Modeling and performance analysis of a solar desalination unit with double-glass cover cooling

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DESALINATION Desalination 138 (2001) 145 www.elsevier.com/locate/desal

Modeling and performance analysis of a solar desalination unit with double-glass cover cooling Y.H. Zurigat a, Mousa K. Abu-Arabi b* adept. Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 33, Al-Khod, Muscat 123, Oman e-mail: zurigat@squ, edu. om bThe Middle East Desalination Research Center, P. O. Box 21, Al-Kuwair 133, Oman Tel. +968 695-351; Fax +968 697-107; e-mail: [email protected]

Received 5 March 2001; accepted 19 March 2001

Abstract

In this study, modeling and performance analysis of a single-basin solar still with the entering brine flowing between a double glass glazing is investigated. The base area of the solar still is 1 m2. The function of this arrangement is two-fold; lowering the glass temperature and preheating the entering brine. This resulted in improved performance represented by a faster rate of evaporation from the basin. The efficiency of the double-glass desalination unit increased by over 25% compared with the conventional single-basin single-glass solar still. The hourly and daily productions of the unit and the temperatures of the water and the glass cover were also predicted under the meteorological conditions of Muscat, Oman. Keywords: Solar desalination; Performance analysis; Double-glass solar still

*Corresponding author.

Presented at the European Conference on Desalination and the Environment: Water Shortage, Lemesos, Cyprus, 28-31 May 2001.

0011-9164/01/$- See front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All fights reserved PII: S0011-9164(01)00256-9