Field tests of a natural vacuum solar desalination system using hybrid solar collector

Abstract

This study deals with field test of a natural vacuum solar desalination system using hybrid type solar collector. In order to perform the tests, a natural vacuum solar desalination has been designed and fabricated. The dimension of evaporator is 1000 mm ×1000 mm × 200 mm, while dimension of solar collector is 1000 mm ×1500 mm. The system is tested by exposing to solar radiation in Medan city of Indonesia for five days. The solar radiations during test are 8.79 MJ/m2, 10.14 MJ/m2, 6.88 MJ/m2, 11.05 MJ/m2, and 11.36 MJ/m2, respectively. The produced fresh waters are 160 ml, 180 ml, 118 ml, 206 ml, 220 ml, respectively. The conclusions are as follows. The produced fresh water is still very low due to the heat from the solar collector is not transferred perfectly to the evaporator. There produced fresh water is strongly affected by solar irradiation. It is recommended to minimize the heat loss from the evaporator and the transfer fluid.