Abstract
The experimental study of the results of reflective aluminum foils, metal sheets, and phosphate granules on the productivity and efficiency of hemispherical solar stills was given throughout this work under the solar conditions of the city of El-Oued (Algeria). Solar stills were designed, manufactured, and tested in August 2020. A standard hemispherical solar still was made of wood and coated with black silicon. It was considered a traditional solar still. Although it was compared to traditional solar stills, it was improved by covering its side walls with reflective aluminum foil, zinc metal sheets, and copper sheets. It had been found that the productivity of the modified still was 8.67%, 29.08%, and 42.35%, respectively, on top of that of the traditional solar still. This could be due to the activity of the foils and metals, which reflect more radiation and store energy, increasing the temperature of the salt water in the basin. In the second experiment, three modified solar stills in line with aluminum foil and phosphate granules (30 g/L), zinc metal sheet and phosphate granules, and copper metal sheet and phosphate granules were collectively used. It had been found that the productivity of the modified solar still with aluminum foil and phosphate granules (the improvement rate is 30.61%) was on the far side of that with zinc metal sheets and phosphate granules (the improvement rate is 49.961%) and copper metal sheets and phosphate granules (the improvement rate is 62.24%).
•Two solar stills (hemispherical solar still with and without energy storage material) were fabricated.•Research was conducted at Renewable Energy Laboratory of University of El Oued, Algeria.•The output of solar still was improved by using low-cost energy storage materials.•The yield was improved by 14.29–46.94% by using rubber material as compared to the conventional hemispherical solar still.•The yield was improved by 12.24–40.81% by using wick material as compared to the conventional hemispherical solar still.