Heat Transfer Assessment of Solar Distillation System Coupled with Parabolic Concentrator and Phase Change Material

The current study has evaluated the performance and effectiveness of a solar still with a configuration of single slope in conjunction with a novel parabolic collector for desalination. The primary goal is to enhance solar energy usage by incorporating a copper tube and these tubes are in the shape of helix in concentric tube configuration with the parabolic trough collector. The aim of both (innovative design and application of paraffin wax) is to increase thermal efficiency and prolong the desalination process's operating time. According to the experimental data, the glass temperature peaked at 55.1°C, the ambient temperature peaked at 47.3°C, and the temperature which is contained in basin has peaked at 70°C. Between the covering of basin and water contained in basin, the system's maximum convective heat transfer coefficient was 3.09 W/m².K, while its highest evaporative HT coefficient was 47.94 W/m².K. By using PCMs, yield production increased by 12.42%. These results demonstrate how well the system optimizes solar energy capture, which raises the yield of desalinated water and system efficiency. The study shows that innovative solar desalination technology can be used as a sustainable way to alleviate the world's water shortage.