Performance and exergy analysis of a double-basin solar still with different materials in basin

Abstract

Distillation efficiency and productivity of the passive single-basin solar still is very low. In this work, an additional basin is incorporated in the double-slope solar still to enhance the distillate output and to reduce the thermal energy losses. For further improvement in the productivity, different materials were used in the basin. Wick materials such as jute cloth, waste cotton pieces and black cotton cloth were used to increase the evaporation area. In addition to increase the heat storing capacity, mild steel pieces were used in the basin as energy storing materials. An exergy analysis was carried out to explain the effect of different materials on the exergy evaporation rate and exergy efficiency of the single- and double-basin solar stills. It shows that the basin with mild steel pieces has a maximum exergy efficiency of 2.072 and 1.412% for double- and single-basin stills, respectively. A payback analysis also conducted to prove the benefit of the double-basin still.