Testing a single slope solar still with copper heating coil, external condenser, and phase change material

A worldwide shortage of drinkable water has resulted from the rapid rise of industrialization and population, which has prompted researchers to find an alternative method to meet this requirement. Solar still are systems powered by solar energy that can provide drinkable water, however it has a low production issue. In this study a conventional solar still (CSS) and a modified solar still (MSS) have been tested in this experimental study. Copper water heating coil, an external condenser, and Nano-phase change material (PCM-Ag) have been employed to increase the productivity of the MSS. In three sets of experiments the performance of MSS and CSS were compared under identical meteorological conditions. The findings showed that, the productivity increase/thermal efficiency for MSS with heating coil, MSS with external condenser, and MSS with PCM-Ag layer are 76 %/45.4 %, 120 %/52 % and 111 %/50.7 %, respectively. So, employing PCM or external condenser increased the productivity of MSS with heating coil by about 35 % and 44 %, respectively. Economic analysis was also taken into account, and the costs of the distilled freshwater for the CSS, MSS-PCM, and MSS-EC 0.029, 0.024, and 0.022 $/l, respectively.