Indoor experiments of a horizontal multiple effects diffusion solar still: Influence of heat input and the number of stages

Abstract

<abstract> <p>Clean water is important for human life, and obtaining it with the least amount of energy is significant. This research aims to desalinate water using a horizontal multiple effects diffusion solar still (DSS). A small distillation device with an area of 10 × 10 cm² was designed and 3D printed. An electric heater was used to simulate solar radiation at 400, 700, and 1000 W/m². The amount of water produced when using 1, 3, and 5 effects was recorded. The most notable results were: maximum water yield reached 1.93 kg/m² h at 1000 W/m², at which the solar to vapor conversion efficiency was 107%. The daily water yields throughout the year were estimated, and the maximum production was 10.16 kg/m² during a day in June, when the global horizontal irradiance was 7.01 kWh/m². The results were also compared with other distillation systems.</p> </abstract>