Investigation on the performance of solar still with thermoelectric cooling system for various cover material
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2023
Abstract
In this study, an experimental investigation was performed to determine the effect of varying thermoelectric (TEC) cooling power on the solar still using different cover materials. Three types of cover materials, glass, polycarbonate (PC), and acrylic (PMMA), were studied for the TEC cooled solar still. TEC cooling power was varied from 12 W to 36 W by changing the applied TEC current from 2 A to 4 A. The study was conducted at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia which is located at 3.118 degrees N latitude and 101.656 degrees E longitude. The productivity of the solar still productivity with glass cover was increased by up to 76% when TEC cooling used a current of 4 A. The PMMA and PC covers had lower productivity compared to the reference solar still by up to -48% and -82%, respectively. The highest energy efficiency obtained by a solar still with TEC cooling for glass, PC and PMMA cover was 23.6%, 2.5%, and 7.2%, respectively. The average maximum exergy efficiency of solar still with glass, PC, and PMMA cover calculated to be 7.04%, 0.61%, and 2.13%, respectively. The economic analysis revealed that the lowest cost per litre was achieved by glass cover TEC cooling of $ 0.042.
Keywords
Cooling power, Cover cooling, Cover material, Solar still, Thermoelectric cooling system
Divisions
sch_ecs,mechanical
Funders
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the FRGS research grant (Grant No: FRGS/1/2020/TK0/UM/02/10)
Publication Title
Renewable Energy
Volume
202
Publisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
Publisher Location
THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND