Boosting of a conical solar still performance using a rotating table, ultrasonic mist generator, and hang wick

• The CSS performance improved by integrating hang wick, UMG, and rotating table. • The proposed system’s maximum daily yield reaches about 10040 mL/m 2 . • The productivity rate and thermal efficiency are enhanced by 113 and 69%, respectively. • The exergy efficiency was enhanced from 2.41 at T-CSS to 6.31 at M-CSS using UMG. • The cost reduction of freshwater by 18.7%. A persistent global issue is the paucity of freshwater resources. Utilizing solar stills is one of the most promising solutions for regions adjacent to saltwater bodies. This study examines the optimization of conical solar distillers by integrating woolen hanging wicks, ultrasonic mist generators (UMG), and a rotating table. The modifications to the conventional conical solar still have been studied in two cases: a rotating conical solar still (M-CSS) with a UMG and a water sprayer, at rotational speeds of 120 R/hr and 9 R/hr, and compared with the traditional solar still (T-CSS) under the same operating conditions. The results show that during the working period, M-CSS at 120 R/hr achieved the highest daily yield, around 9425-10040 mL/m², under the water sprayer and UMG configurations, respectively. M-CSS at 9 R/hr showed intermediate daily yields (around 8335-9170 mL/m²) under the same configuration. In contrast, T-CSS consistently exhibited the lowest daily output (around 4705-4905 mL/m²). As the results indicate, ultrasonic mist generators markedly enhance thermal efficiency at all working speeds. At a rotation speed of 120 R/hr, the thermal efficiency is approximately 69% with ultrasonic mist generators, compared with roughly 65% with a water sprayer. Also, the exergy efficiency increased from 2.41 at T-CSS to 6.31 at M-CSS with UMG, resulting in an 18.7% reduction in freshwater cost.