Cooling Effect on a solar still condenser

Abstract

This research delves into the quantitative impact of design modifications on solar still performance, specifically examining the role of fins on the glass cover. Comparative analyses were conducted on two solar stills, SSref (Solar Still reference) and SSmod (Solar Still modified with fins), considering temperature variation, energy transfer, energy evaporation, hourly water output, and internal efficiency. SSmod consistently exhibited superior performance, maintaining lower temperatures (peak difference of 10 °C), achieving an average energy transfer of 555 W/m², a higher energy evaporation rate (335 W/m² on average), and an increased hourly water output (0.59 mL peak). The internal efficiency for SSmod averaged 0.741%, surpassing SSref's 0.713%. These quantified results highlight the crucial contribution of fins in enhancing distillation processes, providing a valuable foundation for designing solar stills with improved energy efficiency and resource utilization