CFD Analysis of Solar Still with Different Inclination Angle
Keywords:
Solar still, CFD analysis, Single-slope solar still, Inclination angle, Glass thickness, Taguchi optimization, Volume of Fluid (VOF), Desalination, Freshwater productivity, Thermal performance.Abstract
The increasing demand for clean and sustainable freshwater resources has intensified research on solar desalination systems, particularly solar stills. This study presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis and optimization of a single-slope solar still to improve its thermal performance and freshwater productivity. Three-dimensional CAD models of the solar still were developed using ANSYS Design Modular software. The CFD analysis was performed using a Multiphase Volume of Fluid (VOF) model incorporating air, liquid water, and water vapor phases. Evaporation-condensation mechanisms and solar radiation effects were included to simulate realistic operating conditions for the geographical location of Bhopal, India (Longitude 77.40°E, Latitude 23.25990°N). The study investigated the influence of key parameters such as slope angle and glass thickness on mass flow rate, basin temperature, and distillate productivity. Taguchi optimization techniques were employed to determine the optimal operating configuration. The results demonstrated that slope angle significantly affects mass flow rate, while glass thickness has a major impact on productivity enhancement. The optimized configuration, consisting of a 30° slope angle and 0.03 m glass thickness, showed superior thermal performance compared to the conventional design. Under optimized conditions, productivity increased from 221.73 ml/hr to 293.52 ml/hr, indicating a substantial improvement in freshwater yield. The findings confirm that proper optimization of geometrical and operational parameters can considerably enhance solar still efficiency without increasing system complexity.
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