Optimum conditions for high distillation partition performance: Comparative studies

This work proposes a new configuration of solar still system and includes three experimental comparative studies on a 17 cm high longitudinal distillation unit with one distillation partition. The study targets to figure out the optimum conditions that maximize the productivity of the distillation partition. Also, the work includes determining the amount of the rejected waste energy from the unit with respect to the input energy for the optimum case obtained in the study. The investigated comparative cases include gravitational effect vs. Capillary effect of brackish water flow in the distillation partition wick, the performance when the unit is insulated vs. uninsulated, and using single wick vs. double wick layer inside the distillation partition. The work was conducted indoor, and electrical power (30 W, 50 W, 70 W, 90 W, and 110 W) was supplied to the unit separately. The results show that the gravitational brackish water flow, insulating the unit with 1" thickness styrofoam, and using double cotton wick layer are the optimum operating conditions that maximize the productivity of the distillation partition. Under these conditions and when 110 W is supplied inside the distillation unit, the distillation efficiency of the unit is 15.64%, the distillation partition efficiency is 16.48%, and the heat supply efficiency of the unit is 19.61%. Also, the study proves that the distillation efficiency of the unit, the distillation efficiency of the distillation partition, and the efficiency of heat supply of the unit increases with increasing the input power to the unit.