Laboratory test of solar distillator with a heat penetrating plate having a bend

Abstract A new idea was tested for a solar distillator with wick attached behind an inclined heat penetrating plate. The plate is bended at the center line and a tube is penetrated below the crease of bending. Liquid is fed to the tube and is flooded from two holes near the inlet and then forms a meniscus between the outer surface of the tube and the wick. This meniscus extends along the tube and part of the flow is deliver to the wick. This liquid feeding system is capable of preventing scale formation by forming film flow over the wick surface. The size of the experimental apparatus was 450 mm long and 160 mm wide for one side of the plate. The plate was attached with fibrous sheet as the wick. The idea was tested by using water without heating and satisfactorily uniform film flow was confirmed over all surface of the plate in a feed range between 0.5 and 4.75 kg/h·m. The design procedure was also provided on the basis of process simulation at practical conditions.