaced 3 cm apart. In contrast, distillation yields were diminished when aluminum spheres were spaced at intervals of 4, 5, and 6 cm, as well as in the absence of aluminum spheres, resulting in yields of 7750, 7200, 6700, and 5750 g/m^2, respectively. The optimal separation distance between the aluminum spheres was determined to be 3 cm, resulting in a significant enhancement of 46.08 %. Ultimately, the utilization of conical solar stills coupled with aluminum spheres as an economical energy storage medium, featuring aluminum spheres with a diameter of 2 cm and spaced 3 cm apart, emerges as the most efficacious option.