Improving the performance of trays solar still by using sand beds and reflectors

Abstract

In order to maintain access to freshwater resources in water-stressed regions, it is important to improve the performance of solar-powered desalination systems with lower cost units like solar stills (SS). However, the SS produces low productivity especially through the rainy or cloudy days due to the indirect diffused beams. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to increase the yield from brackish/seawater via a solar still operating with renewable energy sources. The water depth was lowered, and thermal storage materials with different sand beds trays solar still (TSS) are used to augment the amount of yield from a SS. The effects of sandy bed height, and sand type (black and yellow) on the performance of TSS were investigated. Also, the effect of internal reflectors on the sand TSS performance was investigated. Experimental results revealed that the sandy layer (storage beds) improves the TSS production. The maximum increase in accumulated production of sandy TSS with internal reflectors was reached at sand beds height of 1 cm and black sand. In this case, the freshwater was heightened by 105 % over CSS.

Keywords

• Solar still
• Trays solar still
• Sand beds
• Thermal storage material
• Reflectors