Modeling of a novel concentrated solar still enhanced with a porous evaporator and an internal condenser

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 114; pp. 8 - 16
• Main Authors: Al-Nimr, Moh’d A., Dahdolan, Moh’d-Eslam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2015; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Concentrated; Condensation; Evaporation; Internal condenser; Mathematical models; Porous evaporator; Simulation; Solar distillation; Solar energy; Internal condenser; Solar distillation; Concentrated; Porous evaporator
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2015.01.021

•A new concentrated solar still with a porous evaporator and an internal condenser.•Combined solar concentration, porous evaporator, internal condenser and passivity.•A steady-state model is proposed, showing the effect of various parameters on the still performance.•Results contain curves describing the behavior of the efficiency and the distillation rate. This paper introduces a new design of solar stills utilizing concentration, porous evaporation, internal condensation, and thermo-sephonic circulation. A steady-state mathematical model of the still has been proposed and simulated. The results of the study are presented in figures showing both efficiency and distillate rate. The simulation has shown that the decrease of wind speed and condenser temperature increases the efficiency of the still and distillation rates. The increase of ambient temperature increases the efficiency and the distillation rates. On the other hand, the increase of solar intensity increases the distillation rate; but the efficiency does not increase for entire intensity range.