IMPROVING THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF A DOUBLE-SLOP SOLAR STILL UNDER HOT, HUMID AND DUSTY CLIMATIC CONDITIONS | ||||
| Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering | ||||
| Article 7, Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2015, Page 97-116 PDF (644.36 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jssae.2015.41812 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| E. Almuhanna | ||||
| Department of Agricultural Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences and Food, King Faisal University, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| To performance comparative studies, three sets of integrated solar still double-slope (SSDS) were constructed and examined under hot, humid and dusty climatic conductions of Al-Ahsa (eastern province), Saudi Arabia. The SSDSs were identical in all aspects but the first set was without condenser (SSDS), the second one with condenser (SSDSC), and the third set with condenser and solar water heater (SSDSCSH) in order to raise the brackish water temperature before entering the solar still. The condensers were provided with cold water from an evaporative cooling system reservoir. Experimental results revealed that the distilled water production from the three distillers SSDS, SSDSC, and SSDSCSH, respectively, was 1.98, 4.82, and 6.65 litres per square meter per day with volumetric thermal efficiencies of 18.7, 46.0 and 64.4%. The integrated double-sided solar distiller with condenser only (SSDSC) increased the production of distilled water and the volumetric thermal efficiency by 143.4% and 146.0%, respectively, as compared with (SSDS). The solar water heater connected to the third set (SSDSCSH) increased the basin water temperature resulting in increasing the evaporation rate and the production of distilled water. Therefore, this system increased the production of distilled water and the volumetric thermal efficiency by 38.0% and 40.0%, respectively, as compared with the second set (SSDSC). Moreover, the third set increased the production of distilled water and the volumetric thermal efficiency by 235.9% and 244.4%, respectively, as compared with the first set of solar stiller (SSDS) The accumulated of atmospheric dust on the glass cover of solar distillers reduced the production of distilled water and efficiency by 63%. Therefore, the cleanliness of the solar still glass cover was crucial to provide and maintain the maximum production. Ultimately, The pH, EC, and TDS of the distilled water were found to be much lower (7.8, 42.9 ms/cm, and 39.7 ppm, respectively) than those of the brackish water (8, 1417 ms/cm, and 1392 ppm, respectively). | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Double-slope solar still; Solar water heater; Condensers; Evaporative cooling | ||||
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