Indoor experiments of the vertical multiple-effect diffusion-type solar still coupled with a heat-pipe solar collector

Abstract

Indoor experiments were performed for the vertical multiple-effect diffusion-type solar still that consists of a number of vertical partitions in contact with saline-soaked wicks with narrow air gaps between partitions, coupled with a heat-pipe solar collector, using heating lamps instead of actual solar radiation. The size of the proposed still is very compact, and the thickness is less than or equal to about 10 cm when it is carried or in storage; furthermore, the proposed still was predicted to produce a greater amount of distilled water than that of a conventional multiple-effect diffusion-type still without electricity. The predicted time variation of temperatures of the collector plate of the solar collector and the first and the second partitions of the single-effect still were in good agreement with the experimental results, and the experimental results of the overall production rates of the multiple-effect still were about 93% of what was predicted. This indicates that the heat pipe of the proposed still can transport thermal energy well from the solar collector to the vertical multiple-effect diffusion-type still.