Improving the Basin Type Solar Still Performances Using an Internal Solar Collector

This paper presents a new experimental approach proposed to improve the conventional basin type solar still performances by integrating an internal solar collector. A serpentine heat exchanger is integrated inside the still acting as a solar collector to form an active solar still. The still productivity enhancement is verified experimentally through a comparative study with and without the internal solar collector during typical summer days. The effect of water depth is evaluated by varying the water amount in the basin still. The experimental tests show that the integrated internal solar collector acts as an effective heat source allowing more solar energy absorption which contributes to improving the still productivity. It was found that the still daily output is increased by about 20% and its thermal efficiency is improved by 16.8%.