Performance Enhancement of a Solar Water Distillation System Using External Reflector and Auxiliary Heating

Abstract

Solar water distillation is a simple, cheap, and sustainable technique for freshwater production; however, its low productivity and limited operation during nighttime remain major challenges. This research investigated experimentally the performance enhancement of a solar water distillation system through the use of an external reflector and auxiliary heating elements. Initially, daytime experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of an external reflector on volume of freshwater collection. The results show that the use of the external reflector with the solar still produced 110 ml more distilled water collected in 11 hours of observation compared to not using it. To further enhance evaporation during nighttime and enable continuous operation, external heating elements were integrated at the bottom of the solar basin, therefore a 24-hour observation was carried out. The total collected volume of distilled water increased significantly to 2504 ml with the help of the heating elements which is powered by 32 Ah battery through solar PV. This result demonstrates that the combined use of an external reflector and heating elements effectively enhances freshwater productivity and enables continuous day–night water distillation, making the system more viable for practical and remote applications.