Toward Eco-Friendly Solar Still: Enhancement of Solar Still Productivity Using Ground Tire Rubber

In the present study, the experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding recycled ground tire rubber in the basin of a single-slope solar still unit with a paddle wheel device to improve its performance. A single-slope solar still unit was used and investigated under the extreme climate of Basra in southern Iraq. Compared to the conventional type, the results of the developed solar still indicated that using recycled tire rubber granules increased the still's water productivity by approximately 95%. Using the paddle wheel device in the presence of recycled tire rubber granules increased water productivity to about 172%. The results also indicated that increasing the proportion of recycled granules of tire rubber impacts the unit's energy efficiency and water productivity. The energy efficiency achieved a maximum value of 38% for the improved solar still with 100% filling of recycled granules tire rubber and a paddle wheel device at a rotational speed of 30 rpm, while its value was reported to be about 46% at a rotational speed of 90 rpm. According to the energy and productivity analysis, these units can be reliable in remote areas and have good productivity compared to conventional solar stills.