Experimental Investigation of Water Purification Using Integrated Solar Energy System

Abstract

The present research work was done to determine the performance and production rate of integrated solar energy use for water purification mechanism. The principal objective of the paper was to design integrated (modern solar energy (or photovoltaic) and solar thermal) water purification devices with low cost and high efficiency for rural remote applications. Heat transfer and efficiency of the conventional solar still and integrated solar still was analyzed based on the energy law of thermodynamics. According to the result obtained, the efficiency of conventional solar still and integrated solar still was 26.65 % and 29.61% respectively. And the efficiency of integrated grid power uses solar still desalination was 50.26%. The average water produced from integrated solar energy use and solar still was 7 liter and 1.8 liters respectively. The measurement of water chemistry was done for feedwater, pretreated, and post-treated; and the result was compared with WHO and other standards. The payback period of the conventional solar still and integrated water purification was 1.274 and 0.61 respectively, and the unit water purification cost was US $ 329.50 and the US $ 674.50 respectively and this economic result shows that the integrated solar still water purification was feasible for remote rural areas.

Keywords: Water Purification, Integrated Solar Energy, Solar still, Experimental investigation

DOI: 10.7176/JETP/13-3-04

Publication date:August 31^st 2023