Experimental study on improving the yield of hemispherical distillers using CuO nanoparticles and cooling the glass cover

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2021.111482Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The present work aims to achieve a highest cumulative production of hemispherical distiller.

  • TIn the present experimental work three different concentrations of CuO nanoparticles (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) was studied.

  • The improvement in accumulative yield of MHSS for utilizing the CuO nanoparticles reached 49.35, 64.94, and 75.32% for CuO nanoparticle concentrations 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%.

Abstract

Water and energy scarcity is one of the most important and biggest challenges facing many countries around the world. In rural communities, the traditional energy sources utilized for produce the freshwater may be not available. So, the hemispherical solar distillers are a good choice to produce the freshwater, which characterized by having a large surface area for receive and condensed compared to traditional single-slope solar distillers. The present work aims to achieve the highest freshwater productivity from the hemispherical solar distillers by combining two of the most effective modifications, namely, use of CuO nanoparticles to increase the evaporation rate, and use of glass cover cooling technology to increase the condensation rate. To obtain the influences of combining two effective modifications on the productivity of hemispherical distillers, three hemispherical distillers were constructed and tested at same climate conditions, namely; the conventional hemispherical distiller which represent the reference distiller, modified hemispherical distiller with CuO nanoparticles, and modified hemispherical distiller with CuO nanoparticles and glass cover cooling technology. The results presented that the combination between two effective modifications (CuO nanoparticles with 0.3% concentration and glass cover cooling technology) represents the good option which improving the freshwater productivity to 7.9 L/m2/day compared to 3.85 L/m2/day for reference distiller with an improvement of 105.2%. Also, the utilization of these two combined effective modification with 0.3% CuO nanoparticles concentration improves the daily efficiency by 101.5% compared to reference distiller.

Introduction

At the present time, the lack of safe drinking water is among the problems that most of the world's population suffers. This is due to a number of factors, including global warming, a decrease in the groundwater level, and an increase in pollution due to the lack of preservation of the environment [[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]]. It became necessary to purify polluted water, in order to maintain the continuity of human life on earth. Researchers seek to develop new ways to convert polluted water into safe drinking water. Several methods have been devised to eliminate the problem of water scarcity, but they remain complex due to the technical aspects and their high cost [[7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13]]. Therefore, solar energy has been exploited to reduce costs on the one hand and preserve the environment on the other hand. Solar energy is the best way to produce drinking water using solar distillation. Several studies have been conducted on the use of solar radiation for desalination [[14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20]]. In our study, we will mention some previous work that could enhance the distillate production of distillers.

Sharshira et al. [21] conducted the influences of utilizing a suspended pad composed of cotton impregnated with 150 g/m2 of Fe3O4 and CuO nanoparticles on the cumulative production of solar distillers. They found that adding suspended dressing increments the cumulative production by 42 and 57% for Fe3O4 and CuO nanoparticles, respectively, compared to the reference case. Shanmugan et al. [22] investigated the influences of combining wick material, Al2O3 nanofluids, and PCM on the behavior of solar distiller. The outcomes presented that the yield of solar distillers associated with Al2O3 nanofluids reached 4.2 kg/m2/day, but with the combined effect of the wick materials, Al2O3 nanofluids, and PCM the yield improved to 7.5 kg/m2/day. Kabeel et al. [23] empirically conducted the influences of Al2O3 nanofluids and external heat exchanger on a yield level of solar distillation. They found that embedding a heat exchanger enhanced yield by 53.2%. Kabeel et al. [24] examined empirically the impact of Al2O3 nanofluids and cooling fan on production of distillers. They found that embedding of Al2O3 nanofluids improves yield by 89%. Also, the combined effect of Al2O3 nanofluids and cooling fan improved the yield by 125%. Subhedar [25] conducted the impact of the Al2O3 nanoparticles with concentration 0.05 and 0.1% on an accumulative yield of solar distillers. They conducted that the yield increases with increasing the concentrations of Al2O3 nanoparticle. Kabeel et al. [26] empirically examined the influences of utilizing the CuO, Al2O3, and heat exchanger on solar distiller performance. They conducted that the distiller yield improved by 73.80% and 84.20% for utilizing Al2O3 and CuO nanoparticles combined external capacitors, respectively. Omara et al. [27] empirically investigated the influences of CuO nanoparticles on the behavior of solar distiller with the corrugated wick. Nazari et al. [28] examined the impact of copper oxide (Cu2O) nanofluid with a thermoelectric channel on the accumulative yield of the solar distiller. They conducted that the utilization of Cu2O with a thermoelectric channel improved the distillate yield by 81%. Gupta et al. [29] empirically investigated the influences of absorber coated with CuO nanoparticles and saltwater depth on ccumulative yield of a solar distiller yield. The outcomes presented that the cumulative production for utilizing the absorber coated with CuO nanoparticles up to 3.1 and 3.5 l/m2 at 10 and 5 cm saltwater depth, respectively. Somanchi et al. [30] investigated influences of PCM and TiO2 nanoparticle on the behavior of traditional distiller. Modi and Shukla [31] experimental conducted the impact of 0.1% of ZnO nanoparticles on the distiller yield.

