Theoretical investigation into saline optical properties for enhancing solar still performance: Mathematical modeling approach

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic optical properties of saline solutions, specifically transmissivity, absorptivity, and reflectivity, and their impact on the performance of solar stills. This research addresses the critical challenge of enhancing freshwater production through solar desalination, which is vital in water-scarce regions. Utilizing a validated mathematical model, the study examines how variations in saline depths (ranging from 5 mm to 40 mm), nanofluids, chemical additives, and dyes influence the optical properties and efficiency of solar stills. The results show that a depth of 20 mm emerges as optimal, providing a balance between high transmissivity, absorptivity, and low reflectivity, also a higher saline absorptivity, ranging from 0.014 to 0.021, significantly boosts solar still performance, while transmissivity, ranging from 0.26 to 0.95, affects instantaneous efficiency. The study reveals that the production of distilled water decreases from 6.77 to 4.87 L/m2 as the refractive index increases from 1.2 to 2.6, while higher extinction coefficients enhance production, reaching up to 6.96 L/m2 at 300 m−1. These findings demonstrate the importance of optimizing saline optical properties to improve solar still efficiency. The novelty of this work lies in its comprehensive analysis of the dynamic nature of saline optical properties and their practical application in enhancing solar desalination technology, going beyond previous efforts that assumed constant optical properties. This advanced understanding significantly contributes to the development of more efficient and effective solar desalination systems.