Enhancing solar still distillation efficiency through integrated solar chimneys and submerged condenser systems

Abstract

A solar chimney has been studied in this research to increase the efficacy of still convection currents. The usage of a condenser also improved the condensation process. Solar still condensers are typically made up of tubes through which salt water is pumped. But in the set-up shown, water vapour was channeled through a series of pipes submerged in the ocean. Solar still is built and tested in real-world situations with solar as a standard. Evaporator (basin) area-based efficiency comparisons reveal that the still-equipped solar chimneys and condensers yielded 9.1% superior results. The mainstream of the yielded (61%) condensed in the solar still condensers, resulting in a production rate of 5.3 L per m2 day for the simple solar still and 6.2 L per m2 per day for the modified still. This demonstrates that the evaporation efficiency of solar still and, by extension, its distillation efficiency improved by increasing convection and condensation.