Improved performance of vertical solar still by bio-inspired hybrid wettability condenser surface

One of the most pressing challenges facing human society is the lack of freshwater, Traditional desalination is energy-intensive, posing challenges in energy-scarce regions, especially in less developed nations. Solar stills are a promising alternative but face efficiency limits due to design constraints. Previous studies have employed techniques like integrating reflectors and combining them with other solar still to enhance the evaporation section, but these have resulted in bulky and space-consuming vertical solar still (VSS) designs. This research proposes and evaluates a new vertical solar still (VSS) design to boost freshwater production by increasing evaporation rates. The study uses numerical simulations with Fluent 18.2 and indoor experiments to evaluate the new VSS design. The proposed VSS design introduces a wire mesh plate as an expanded surface behind the wick, improving heat and mass transfer processes at three distinct radiation rates (in two designs: fully mesh plate and partially mesh plate). The study shows that the fully mesh VSS design can boost efficiency by 10.72%, producing 1384 of freshwater, while the partially mesh VSS design can increase efficiency by 6.2%, yielding 1328 . Wire mesh technology effectively enhances evaporation rates, addressing desalination energy challenges.