Elashmawy and Ahmed [32] empirically examined the influences of the composite sensible heat storage tubes (black painted aluminum tubes contains silica sand and copper wire) on cumulative yield of tubular solar distillers. They found that the freshwater yield improved by 24.05% compared to reference case. Ahmed et al. [33] improved the yield of tubular solar distiller using the double effect concentric tubes integrated with solar tracking system by 31.65% compared to reference case. Mohamed et al. [34] studied experimentally the impact of natural fine black basalt stones on cumulative yield of solar distillers. They conducted that the utilization of fine black basalt stones as porous media improved the yield of solar distiller by 33.37% compared to reference distiller. Nian et al. [35] mathematical and experimental conducted the influences of shape-stabilized phase change materials on cumulative yield of solar distiller. They conducted that the productivity of solar distiller with shape-stabilized phase change materials integrated with solar collector improved by 71.2% compared to reference distiller. Sheikholeslami and Farshad [36] theoretically studied the thermal behavior of suggest six-lobed absorber tube equipped with helical coil and twisted tape used to enhance the productivity of solar unit. Sheikholeslami et al. [37] presented a comprehensive review about thermal performance development in flat plate photovoltaic/thermal collectors and flat plate solar collectors in the presences of nanofluid. Sheikholeslami et al. [38] theoretical examined the impact of Aluminum oxide suspended in water with 0.03% concentration for turbulent flow on the behavior of solar flat plate collector with multiple twisted tapes. They found that the utilization of nanofluids and twisted tapes reduces the exergy losses.

The present study aims to reach the best modifications that achieve the highest distillate water productivity produced from hemispherical solar distillers, which characterized by the presence of a large area for receiving and condensation compared to traditional single-slope solar distillers. To achieves this idea, in the present experimental work we combining two of the most effective modifications, namely, use of CuO nanoparticles to increase the evaporation rate, and use of glass cover cooling technology to increase the condensation rate, and this represents the good choice and effective with hemispherical solar distillers which are characterized by a large area of reception and condensation. To obtain the influences of combining two effective modifications on the productivity of hemispherical distillers, three hemispherical distillers were constructed and tested at same climate conditions, namely; the conventional hemispherical distiller which represent the reference distiller, modified hemispherical distiller with CuO nanoparticles, and modified hemispherical distiller with CuO nanoparticles and glass cover cooling technology. In the experimentation test three different concentrations of CuO nanoparticles (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) were studied to obtain the optimal concentrations with glass cover cooling technology that achieves the highest accumulative productivity of hemispherical solar distillers.

Section snippets

Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles preparation method

CuO nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified sol-gel CTM (cooperative self-assembly mechanism) consisting of polymerization of an inorganic materials around micelle of the surfactant. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the powder shows the presence of a single compound, namely CuO, this is given by the values of the main peaks located at the angles 2θ = 36 et 39°. This oxide is crystallized under the monoclinic system (see Fig. 1 (a)). SEM images of this oxide show that it is formed by

Setup design and configuration

A test-rig consists from three hemispherical solar distillers was constructed and operated at the same climate conditions, namely; conventional hemispherical solar still (CHSS) which represent the reference distiller, modified hemispherical solar still with CuO nanoparticles (MHSS with CuO nanoparticles), and modified hemispherical solar still with CuO nanoparticles and cover cooling technology (MHSS with CuO nanoparticles + glass cover cooling). Fig. 2, Fig. 3 show the schematic and the photo

Results and discussions

The distillate water productivity of hemispherical distiller depends on intensity of solar energy, weather conditions, and design configuration. The temperatures of the basin saltwater, ambient, glass cover, and cooling water are the effective parameters that effect on the rates of evaporation and condensation within hemispherical distillers. So, it is necessary to record the variations of solar intensity and temperatures along a test day. The variations of the solar intensity and temperatures

Comparison of present study with previously published studies

In Table 2, we compare the experimental results of our study with previously published studies. As shown in Table 2, it was found that the combination of the glass cover cooling technology and CuO nanoparticles represents a good and very effective option to achieve the highest cumulative productivity of hemispherical solar stills. Where, the gain in the productivity of solar distillers with the previous modifications addressed by previous studies ranged between 24.05 and 81%, while the

Conclusions

In the present study, we are interested to combination the two very effective modifications (CuO nanoparticles and glass cover cooling technology) in order to achieve the highest cumulative productivity of the hemispherical solar distillers. In the present experimental work three different concentrations of CuO nanoparticles (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) was studied. According to the empirically investigations, the following conclusions are recorded:

  • The accumulative yield of MHSS for utilizing CuO

Declaration of competing interest

There is no any conflict of interest.

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