Impact of nano-particle-enhanced phase change materials on heat transfer and exergy in novel solar desalination systems

Abstract

Water scarcity stands as one of the most critical concerns facing the entire globe. With an abundance of sunlight throughout the year solar distillation as a sustainable solution to alleviate this crisis. However, one major constraint of solar stills is their low output rate, necessitating continued study to develop and adopt techniques to improve their efficiency. This study digs into the novel integration of a passive built-in solar water heater into a solar still, integrating theoretical and practical approaches to assess performance and heat transfer, as well as exergy analysis. The novel experimental setup makes this study to improve yield. A solid theoretical framework was developed to estimate temperature changes among the still’s many components, as well as production, heat transfer, energy, and exergy. The results show that both strategies produce consistent patterns and behaviors, showing a good fit between theoretical expectations and experimental outcomes. This agreement emphasizes how the proposed design has the potential to significantly boost solar distillation system productivity, making it a feasible solution to water scarcity in places with strong solar radiation. The integration of PCMs, particularly paraffin, with nano additives greatly improved yield, productivity, efficiency, and CO₂ reduction, making solar desalination systems both ecologically beneficial and economically feasible.