Performance evaluation of solar still using energy storage biomaterial with porous surface: An experimental study and environmental analysis

The use of energy storage material can have a significant influence on the water productivity of solar still. Water productivity by solar energy and without environmental pollution are the advantages of using solar desalination in addition to being cost-effective. In this study, a novel conch shell biomaterial was considered as an energy storage material and porous media in a solar still (CSSS) to improve the performance of the system. The conch shell biomaterial stores the thermal energy of the sun and releases it into the saline water when the solar ra-diation is low. Also, the porous surface of the conch shells acts like a porous absorber and absorbs a large amount of solar radiation which led to increasing the water temperature. The experiments were conducted in the climatic conditions of Ongole city (15.5057 degrees N, 80.0499 degrees E), India. The results showed that the cumulative productivity of solar still using conch shells as an energy storage biomaterial and porous media was achieved 10.8% better than conventional solar still (CSS). Moreover, the CSSS outperformed CSS in terms of energy and exergy effi-ciency by 10.3% and 9%, respectively. In addition, the CPL and CO2 emissions mitigation of modified solar still were enhanced by about 11.1% and 10.9% more than conventional ones.

Automated summary

The use of energy storage material can significantly affect the water productivity of solar still. Solar desalination has the advantages of utilizing solar energy, being cost-effective, and without environmental pollution. In this study, a novel conch shell biomaterial was used as an energy storage material and porous media in a solar still to improve its performance. The results showed that the productivity, energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, CPL, and CO2 emissions mitigation of the modified solar still using conch shells were all improved compared to conventional solar still.