An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Phase Change Material and External Reflectors on the Performance of a Single Slope Still

Omar Abd Ul-Qader  Mohammed; Ayser Muneer  Flayh; Faik  Hamad

doi:10.37934/arfmts.124.1.120

Authors

Omar Abd Ul-Qader Mohammed Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Ayser Muneer Flayh Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Baghdad, Iraq
Faik Hamad School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, Tees Valley, TS1 3BX, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/arfmts.124.1.120

Keywords:

Paraffin wax, single-slope still, PCM, external reflectors

Abstract

Solar stills are widely recognized as a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution for transforming brackish water into potable water. Although solar energy shows promise, it has yet to be widely adopted due to its lower productivity. This paper presents an experimental investigation to enhance the performance of a single slope solar still using phase change material (PCM) and external reflectors. Many outdoor experiments have been conducted for three cases including: solar still without PCM, Solar still with PCM, and solar still with PCM with external reflectors. Also, the effect of water depth inside the still is examined. The performance of the four cases is evaluated and compared under the meteorological conditions of Baghdad City, Iraq. The results showed that using the PCM improved the Accumulated yield of the conventional solar still by 23% and 14 % for water depths of 2 cm and 3 cm, respectively. Also, the results revealed that using the external reflectors improves the Accumulated yield by 15% for the still with PCM, respectively.