Thermodynamics of a Shallow Solar Still

Juan Cristóbal Torchia-Núñez, Jaime Cervantes-de-Gortari, Miguel Angel Porta-Gándara

CIBNOR, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.
Independent Energy Consultant, San José, Costa Rica.
Mechanical Engineering Department, National University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/epe.2014.69022                

Abstract

A detailed summary of the most relevant aspects of the thermodynamics of a shallow solar still is presented, including historical features not often found in the literature. Solar distillation has grown from applying empirical knowledge to advanced modeling and simulation. Geometrical, environmental and operational parameters of the solar still to heat transfer phenomena including evaporation and condensation, are taken into account in this overview, giving a comprehensive structure and classification to the study of solar stills from the thermodynamic point of view. The article describes global parameters, such as solar radiation, wind speed and thermal insulation among others and how they have been taken into account in the literature. Also, a distinction between internal and external heat transfer phenomena is proposed for clarification. Exergy balance is included to account for thermodynamic imperfections in the several processes inside the solar still.

Keywords

Solar Still, Overview, Thermodynamics, Modeling, Exergy, Heat Transfer

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Chaibi, M.T. and El-Nashar, A.M. (2009) Solar Thermal Processes. In: Cipollina, A., Micale, G. and Rizzuti, L., Eds., Seawater Desalination: Conventional and Renewable Energy Processes, Springer, London, 131-163.
[2]	Arellano, N. (2011) La planta solar de desalación de agua de Las Salinas (1872). Literatura y memoria de una experiencia pionera. Quaderns d’Història de l’Enginyeria, 12, 229-251.
[3]	Nebbia, G. (2005) Early Work on Solar Distillation in Italy, 1953-1970. In: Goswami, D.Y., Vijayaraghavan, S. and Campbell-Howe, R., Eds., Proceedings of the Solar World Congress 2005, American Solar Energy Society, Boulder, 2709-2713.
[4]	Kalogirou, S. (2005) Seawater Desalination Using Renewable Energy Sources. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 31, 242-281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pecs.2005.03.001
[5]	Maurel, A.(1981) La desalinización del agua de mar. Mundo Científico, 1, 296-305.
[6]	Malik, M.A.S., Tiwari, G.N., Kumar, A. and Sodha, M.S. (1982) Solar Distillation: A Practical Study of a Wide Range of Stills and Their Optimum Design, Construction and Performance. Pergamon Press, Oxford.
[7]	Telkes, M. (1953) Fresh Water from Sea Water by Solar Distillation. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, 45, 1108-1114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie50521a062
[8]	Dunkle, R.V. (1961) Solar Water Distilation: The Roof Type Still and a Multiple Effect Diffusion Still. Proceedings of International Heat Transfer Conference,University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, Part V, 895-902.
[9]	Morse, R.N. and Read, W.R. (1968) A Rational Basis for the Engineering Development of a Solar Still. International Journal of Solar Energy, 12, 5-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(68)90021-2
[10]	Cooper, P.I. (1969) Digital Simulation of Transient Solar Still Processes. International Journal of Solar Energy, 12, 313-331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(69)90046-2
[11]	Ali, H.M. (1993) Effect of Forced Convection inside the Solar Still on Heat and Mass Transfer Coefficients. Energy Conversion and Management, 34, 73-79. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0196-8904(93)90009-Y
[12]	Singh, A.K. and Tiwari, G.N. (1992) Performance Study of Double Effect Distillation in a Multiwick Solar Still. Energy Conversion Management, 33, 175-181. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0196-8904(92)90127-I
[13]	Sharma, V.B. and Mullick, S.C. (1993) Calculation of Hourly Output of a Solar Still. ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 118, 1-6.
