Effect of the condenser on the solar still performance (a numerical study)

A steady-state CFD model is developed to investigate the productivity of a solar still with the condenser. The system consists of a saline water basin, glass cover, and condenser chamber. Part of the vapor produced by solar radiation condenses on the inner surface of the glass cover and the rest diffuses into the condenser chamber. The condenser maintains the temperature difference between water and glass cover low. The amount of vapor transferred from inside the evaporator chamber to the condenser chamber is one of the most important factors in evaluating the efficiency of this system. The flow was considered to be two-dimensional, and laminar. The productivity can be investigated by assuming the fluid to be a mixture of air and vapor with incompressible ideal gas properties. The governing equations of natural displacement heat transfer consisting of continuity, momentum, energy, and mass are solved using the finite volume method. The pressure and velocity are coupled by performing the SIMPLE algorithm. The boundary conditions of water, glass cover, and condenser surface are assumed to be constant temperature and mass fraction. The results have been validated by previous experimental studies and the maximum error of productivity of conventional solar still and the solar still with a condenser are zero percent and 23% respectively.