Performance investigation on fin type solar still with paraffin wax as energy storage media

It is indispensable to enhance the performance of a conventional solar still in order to increase its productivity. It has been effectively done by adding fins and thermal energy storage media to it. In the present work, the performance of a conventional single slope solar still is compared with an identical solar still with square pipes as fins attached to its basin liner. A thin layer of paraffin wax was stored beneath the basin liner as well as in the hollow space present in the square pipe fins as energy storage media. Experiments have been conducted on the conventional still for three different water depths, i.e. for 2, 3 and 4 cms. The masses for the corresponding water depths are 10 kg, 15 kg and 20 kg, respectively. The same water masses were maintained in the modified still, and experiments were conducted for the following cases: with mere fins and with fins cum energy storage media. The percentage increase in the efficiencies of the modified still with mere fins and with fins cum energy storage are observed as 64% and 95%, respectively.