Boosting solar distillation performance with recycled transparent glass bottles in hemispherical designs

Abstract

Waste glass bottles, commonly discarded and recycled, possess high thermal conductivity, making them an effective material for enhancing solar still performance. This study investigates the integration of waste transparent glass bottles into hemispherical solar stills (HSS) to assess their effect on distillate productivity and thermal efficiency. Two HSS units were tested: a reference hemispherical solar still (RHSS) and an enhanced unit incorporating glass bottles (HSS-GB). Results showed that the HSS-GB produced 26 % more distilled water, with a yield of 6.30 L/m², compared to 5.00 L/m² for the RHSS. Additionally, the thermal efficiency of the HSS-GB increased by 25.75 %, reaching 52.69 %, significantly higher than the 41.90 % of the RHSS. The use of waste glass bottles improved heat absorption and retention, leading to higher basin temperatures, increased evaporation rates, and enhanced overall water production. Furthermore, the payback period for the HSS-GB was reduced to 24 days, compared to 30 days for the RHSS, making it a more cost-effective and sustainable solution. These findings demonstrate that integrating recycled glass bottles into HSS units not only improves performance but also contributes to sustainability by repurposing waste materials, offering a practical solution for solar distillation.