Recent improvements on the performance of solar water distiller system: a systematic review

Abstract

With growing the world population, the demand on fresh water production is increased. Since solar energy is considered one of the most inexpensive and readily available energy sources, it can be used in several applications, e.g. the purification of water. There are various types of solar still (SS) systems that are designed and used for the purification of water. The disadvantage of these systems is the low water productivity. However, this issue can be overcome by using several remedies, e.g. reflectors, fins, condensers, sensible heat (SH) and latent heat (LH) storage materials. Therefore, this study aims to present the recent techniques used for improving the performance of different types of SS systems and to suggest new remedies for improving the system performance. The impacts of several factors on the performance of the SS system are also discussed. Based on this, the current investigation will help the readers understand previous designs and develop a set of new techniques to enhance the thermal efficacy and water productivity of SS systems. Moreover, the limitations of the current work are also presented. Finally, future works are proposed and presented that will hopefully improve the productivity and performance of the SS system under standard operating conditions. Highlights A comprehensive review study of the solar water distiller system is investigated. Porous medium, phase change material and fins are added in the modified systems to enhance the heat exchange process. Recent methods used to enhance the performance of solar still are presented. Environmental, design and operational factors influencing the production of solar still are presented. Limitations of this study and concise conclusions are presented.