Performance improvement of solar still by water mass splitting arrangement

The study explored the use of a black rubber mat as a cost-effective material for energy storage and water splitting, and its potential for enhancing potable water production. In this research, a solar still (SS) and a modified version incorporating a rubber mat were designed and tested. The rubber mat was placed at the bottom of the conventional tubular SS, and the performance of the experimental work was evaluated on 09-10-2019, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The yield of the standard solar still was 1.99 kg, while the modified version with the rubber mat attained a highest water generation of 0.60 kg, with a total output of 2.82 kg. The thermal efficacy was calculated for a modified model, which used a rubber mat, and was 54.80%, significantly higher than the 34.90% of the unmodified version, an improvement of 19.9%. Furthermore, with the addition of a black rubber mat, the upgraded solar's second law (Exergy) efficiency still reached 2.94%, compared to 1.78% for the standard version, representing a 1.16% increase.