[14]	Shawaqfeh, A.T. and Farid, M.M. (1995) New Development in the Theory of Heat and Mass Transfer in Solar Stills. Solar Energy, 55, 527-535. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(95)00069-4
[15]	Mowla, D. and Karimi, G. (1995) Mathematical Modelling of Solar Stills in Iran. Solar Energy Journal, 55, 389-393. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(95)00041-O
[16]	Tiwari, G.N., Singh, H.N. and Tripathi, R. (2003) Present Status of Solar Distillation. Solar Energy, 75, 367-373. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2003.07.005
[17]	World Data Bank (2011) World Development Indicators. United States. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/views/reports/tableview.aspx?isshared=true
[18]	World Energy Council (2013) World Energy Resources: Solar. http://www.worldenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WER_2013_8_Solar_revised.pdf
[19]	Modest, F.M. (2003) Radiative Heat Transfer. 2nd Edition, Academic Press, Boston.
[20]	Gearhart, C.A. (2002) Planck, the Quantum and the Historians. Physics in Perspective, 4, 170-215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00016-002-8363-7
[21]	Duffie, J.A. and Beckman, W.A. (2006) Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. 3rd Edition, Wiley, Hoboken.
[22]	Garrison, J.D. and Roeder, S.B.W. (1999) Environmental Measurement. In: Webster, J.G., Ed., Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 73.1, 1-64.
[23]	Anonymous (2002) Units and Symbols in Solar Energy. Solar Energy, 73, III-V. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0038-092X(02)00081-6
[24]	Aboul-Enein, S., El-Sebaii, A.A. and El-Bialy, E. (1998) Investigation of a Single-Basin Solar Still with Deep Basins. Renewable Energy, 14, 299-305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0960-1481(98)00081-0
[25]	McAdams, W.H. (1954) Heat Transmission. McGraw-Hill, New York.
[26]	El-Sebaii, A.A. (2000) Effect of Wind Speed on Some Designs of Solar Stills. Energy Conversion and Management, 41, 523-538. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0196-8904(99)00119-3
[27]	Kumar, S. and Tiwari, G.N. (1996) Performance Evaluation of an Active Solar Distillation System. Energy, 21, 805-808. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0360-5442(96)00015-1
[28]	Tiwari, G.N., Kumar, S., Sharma, P.B. and Khan, M.E. (1996) Instantaneous Thermal Efficiency of an Active Solar Still. Applied Thermal Energy, 16, 189-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/1359-4311(95)00053-G
[29]	Yadav, Y.P. and Prasad, A.S. (1995) Performance Analysis of a High Temperature Solar Distillation System. Energy Conversion and Management, 36, 365-374. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0196-8904(95)98901-X
[30]	Tripathi, R. and Tiwari, G.N. (2005) Effect of Water Depth on Internal Heat and Mass Transfer for Active Solar Distillation. Desalination, 173, 187-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2004.08.032
[31]	Tayel, S.A., El-Nakib, A.A., El-Meseery, A.A. and Badr, M.M. (2009) Solar Energy Utilization in Water Distillation. Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 26, 428-452.
[32]	Badran, O.O. (2007) Experimental Study of the Enhancement Parameters on a Single Slope Solar Still Productivity. Desalination, 209, 136-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.04.022
[33]	Keith, F. and Kreider, J.F. (1978) Principles of Solar Engineering. Hemisphere, Washington DC.
[34]	Rahbar, N. and Esfahani, J.A. (2013) Productivity Estimation of a Single-Slope Solar Still: Theoretical and Numerical Analysis. Energy, 49, 289-297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2012.10.023
[35]	Khalifa, A.J.N. (2011) On the Effect of Cover Tilt Angle of the Simple Solar Still on Its Productivity in Different Seasons and Latitudes. Energy Conversion and Management, 52, 431-436. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2010.07.018
