Augmenting thermal performance in tubular solar stills: A multifaceted strategy with wick cords, integrated baffles, reflectors, and nano-PCM

Mamdouh I. Elamy; Suha A. Mohammed; Ali Basem; Wissam H. Alawee; A. Aldabesh; A.S. Abdullah; Hasan Sh Majdi; Z.M. Omara; Fadl A. Essa

Results in Engineering (Sep 2024)

Augmenting thermal performance in tubular solar stills: A multifaceted strategy with wick cords, integrated baffles, reflectors, and nano-PCM

Mamdouh I. Elamy,
Suha A. Mohammed,
Ali Basem,
Wissam H. Alawee,
A. Aldabesh,
A.S. Abdullah,
Hasan Sh Majdi,
Z.M. Omara,
Fadl A. Essa

Affiliations

Mamdouh I. Elamy: Industrial Engineering Department, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia; Production Engineering & Mechanical Design Department, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia, Egypt
Suha A. Mohammed: Energy and Renewable Energies Technology Research Center, University of Technology, Iraq
Ali Basem: Air Conditioning Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Warith Al-Anbiyaa University, Iraq; Corresponding author.
Wissam H. Alawee: Control and Systems Engineering Department, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
A. Aldabesh: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Baha University, 65799, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
A.S. Abdullah: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, 31521, Egypt
Hasan Sh Majdi: Department of Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Industries, Al-Mustaqbal University, Babylon, 51001, Iraq
Z.M. Omara: Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt
Fadl A. Essa: Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, 33516, Egypt

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 23
p. 102771

Abstract

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This study investigates the enhancement of freshwater production using a modified cords wick tubular solar still (CWTSS) compared to a traditional tubular solar still (TSS). The CWTSS design increased freshwater yield by 102 % over the baseline TSS. Also, the impact of using baffles (CWTSS-B) was tested. Incorporating reflectors into the CWTSS (CWTSS-B-R) further improved performance, achieving a 201 % increase in production with reflectors and 160 % without reflectors, highlighting the significant role of reflectors in solar energy capture and distillation efficiency. Various wick cord numbers (12, 22, 32, and 42) were tested to identify the optimal configuration. The use of nanoparticle-enhanced Phase Change Material (PCM) in the CWTSS (CWTSS-PCM) resulted in a 240 % production increase compared to the TSS, demonstrating the effectiveness of PCM in thermal energy storage and management. The most significant improvement was observed in the CWTSS-fan configuration, which employed a fan and an external condenser, leading to a 256 % increase in water production, reaching 15,300 mL/m2 compared to 4300 mL/m2 for the TSS. The modified design's freshwater production cost was $0.01/L, a 50 % reduction from the conventional design's cost of $0.02/L.

Published in Results in Engineering

ISSN: 2590-1230 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Technology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/results-in-engineering

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