Description
| Abstract: | This work investigated new solar collection and heat transport approaches to significantly enhance the solar input and phase change processes in a solar still to realize high desalination rates. This research studied the following novel techniques and analyzed their potential to improve the productivity of a solar still: (i) use of an external point-focusing Fresnel lens to amplify solar insolation (or energy input per m2 to achieve boiling); (ii) use of a superhydrophobic surface on glass cover to reduce the water layer thickness (and hence improve condensation); (iii) use of hydrophilic surfaces to enhance the heat transfer rate by increasing wettability at the basin-water interface; and (iv) use of interfacial evaporation materials to enhance evaporation (water-vapor interface). The effect of each of these enhancements was analyzed separately using systematic experiments and analytical modeling. It was found that the Fresnel lens improved productivity by 467% under the conditions tested. The hydrophobic glass cover coatings showed lower productivity compared to no coatings. Increasing wettability on an aluminum surface showed a 15-20% increase in water productivity. The evaporation efficiency using 10CBMCE under 5-suns was 1.53 times that of evaporation without the photothermal membrane. |
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| Item Description: | "Performing organization: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University"--Technical report documentation page. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 computer disc (ix, 75 pages) : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 4 3/4 in. |
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| Format: | Disc characteristics: DVD-ROM. |
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| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |
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