Performance of solar still with a concave wick evaporation surface

Surfaces used for evaporation and condensation phenomenon play important roles in the performance of basin type solar still. In the present study, a concave wick surface was used for evaporation, whereas four sides of a pyramid shaped still were used for condensation. Use of jute wick increased the amount of absorbed solar radiation and enhanced the evaporation surface area.. A concave shaped wick surface increases the evaporation area due to the capillary effect. Results show that average distillate productivity in day time was 4.1 l/m(2) and a maximum instantaneous system efficiency of 45% and average daily efficiency of 30% were recorded. The maximum hourly yield was 0.5 l/h. m(2) after solar noon. An estimated cost of 1 l of distillate was 0.065 $ for the presented solar still. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.