Simulation Study on the Effect of Cover Tilt Angle of SolarStill on its Productivity

Abstract

Survival hinges on access to water, serving as both the foundation for human existence and its continuous sustenance. Developing nations grapple with the significant challenge of ensuring clean drinking water availability. One solution is the utilization of solar stills, which harness solar energy for desalination to produce potable water, all without relying on high-energy sources. Solar stills remain a viable choice for providing safe drinking water to remote regions lacking reliable energy access. In this research, a comprehensive multi-phase 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was employed to investigate single-slope solar still with glass cover angles of 200 and 250This model accurately depicts temperature variations within the solar still during different phases of operation. The simulation results presented herein reveal that the efficiency is notably superior in solar stills equipped with copper plates, achieving an output of 1.24 when inclined at 200 compared to other inclinations.  It becomes evident that the tilt angle of the cover has a substantial impact on the output.  Additionally, the most suitable water depth for a 200 angle is found to be 18mm. This cost-effective innovation is designed to provide rural populations with an efficient method to transform brackish water into potable drinking water.