Two phase simulation of solar still in the presence of phase change materials in its bottom and aluminum nanoparticles in the water
Jawed Mustafa, Saeed Alqaed, Mohsen Sharifpur
Abstract
This article performs a numerical study on a transient solar still (SOST) by utilizing a variable heat flux using COMSOL software. A phase change material (PCM) layer with a thickness of 10–50 mm is placed at the bottom of the desalination. Some aluminum nanoparticles are added to the water in the water desalination, and the two-phase method is used to simulate this part of the desalination water. Other variables include the angle of the glass that changes from 10 to 45⁰ and the heat transfer coefficient (HTFC) on the glass that varies from 5 to 300 W/m2. The effect of these variables on the average PCM temperature (T-PCM), PCM volume fraction (VOF-PCM), average moisture (AV-MO) temperature, and AV-MO concentration is examined in 12 h. The simulations are done using the finite element method (FEM). The results demonstrate that the average temperature and VOF-PCM, AV-MO concentration, and AV-MO temperature are enhanced from morning to noon and decreased from noon to evening. An increment in the thickness of PCM causes the VOF-PCM in desalination water to reduce by 35%. An enhancement in the glass angle reduces the average temperature of PCM, especially in the morning and afternoon. The change in PCM thickness, especially in the evening, significantly enhances the AV-MO temperature.