An experimental comparative performance study of semi-cylindrical and double slope solar still

摘要

This paper investigates the performance of a semi-cylindrical solar still and compares it with a conventional single-basin double slope solar still. The transparent cover is made of semi-cylindrical shape glass and referred as semi-cylindrical solar still. Another still is made as a normal double slope single-basin solar still and tested under the same climatic conditions. The experiments were conducted with various depths of water, different wick materials, energy absorbing material and heat storing material in basin. The results show that the condensation rate is always higher in the semi-cylindrical solar still than in the conventional. For the same basin conditions, semi-cylindrical still produces around 56% more than the single-basin double slope still with black cotton cloth in basin. The maximum productivity of 2.87 and 1.985 kg/m(2)/d is received in semi-cylindrical and double slope solar still, respectively, with mild steel pieces in basin.