Optimization of influential geometrical parameters of single slope solar still equipped with thermoelectric system to achieve maximum desalinated water

Abstract

Solar water desalinators are based on water evaporation and are more important in areas with high evaporation capacity and water scarcity. Today, desalination water performance is improved using various methods. One method is to use a Thermo-Electric Cooling (TEC) system. In the present study, using the numerical solution and humid air method, the effect of the dimensions of single-slope solar still with TEC on water production rate is simulated. The simulation is steady, incompressible, and laminar. To evaluate the effect of desalination dimensions, changes in length, small height, and length of the thermal surface of the cooling system were used. The results show that production in the TEC system is higher than conventional desalination. The trend of changes in water production with increasing parameters of length, small height, and length of the thermal surface of the cooling system is descending, ascending, and ascending, respectively. One of the main reasons for these changes in the number of rotational flows is due to dimensional changes. Meanwhile, in case of increasing the flow velocity due to the increase of free convection, the water production rate will increase. Based on results with a 50 % increase in L, the freshwater production rate was decreased by about 10 %. Also by applying the thermoelectric system a 6.8 % improvement in the freshwater production rate was reported. The main purpose of this study is to increase the efficiency of freshwater production in single-slope solar still by equipping it with a thermoelectric cooling system and also by geometric optimization of solar still.

Keywords

• Single-slope desalination
• TEC system
• System performance
• Heat transfer
• Water production rate