Experimental Analysis of Sustainability of Passive Solar Still with Nanoparticles Operating at Various Angles of Glass Cover

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present paper shows the economic viability and environment suitability of the nanoparticles and plain water-based solar. This is the first attempt to investigate the economic and environmental analysis of solar still using copper oxide and zinc oxide nanofluids. The experimentation was conducted during the winter season at three different water depths (4, 5, and 10 cm) and three different tilt angles (41°, 26°, and 11°). Higher productivity is obtained at a higher angle and lower water depth. Hence, the CO2 and cost analysis of SS with CuO nanoparticles, ZnO nanoparticles, and SS without nanoparticles is carried out at 41° tilt and 4 cm water depth only. The results indicated that the one-liter price of freshwater equals 2.96 Rs/L, 3.44 Rs/L, and 2.38 Rs/L for the still with plain water, ZnO and CuO nanofluids, respectively. ZnO and CuO nanofluids-based SS increased productivity by 42.28% and 107.71%, respectively, compared to the conventional SS. Energy payback time of conventional SS, SS with ZnO and CuO nanoparticles is 2.18, 3.30, and 2.26 years, respectively. ZnO and CuO nanoparticles augmented SS mitigates 7.75 and 12.32 tons of CO2 in its life time while the conventional SS without nanoparticles mitigates 5.97 tons of CO2 in its lifetime. In terms of economic and environmental analyses, it is concluded that solar still performs better with CuO nanofluids than with ZnO nanofluids and plain water.