Energy Reports (Nov 2022)
Energy efficient tubular solar still for augmented yield using electrical heater
Abstract
In the present work, an experimental investigation is being carried out to increase the quality of fresh water produced by a tubular solar still connected to an electrical heater that is connected to a photovoltaic (PV) panel. With an effective evaporative area of 0.1425 m2, experiments were conducted and analysed for the climatic condition of Chennai, India. On the basis of the amount of fresh water generated by a tubular solar still without the use of an external heater, a comparative study is conducted. With the addition of electrical heater with the absorber, the average temperature of water is improved from 49 °C to 52 °C. The cumulative yield from TSS and TSS with external heater is found as 2.5 and 3.4 kg with a daily efficiency of 30.28 and 59.52% respectively. Results also revealed that the accumulated fresh water produced from the TSS with external heater is improved by 32.67% than TSS without additional heater.