Development and Performance Evaluation of an Economical Solar Still for Water Purification
Shravan Kumar
Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, India and ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
Manojit Chowdhury *
Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, India and ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
Ajay Kushwah
Department of Agriculture and Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302, India and Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
Abhishek Kumar Ansh
Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
Kishan Kumar
Division of Agricultural Engineering, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
Pooja Chouhan
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
Sanjay Khatri
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
Manish Kumar
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
Chetan Yumnam
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, 462038, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: The study aims to address the global challenge of clean water scarcity by exploring a cost-effective and efficient solar still for purifying various types of contaminated water using solar energy.
Methodology: An experimental investigation was conducted using a solar still designed with acrylic sheets, an inner mirrored surface, and aluminum fins. The study evaluated the solar still's performance in purifying seawater, brackish water, and polluted water, comparing input and output water quality. The experiments were carried out with and without aluminum fins, using a solar still with an area of 0.25 m².
Results: The solar still successfully reduced the total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, and pH of the input water. For seawater with an initial TDS of 14,700 PPM, salinity of 18.13 PSU, and pH of 9.15, the output values were 15 PPM TDS, 0.01 PSU salinity, and a pH of 7.4. The highest water volumes were achieved with aluminum fins: 410 ml for seawater, 380 ml for brackish water, and 380 ml for polluted water, compared to 170 ml without fins. The maximum water yield of 1.64 l/m2 was achieved for sea water using this solar still.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the solar still, particularly when equipped with aluminum fins, effectively transforms high-TDS, high-salinity, and high-pH water into clean, potable water. The findings suggest that solar distillation is a viable solution for producing safe drinking water from contaminated sources.
Keywords: Water purification, solar still, solar energy, sea water, brackish water