Enhancing solar still performance with Plexiglas and jute cloth additions: experimental study

Abstract

This research work compares the performance of a conventional solar still (CSS) with a modified CSS (MSS) that uses Plexiglas and jute fabric to increase heat localization and thin-film evaporation. Two solar stills with identical 1 m2 basin areas were designed and constructed using Fiberglass reinforced plastic for experimentation. A heat transfer model based on linear regression was utilized in the theoretical analysis. Performance analysis was determined based on exergy analysis, and a cost per litre was also included in the research work. It was found that the MSS achieved a distillate output 35% higher than the CSS. Also, MSS led to a 45% reduction in the costs of distillate output of water than CSS.