Floating vertical solar still for desalination of marsh water

Abstract

The performance of a floating conical solar still used for producing drinking water in brackish marsh areas has been investigated. The new proposed still consists of a vertical conical-shaped blackened cotton wick installed inside a floating transparent glass cover of similar shape. The base section of the floating cover was properly designed to allow the bottom of the wick to soak directly in the brackish water. Multiple linear regression equations, relating global solar radiation, ambient air temperature, and wind speed with the productivity of the still, have been developed. The regression analysis showed that the daily global solar radiation can be adopted alone to predict still productivity with acceptable accuracy. Results also showed that there is good competition between the proposed conical still and the conventional basin-type solar still concerning productivity and operation requirements. Recommendations have been made to use this type of still for ensuring fresh drinking water in marsh areas where the natural supply of fresh water is inadequate.