Experimental investigation on the effect of nano-enhanced phase change materials on the thermal performance of single slope solar still
Kumaravel Subramanian, Nagaraj Meenakshisundaram, Praveen Barmavatu, Bharathiraja Govindarajan
Abstract
Solar desalination is employed to create drinkable water from salt water. Using solar energy saves money and supplies clean, renewable fresh water. Nano-enhanced Phase change materials (NEPCM) and nano-enhanced absorption were utilized in this analysis to increase the capacity of solar desalination. Increased solar energy absorption makes anthracite content in saline water. CuO and AlN nanoparticles at 0.2 wt% and 0.4 wt% were combined in paraffin wax and injected into 12 copper pipes on the anthracite to boost the thermal characteristics of PCM. Copper pipes coated with dark paint containing scattered CuO nanoparticles to improve thermal conductivity. According to the findings, solar still production amplifies by 55.8 % and 49.5 %, respectively. Copper Oxide and Aluminium Nitride nanoparticles, each containing 0.2 wt%, lowered the melting temperature to 2.2ºCand 1.9ºC, respectively. It found that the CPL values of the Single slope solar still were 0.2₹/L and 8.26₹/L with the nano-enhanced PCM at 0.4 wt% CuO and AlN. The nano-coating also achieved a 5.7 % rise in the water production rate of the solar still.