[36]	Baum, V.A. and Bairamov, R. (1964) Heat and Mass Transfer Processes in Solar Stills of Hotbox Type. International Journal of Solar Energy, 8, 78-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0038-092X(64)90081-7
[37]	Porta-Gándara, M.A., Chargoy, N. and Fernandez-Zayas, J.L. (1997) Extreme Operating Conditions in Shallow Solar Stills. Solar Energy, 61, 465-476.
[38]	Tiwari, G.N., Emran, K.M. and Goyal, R.K. (1998) Experimental Study of Evaporation in Distillation. Desalination, 115, 121-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0011-9164(98)00031-9
[39]	Porta-Gándara, M.A., Rubio, E. and Fernandez J.L. (1998) Visualization of Natural Convection inside Shallow Solar Stills. Experiments in Fluids, 25, 369-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s003480050242
[40]	Zheng, H.F., Zhang, X.Y., Zhang, J. and Wu, Y.Y. (2002) A Group of Improved Heat and Mass Transfer Correlations in Solar Stills. Energy Conversion and Management, 43, 2469-2478. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0196-8904(01)00185-6
[41]	Rubio-Cerda, E., Porta-Gándara, M.A. and Fernandez, J.L. (2000) Cavity Geometry Influence on Mass Flow Rate for Single and Double Slope Solar Stills. Applied Thermal Engineering, 20, 1105-1111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1359-4311(99)00085-X
[42]	Porta-Gándara, M.A., Cervantes, J.G. and Solorio, F.J. (2004) Periodic Enclosed Natural Convection in a Laboratory Solar Still. Experiments in Fluids, 37, 483-487. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00348-004-0831-1
[43]	Bird, B.R., Edward, W.E. and Lightfoot, E.N. (2007) Transport Phenomena. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
[44]	Lienhard IV, J.H. and Lienhard V, J.H. (2003) A Heat Transfer Textbook. Phlogiston Press, Cambridge.
[45]	Ahsan, A. and Fukuhara, T. (2009) Condensation Mass Transfer in Unsaturated Humid Air inside Tubular Solar Still. Annual Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 53, 97-102.
[46]	Pong, L. and Moses, G.A. (1986) Vapor Condensation in the Presence of a Noncondensable Gas. Physics of Fluids, 29, 1796-1804. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.865607
[47]	Caruso, G., Di Maio, D.V. and Naviglio, A. (2013) Condensation Heat Transfer Coefficient with Noncondensable Gases inside Near Horizontal Tubes. Desalination, 309, 247-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2012.10.026
[48]	Cussler, E.L. (2007) Diffusion, Mass Transfer in Fluid Systems. Cambridge University Press, New York.
[49]	Watmuff, J.H., Charters, W.W.S. and Proctor, D. (1977) Solar and Wind Induced External Coefficients for Solar Collectors. Revue Internationale d’Heliotechnique, 2, 56.
[50]	Bejan, A. (1998) Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics. Wiley, New York.
[51]	Szargut, J., Morris, D.R. and Steward, F.R. (1988) Exergy Analysis of Thermal, Chemical & Metallurgical Processes. Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, New York.
[52]	Serova, E.N. and Brodianski, V.M. (2004) The Concept “Environment” in Exergy Analysis: Some Special Cases. Energy, 29, 2397-2401. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2004.03.044
[53]	Pons, M. (2009) On the Reference State for Exergy When Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermophysics, 12, 113-121.
[54]	Bosnjakovic, F. (1965) Technical Thermodynamics. Holt, New York.
[55]	Sciubba, E. and Wall, G. (2007) A Brief Commented History of Exergy from the Beginnings to 2004. International Journal of Thermophysics, 10, 1-26.
[56]	Kotas, T.J. (1994) The Exergy Method of Thermal Plant Analysis. Butterworths, London.
[57]	Moran, J.M. (1989) Availability Analysis: A Guide to Efficient Energy Use. ASME Press, New York.
[58]	Petela, R. (1964) Exergy of Radiation. Journal of Heat Transfer, 86, 187-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.3687092
[59]	Torchia-Nu?ez, J.C., Porta-Gandara, M.A. and Cervantes-de Gortari, J.G. (2008) Exergy Analysis of a Passive Solar Still. Renewable Energy, 33, 608-616. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2007.04.001