article · Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Response surface methodology provides a mathematical framework to predict and optimise the performance of pyramid solar distillers under varying environmental conditions and nanoparticle additions. Three distinct nanomaterials, titanium oxide, aluminium oxide, and copper oxide, were evaluated in the water basin to assess their thermal and optical effects on freshwater yield. Solar intensity, ambient temperature, and wind speed served as key climatic parameters in the model. Experimental validation demonstrated that adding copper oxide nanoparticles yielded the highest water output, followed by aluminium oxide and titanium oxide. At a concentration of 0.3 percent, copper oxide achieved a 57 percent improvement in average daily water production compared to a conventional solar still. Statistical models aligned closely with pilot experimental results, showing errors below seven percent across all measured parameters.
Solar distillation offers a clean method to produce fresh drinking water, but low daily yields often limit practical use. Demonstrating that specific metal oxide nanoparticles significantly boost water output under realistic weather conditions provides a verified approach to improving passive desalination systems, offering clearer guidance on how to maximise water output in arid and sun-rich environments.
This research applies to solar desalination systems and water treatment equipment manufacturers looking to enhance yield without altering basic distiller geometry. The findings are at an applied, pilot-tested stage, having been validated against pilot experimental trials. Further development would be required to verify long-term nanoparticle stability, cost-effectiveness, and maintenance needs before commercial deployment in decentralised water purification units.
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The present work introduces formulating a mathematical modeling to predict the thermal performance of pyramid solar distiller (PSD) using the technique of response surface methodology (RSM) to be applied in solar distillers under different environmental parameters and nanoparticle types and concentrations. The most influential climatic process parameters considered are solar-intensity, ambient temperature, and wind velocity. The regression models for predicting the performance parameter responses were developed using RSM and a four-factor, five-level central composite architecture. The optimum parameters values obtained from RSM were predicted. The impact of various nanomaterials mixed with the water basin on PSD performance was studied. Three different nanomaterials were used (titanium oxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and copper oxide (Cu2O)). The selection of nanomaterials was considered according to their optical, thermophysical, and heat transfer properties. Effects of nanoparticles concentration on daily responses were studied. The ascertained optimal parameters were 19.5% Cu2O concentrations, 720 w/m2 solar-intensity, 38.6 °C ambient temperature, and 0.5 m/s wind speed for achieving the maximum productivity of PSD. Besides, the average daily productivity of Cu2O-PSD, Al2O3-PSD and TiO2-PSD at nano-concentration 0.3% was 6150, 5720 and 5300 mL/m2.day compared to 3900 mL/m2.day for that of conventional PSD. So, the average daily productivity increase of Cu2O-PSD, Al2O3-PSD and TiO2-PSD was 57%, 46% and 36% over PSD, respectively. Moreover, the error existed among the actual experimental and RSM coded values for P, Tw and Tg lies within 5.2%, 4.9%, and 6.5%, respectively. Evidently, this affirms the excellence of reproducibility of the pilot experimental results.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.csite.2022.101984
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