Performance enhancement of a tubular solar still by utilizing wire mesh packing under harmonic motion

Abstract

In this study, a porous packed media is formed from steel wire mesh screen is utilized to augment the performance of absorbing, transferring and storing the heat in tubular solar still. Also, a vibrator is attached to the wire mesh screen to generate forced vibration that is a transverse harmonic movement. This vibrator is utilized to destroy the surface tension and boundary layer of the salty water, which augment the heat transfer and vaporization rate. Experimental investigation and thermodynamic and economic analysis is performed. The performance of the modified solar still was compared with the conventional design. The modified still yield was 4.2 L/m2 with augmentation by 34% rather than a conventional one. Also, the first and second law efficiencies were with improved by about 33.80% and 42.31% respectively. The modified still produced a fresh water with cost about 0.0309 US$/L.m2 with reduction about 14.39% than a conventional one. The specific work consumption of fresh water produced from modified still was 30.51 W.h/L–33.62 W.h/L.