Hemispherical solar still: Recent advances and development

Approximately (97 percent) of the water on Earth is salty or polluted, leaving just 3% as freshwater, only about (1%) of which is easily accessible for human use. The world's population is increasingly dependent on this priceless resource for electricity, irrigation, industrial processes, and everyday use. Solar desalination is gaining prominence as the most viable method for addressing water shortage in all elements of sustainable development. Several solar distillations processes use various strategies to create clean water. The hemispherical solar still (HSS) is one of the most effective alternatives for meeting the need for freshwater in rural and distant locations However, there are limits to the performance of hemispherical solar stills, and various researchers have examined the ability to enhance (HSS) thermal performance. This comprehensive review analyses and reports on the design and operating characteristics that impact the performance of the (HSS). Generally, hemispherical solar still has relatively better thermal performance than other types of solar stills. The maximum solar radiation, daily accumulative yield, thermal efficiency, CPL and recovery period for different studies related to (HSS) are prepared and arranged carefully in the present work. Additionally, the cost analysis was also considered. In order to help the researchers understand the developments of (HSSs), the most important findings of the reviewed papers were summarized. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

Approximately 97 percent of Earth's water is salty or polluted, leaving only 3 percent as freshwater, with just 1 percent easily accessible for human use. Solar desalination, specifically the use of hemispherical solar stills (HSS), is gaining prominence as an effective method for addressing water shortage. However, there are limitations to the performance of HSS, and researchers have been exploring ways to enhance its thermal efficiency.