Preliminary Experimental Study of a Single Slope-Double Effect Solar Still incorporating a paraffin wax

Abstract

The performance of a double effect solar distillation unit incorporating a paraffin wax has been studied experimentally under the climatic conditions of Owerri, South-East Nigeria. The system comprises double basins with an absorber area of 1.10m2 and a saline water storage tank. It was positioned in the North-South direction with both upper and lower glazings inclined at the latitude of the study location. Performance evaluation of the system was conducted for an extended period of time, capturing both diurnal and nocturnal phases of the system’s operation. The hourly distillate yields of the upper and lower basins were compared. The lower basin performed better than the upper basin during diurnal phase. The diurnal distillate yield of the system ranged from 0.415L to 0.741L for the lower basin and zero to 0.025L for the upper basin. The system achieved a maximum distillate yield rate of 0.21 L/h and an average efficiency of 38.4%.