Performance improvement of pyramid solar distillers using a novel combination of absorber surface coated with CuO nano black paint, reflective mirrors, and PCM with pin fins

摘要

The present study aims to achieve the highest cumulative yield of pyramid solar distillers. To achieve this, a new combination of several effective modifications was made to the design of the pyramid distillers. This novel combination of the effective modifications includes: coated the absorber surface with CuO nano black paint, reflective mirrors, and phase change material with pin fins. To illustrate the influences of this novel combination on a cumulative yield of pyramid distillers. Two pyramid distillers were designed and tested under the same weather conditions, namely; modified pyramid solar distiller (MPSD) with a novel combination of effective modifications and conventional pyramid solar distiller (CPSD) (reference case). The experimental, energy, and exergy analysis are also studied in this work. The experimental results presented that the utilization of this novel combination of effective modifications represents a very effective option to achieve the highest performance. The cumulative yield achieved by CPSD varying between 4085 and 4171 mL/m(2)/day, while the utilization of this novel combination of effective modifications was improving the cumulative yield to 9885-10015 mL/m(2)/day with 140.1-142% improvement compared to CPSD. Also, the daily thermal and exergy efficiencies of MPSD were improved by a rate varying between 138.1-140.1% and 243.6-252.9%, respectively compared to CPSD. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.