Reliability Analysis of a 2D Model of a Solar Still Developed Using Comsol<sup>®</sup> Multiphysics

Solar stills represent a promising solution for desalinating saline waters, providing a sustainable alternative in regions with limited access to drinking water. This study evaluates the reliability of a two-dimensional (2D) numerical model of a solar still, developed using COMSOL® Multiphysics software, focusing on a passive cascading device called “Pano Rano.” Two physical prototypes were constructed: one with a standard concrete basin and the other with acrylic plastic. The simulations revealed significant differences in theoretical yield based on the material used. With a radiation of 1200 W/m2, the acrylic prototype displayed an evaporation of 4455.53 mL/m2 and a production of 2925.98 mL/m2 of distilled water, while the concrete model showed an evaporation of 2109.95 mL/m2 and produced 1383.93 mL/m2 of distilled water. The results indicate that evaporation significantly exceeds condensation, highlighting an underutilized evaporation potential. The evaluation of the numerical model’s performance against experimental results was conducted using the mean squared error (MSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2). The best performance was observed in summer (MSE of 16.24; R2 of 0.95), while winter results were less convincing (MSE of 204.77; R2 of −2.78). This variability underscores the model’s limitations and the need for future research. The study also demonstrates that the choice of basin material significantly influences productivity, with acrylic plastic outperforming concrete in terms of thermal efficiency.