Productivity Analysis of Pyramid Solar Still Using Phase Change Material and Hybrid Nanofluid

Abstract

One of the most significant issues in developing nations is access to safe drinking water. The main motive of the current study is to boost freshwater production to enhance the productivity of a square basin pyramid solar still. Some PCM was added to a solar still as a heat storage medium to improve its performance. In the current experimental investigation, two solar stills were fabricated in the shape of square basin pyramid solar still and tested to compare the production of the solar desalination system. One study uses a hybrid nanofluid (study A), while the other is a solar still, using a hybrid nanofluid with PCM (study B). Study A contains the still with only Al2O3–CuO/water hybrid nanofluid as an active heat transfer agent. Study B has the hybrid nanofluid along with the PCM (paraffin wax) as the active agent to transfer the heat to the saline water. According to experimental findings, a solar still with nanofluid and PCM produces more fresh water per day than only nanofluid using a solar still. For solar stills with hybrid nanofluid and PCM, the daily freshwater productivity was around 3.89 l/m2 day, compared to 3.61 l/m2 days for only nanofluid using solar stills. According to the findings, the solar still using hybrid nanofluid with PCM produces 7.4% more fresh water per day than the only nanofluid using solar still. Additionally, from March to April 2022, under Faridabad city's ambient circumstances with latitude 28.3922°N and a longitude 77.3017°E, the solar still with hybrid nanofluid and PCM outperformed only nanofluid using solar still in terms of daily freshwater productivity (an improvement of 6–7.4%) (Haryana, India).