Thermal Efficiency and Water Output Improvement in Modified Solar Distillers: A Comparative Study

This study evaluates the performance of a solar distiller-assisted by a concentrator system (SDACS) compared to a controlled solar distiller (CSD). Analysis of the temperatures of the distillers revealed that the SDACS maintained higher temperatures throughout the experiment, with the maximum water temperature reaching 86.3°C, compared to 76.1°C for the CSD. This improved thermal retention contributed to significantly higher hourly and accumulated water outputs in the SDACS, which reached 480 mL/h and a total accumulation of 5404 mL, respectively, compared to 192 and 1955 mL for the CSD. The SDACS also demonstrated higher thermal efficiency, peaking at 180% compared to 60% for the CSD. In addition, the exergy efficiency of the SDACS was significantly higher, reaching 12.39% compared to 3.32% for the CSD. The SDACS distiller yields much higher revenue than the CSD distiller due to its increased output, offering a short payback period of approximately 4 months and a strong return on investment (ROI) of 308%. These results highlight the effectiveness of the design improvements of the SDACS, which significantly improve its ability to convert solar energy into thermal energy and useful work, resulting in overall performance and production efficiency in freshwater.