Solar distillation systems are environmentally compassionate and valuable for water purification in water-fed regions. Nevertheless, it has a huge surface area need and deprived energy efficiency. Energy efficiency, surface area and cost are three crucial factors influencing the dissemination of this device to communities. The present study proposes a solar distiller for widespread users using a low-cost, high-absorbent absorber plate coating. In addition, a novel absorber plate design (plate with hemispherical projections) was used to provide more surface area for heat transfer. Experimental investigations show that blackboard paint and blackboard paint with 30% aluminium oxide nanoparticles are the most effective oil paints for absorber plate coating to avoid costly selective absorber coatings. This will contribute to developing low-cost distillers. The highest and lowest average temperatures were observed for blackboard paint with aluminium oxide nanoparticles (86.1°C) and eyeliner (74°C). Even pure blackboard paint was too appropriate, with an average temperature of 79.7°C. Testing indicates that the most energy-efficient solar distiller design is an absorber plate with hemispherical projections coated with blackboard paint containing aluminium oxide nanoparticles. This research concludes that a blackboard-pained absorber plate with hemispherical projections should be used to build energy-efficient and cost-effective solar distillation equipment.
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