Use of Ceramic Material and Granite to Increase the Thermal Efficiency of the Solar Stills

Abstract

The increase in population has intensified the demand for water resources, leading to scarcity due to constraints in their availability, extraction, and sustainable utilization across various regions of the world. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of asymmetric pyramid-shaped solar stills units enhanced with photothermal materials to improve distilled water yield. Three identical solar still systems were constructed, with sensible heat storage materials incorporated into the trays of two of the units. In the first solar still unit (SS1), ceramic tiles were used as the heat storage medium; in the second (SS2), granite was employed; and in the third (SS3), no additional material was introduced. The corresponding distilled water outputs were 2424.80 mL.m^-2 for SS1, 2992.00 mL.m^-2 for SS2, and 2121.00 mL.m^-2 for SS3. The incorporation of granite and ceramic tiles in the solar still units led to efficiency increases of 23% and 7%, respectively, compared to the reference system. Following the solar still process, significant reductions were observed in physicochemical parameters, particularly sodium, which decreased by 97%, 96%, and 96% in SS1, SS2, and SS3, respectively. All remaining parameters were also reduced and remained within acceptable potable water standards.

Keywords:
Solar distillation; potability; photothermal materials; heat sensitive; brackish water