Distillate Yield Improvement using a Parabolic Dish Reflector Coupled Single Slope Basin Solar Still with Thermal Energy Storage using Beeswax
A single slope solar still, integrated with latent heat thermal energy storage system coupled to a parabolic concentrator was designed with the aim of improving productivity. 14 kg of beeswax was used as phase change material (PCM) beneath the absorber plate to keep the operating temperature of the still high enough to produce distilled water even during the sunset hours. The underside of the still is covered by 0.2 m aluminum sheet painted black on the side facing the parabolic concentrator to help in absorbing solar radiation reflected from the parabolic concentrator and conducting same to the PCM. To determine the performance of single slope solar still, it was tested without the PCM effect and then with the PCM effect. The temperature of water, température of PCM, air température, inner surface glass temperature and outer surface glass temperature were measured. Experimental results show that the effect of thermal storage in the parabolic concentrator-coupled single slope solar still increased the productivity by 62%.
