Effect of surface cooling and tube thickness on the performance of a high temperature standalone tubular solar still

Abstract The present study describes the effect of the surface cooling and thickness on the performance of the high temperature standalone tubular solar still (HTS-TSS). TSS is integrated with a parabolic concentrator solar tracking system (PCST). The test was performed under the climatic conditions of Hail city (27.64°N, 41.75°E) in Saudi Arabia. Results showed that reducing TSS tube thickness 40% enhances water productivity and efficiency by 21% and 13.35% respectively and lowers the cost of water production by 37.5%. Unlike conventional basin solar stills, results showed a negative impact on the HTS-TSS performance under tube surface cooling. Two different techniques of cooling were used. First technique is to spray cooling water over the whole tube surface at a rate of 10 ml every 30 min which reduces TSS productivity and efficiency by 10% and 7.79% respectively. In the second technique, cooling water flows in the gap between two concentric tubes with a rate of 40 ml/min which also reduces the productivity and the efficiency by 43.8% and 42.63% respectively. Cooling tube surface is not recommended for standalone TSS systems. Tube dimensions and properties are key design elements of TSS which needs more intensive investigations.

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