Enhancing The Hemispherical Solar Distiller Performance Using Internal Reflectors And El Oued Sand Grains As Energy Storage Mediums

Abstract The current comprehensive work deals with different solutions, all of which aim to overcome the problem of low productivity of drinking water from solar distillers. Experimental work was carried out on hemispherical distillers which are characterized by a large area of receiving and condensation. This study presented the results of two experimental scenarios to illustrate the influences of internal reflective on hemispherical distiller’s performance in the first scenario. In the second scenario, the influences of internal reflective with El-Oued sand grains as the energy store medium on hemispherical distiller performances was studied. Two experimental scenarios aim to achieve the best configurations that achieve a highest hemispherical distillers performances. To achieves this goal, we designed and fabricated the three hemispherical distillers, the first distiller represents the reference case (Conventional Hemispherical Solar Still - CHSS), the second is the Hemispherical Solar Still with Internal Reflective Mirrors and El-Oued sand grains (HSS-IRM & SG), and a third is the Hemispherical Solar Still with Internal Reflective Aluminum Foil and El-Oued sand grains (HSS-IRAF & SG). The results presented that the cumulative production of reference distiller (CHSS) up to 4750 mL/m2, while use of internal reflective mirrors and El-Oued sand grains (HSS-IRM & SG) increases the production to 9400 mL/m2 day. The maximum improvement in cumulative distillate production, exergy efficiency, and thermal efficiency was recorded for utilization of internal reflective mirrors and El-Oued sand grains (HSS-IRM & SG) which reached 98, 200.9, and 96%, respectively, compared to reference case (CHSS).