Experimental investigation of a solar still system with a preheater and nanophase change materials

Solar desalination systems are crucial for generating fresh water, particularly in regions with water scarcity. They harness renewable solar energy, making them sustainable and cost-effective in remote areas. Solar desalination addresses water scarcity challenges with a sustainable, decentralized, and efficient approach. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of varying depths of basin water on the overall productivity of distillate in a solar distillation system. The research specifically investigates three distinct scenarios, focusing on the concentration of freshwater at different depths. The investigation extends to the analysis of temporal variations in heat transfer loss for three different phase change materials (PCMs) namely paraffin wax  +  nano CuO, paraffin wax, and lauric acid. This study also examines the impact of varying depths of basin water on the overall productivity of distillate in three distinct scenarios. In all instances, it has been observed that the more concentrated form of freshwater can be found at a depth of 20 mm. The water basin temperature lowered by 44.78% for paraffin wax  +  nano CuO composite, in comparison to paraffin wax (45.31%) and lauric acid (47.37%) when the water depth was increased from 20 mm to 60 mm. The equations pertaining to energy conservation and heat transfer in the solar distillation system are presented. The investigation also encompassed the analysis of temporal variations in heat transfer loss for three unique PCMs. The study recorded an increase in the total distillate freshwater of 3480, 1248.5, and 2637 ml/m2/day for paraffin wax  +  nano CuO, lauric acid, and paraffin wax correspondingly. Lauric acid has exhibited a level of performance in terms of total distillate.