Performance Evaluation and Model Validation of Conventional Solar Still in Harsh Summer Climate: Case Study of Basrah, Iraq

Freshwater scarcity is a critical global challenge, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions like southern Iraq. This study evaluates the thermal and distillate performance of a conventional single-slope solar still under extreme summer conditions in Basrah, Iraq. The objective is to analyze and validate a coupled theoretical–experimental model for predicting temperature fields and freshwater productivity. The model incorporates transient energy and mass balance equations with temperature- and salinity-dependent thermophysical properties. Experiments were conducted using brackish water from the Shatt al-Arab River (salinity: 5.2 g/kg), and measured temperatures and productivity were compared against simulations over a 24-h period. Strong agreement was achieved between experimental and theoretical results, with R2>0.90 for temperature predictions and R2=0.985 for hourly productivity. Maximum hourly yield reached 0.46L/m2, with a total daily productivity of 3.5L/m2, The daily thermal efficiency was found to be 26.90% experimentally and 28.20% theoretically. A positive linear relation between the thermal gradient (Tw−Tg) and hourly productivity was also established. The findings confirm the reliability of the developed model and highlight the potential of solar distillation as a sustainable freshwater source for high-temperature regions.