Modified pyramid solar still with v-corrugated absorber plate and PCM as a thermal storage medium

Abstract

A modified pyramid solar still with both v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM, and the conventional pyramid solar still was designed, constructed and fabricated under the same ambient conditions of Tanta city, Egypt. The performance of the modified pyramid still with both v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM (modified pyramid still with PCM) are compared to the conventional pyramid still, to describe the improvement in the performance of the modified pyramid still with PCM. The experimental results showed that the accumulated distillate yield for modified pyramid still with PCM is higher than that of conventional pyramid still. The accumulated distillate yield reached approximately 6.6 L m−2 d−1 for modified pyramid still with PCM while its value was 3.5 L m−2 d−1 for conventional pyramid still. The use of v-corrugated absorbers plate and PCM under basin improved the accumulated distillate yield of a modified pyramid still with PCM by 87.4% compared to the conventional pyramid still. Moreover, the modified pyramid still with PCM is superior in daily efficiency (86.41%–88% improvement) compared to the conventional pyramid still in the period from September to October 2016 under the Egyptian conditions. The estimated cost of 1 L of distillate water productivity reached approximately 0.0236 $ L−1 for modified pyramid still with PCM while its value was 0.0262 $ L−1 for conventional pyramid still.