Silicon particles/black paint coating for performance enhancement of solar absorbers
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2021
Abstract
The availability of fresh drinkable water and water security is becoming a global challenge for sustainable development. In this regard, solar stills, due to their ease in operation, installation, and utilization of direct sunlight (as thermal energy), promise a better and sustainable future technology for water security in urban and remote areas. The major issue is its low distillate productivity, which limits its widespread commercialization. In this study, the effect of silicon (Si) particles is examined to improve the absorber surface temperature of the solar still absorber plate, which is the major component for increased distillate yield. Various weight percentages of Si particles were introduced in paint and coated on the aluminum absorber surface. Extensive indoor (using a self-made halogen light-based solar simulator) and outdoor testing were conducted to optimize the concentration. The coatings with 15 wt % Si in the paint exhibited the highest increase in temperature, namely, 98.5 & DEG;C under indoor controlled conditions at 1000 W/m(2) irradiation, which is 65.81% higher than a bare aluminum plate and 37.09% higher compared to a black paint-coated aluminum plate. On the other hand, coatings with 10 wt % Si reached up to 73.2 & DEG;C under uncontrolled outdoor conditions compared to 68.8 & DEG;C for the black paint-coated aluminum plate. A further increase in concentration did not improve the surface temperature, which was due to an excessive increase in thermal conductivity and high convective heat losses.
Keywords
Water, Solar still, Absorber, Silicon, Temperature
Divisions
umpedac
Funders
Japan International Cooperation Agency for AUN/SEED-Net on Collaboration Education Program [Grant No: UMCEP 1901],Japan ASEAN Collaborative Education Program (JACEP),UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre (UMPEDAC),Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE) Program Research Grant,UMPEDAC-2020 (MOHE HICOE-UMPEDAC),Ministry of Education, Malaysia,TOP100 UMPEDAC,Universiti Malaya [Grant No: RU003-2020]
Publication Title
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
21
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND