Experimental and ANSYS CFD simulation analysis of hemispherical solar still

Abstract

Now days, encountering with lack of potable water is one of the major problems in developing as well as under developing countries. There is a lot of saline water in earth hence if saline water is converted into potable water then problem of potable water will be solved. A device, which converts saline water into drinkable water, is called solar still. In every efficient solar still design, water temperature, distillate output, and difference between water temperature and inner glass cover temperatures are very important work on solar still. Many scientists of world applied their work on solar still to increase output. There are many types of solar still design, in such design there is also a design of hemispherical solar still. Hemispherical solar still possess hemispherical head, which can receive solar radiation from anywhere, hence there is no need of applying solar tracking system. Hence, here, twodimensional three-phase model of hemispherical solar still is made for evaporation as well as condensation process in ANSYS CFD. Simulation results like water temperature, vapor temperature, distillate output compared with actual experimental results of climate conditions of Mehsana (latitude of 23° 59’ and longitude of 72° 38’) of hemispherical solar still. Water temperature and distillate output were good agreement with actual experimental results. Study shows that ANSYS CFD is very powerful as well as efficient tool for design, comparison purpose of hemispherical solar still.