Dimensionless parameter for assessing a solar stillʹs production Original Research Article

Dimensionless analysis is employed in order to group together those variables involved in solar water distillation, based on evapotranspiration. These include the evaporation surface area and the concentration of water in the solution. A dimensionless parameter is devised to correlate their functional relationship. An experimental model has been operated and results are consistent with the model developed. A dimensionless parameter NVS (the Vega-Silva number) will find numerous applications in the handling of brine in evaporative ponds and facilitates the separation of the two main participating areas: land surface and evaporation surface. The experimental model was tested to identify an extended evaporative surface employing several porous media with a constant land surface, which allowed distillate production to increase by a factor of 2.5 when compared with the standard evaporative surface, by making the evaporative surface 4 times as large as the land surface. This is made possible with industrial fabrics as well as with plants and trees.