The application and experimental validation of a heat and mass transfer analogy model for the prediction of mass transfer in solar distillation systems

In the present investigation efforts have been made for the validation of a new theoretical model, allowing the prediction of mass transport in the barometric enclosure of solar distillation systems. It appears that this model which is based on the Chilton–Colburn analogy being applicable for a broad range of Prandtl and Schmidt dimensionless numbers, can potentially be employed at a wide range of operating conditions and may turn out to become an accurate, more universal alternative to the widely known Dunkleʹs theoretical model. The comparative validation is carried out employing a set of field experimental measurements which were derived in a passive solar still under favorable climatic conditions during mid summer, aiming validation at higher operating temperature conditions. It is derived that the model is impressively accurate for predictions of the derived measurements in a wide range of average operating temperatures higher than about 70 °C and up to about 0.2 gr/m2 s yields.