Experimental Investigation of a solar system to produce fresh water from waste heat of photovoltaic module using Heat pipes

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of mechanical engineering, Sharif university of technology

2 Department of mechanical engineering, sharif university of technology

3 Department of energy engineering, sharif university of technology

Abstract

Among the aims of this study was the fabrication of a desalination system with the help of both photovoltaic module and thermosyphon heat pipe technologies. After the fabrication of the desalination system, various parameters such as the amount of produced freshwater by distilled vapor on the glass covering and basin side walls and the surface temperature of the photovoltaic, heat pipe and glass cover were studied. Analysis of the effect of water depth in the basin and also the effect of the presence of a mirror inside the reservoir were also performed and finally the amount of freshwater production was studied in passive state (scenario 2), active state (scenario 1) and active state with mirror (scenario 3). The results indicated that the optimum water depth was 5 cm and the maximum amount of product water was measured to be 0.292 kg⁄(m^2 h) at 2 p.m. The daily efficiency of the passive, active solar still and active solar still with mirror (scenarios 1, 2 and 3) were calculated. Furthermore, results showed that the installation of the mirror led to an average 10.0% and 12% increase in freshwater production and electric power, respectively. Finally, Economical analysis was performed on the proposed system.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1] Bazargan, M., Ahmadi, M., “Freshwater production using wet air underground cooling and solar energy” Journal of Renewable Energy, 1 (2014) 4-15. (In Persian)
[2] Lui, J., Dorjderem, A., Fu, J., Lei, X., Lui, H., Macer, D., Qiao, Q., Sun, A., Tachiyama, K., Yu, L., Zheng, Y., “Water ethics and water resource management, Ethics and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific (ECCAP) Project” UNESCO Bangkok, (2011).
[3] “Water and Jobs” the United Nations World Water Development Report, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (2016).
[4] “Renewable energy desalination: an emerging solution to close the Middle East and North Africa’s water gap” MENA Development Report, (2012).
[5] Manokar, A.M., Murugavel, K.K., Esakkimuthu, G., “Different parameters affecting the rate of evaporation and condensation on passive solar still-a review” Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 38 (2014) 309–322.
[6] Jones, J.A., Lackey, L.W., Lindsay, K.E., “Effects of wind and choice of cover material on the yield of a passive solar still” Desalin. Water Treat, 52 (2014) 48–56.
[7] Nafey, A.S., Abdelkader, M., Abdelmotalip, A., Mabrouk, A., “Parameters affecting solar still productivity” Energy Convers. Manag. 41 (2000) 1797–1809.
[8] Taghvaei, H., Taghvaei, H., Jafarpur, K., Estahbanati, M.R.K., Feilizadeh, M., Feilizadeh, M., Ardekani, A.S., “A thorough investigation of the effects of water depth on the performance of active solar stills” Desalination, 347 (2014) 77–85.
[9] Sanjeev, K., Tiwari, G.N., Singh, H.N., “Annual performance of an active solar distillation system” Desalination, 127 (2000) 79–88.
[10] Sanjeev, K., Tiwari, G.N., “Optimization of daily yield for an active double effect distillation with water flow” Energy Convers. Manag. 40 (1999) 703–715.
[11] El-Sebaii, A.A., “Effect of wind speed on active and passive solar stills” Energy Convers. Manag. 45 (2004) 1187–1204.
[12] Tiwari, G., Shukla, S., Singh, I., “Computer modeling of passive/active solar stills by using inner glass temperature” Desalination, 154 (2003) 171-185.
[13] Kumar, S., Tiwari, A., “Design, fabrication and performance of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) active solar still” Energy Convers. Manag. 51 (2010) 1219–1229.
[14] Shitzer, A., Kalmanoviz, D., Zvirin, Y., Grossman, G., “Experiments with a flat plate solar water heating system in thermosyphonic flow”  Sol. Energy, 22 (1979) 27-35.
[15] Chun, W., Kang, Y.H., Kwak, H.Y., Lee, Y.S., “An experimental study of the utilization of heat pipes for solar water heaters” Appl. Therm. Eng. 19 (1999) 807-817.
[16] Yu, Z., Hu, Y., Hong, R., Cen, K., “Investigation and analysis on a cellular heat pipe flat solar heater” Heat Mass Transf. 42 (2005) 122-128.
[17] Rittidech, S., Wannapakne, S., “Experimental study of the performance of a solar collector by closed-end oscillating heat pipe (CEOHP)” Appl. Therm. Eng. 27 (2007) 1978-1985.
[18] Hussein, H., “Theoretical and experimental investigation of wickless heat pipes flat plate solar collector with cross flow heat exchanger” Energy Convers. Manag. 48 (2007) 1266-1272.
[19] Azad, E., “Theoretical and experimental investigation of heat pipe solar collector” Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 32 (2008) 1666-1672.
[20] Jahangiri Mamouri, S., Gholami Derami, H., Ghiasi, M., Shafii, M.B., Shiee, Z., “Experimental investigation of the effect of using thermosyphon heat pipes and vacuum glass on the performance of solar still” Energy, 75 (2014) 501-507.
[21] Kargar Sharif Abad, H., Ghiasi, M., Jahangiri Mamouri, S., Shafii, M.B., “A novel integrated solar desalination system with a pulsating heat pipe” Desalination, 311 (2013) 206-210.
[22] Giwa, A., Fath, H., Hasan, S., “Humidification–dehumidification desalination process driven by photovoltaic thermal energy recovery (PV-HDH) for small-scale sustainable water and power production” Desalination, 377 (2016) 163–171.
[23] Omara, Z.M., Abdullah, A.S., Dakrory, T., “Improving the productivity of solar still by using water fan and wind Turbine” Sol. Energy, 147 (2017) 181–188.
[24] Al-Karaghouli, A.A., Alnaser, W.E., “Experimental comparative study of the performances of single and double basin solar-stills” Appl. Energy, 77 (2004) 317–325.
[25] Tiwari, G.N., Singh, S.K., Bhatnagra, V.P., “Analytical thermal modeling of multi-basin solar still” Energy Convers. Manag. 34(12) (1993) 1261–1266.
[26] El-Sebaii, A.A., “Thermal performance of a triple -basin solar still” Desalination, 174 (2005) 23–37.
[27] Badran, A.A., “Inverted trickle solar still: effect of heat recovery” Desalination, 133 (2001) 167–173.
[28] Tiwari, G.N., Singh, H.N., Tripathi, R., “Present status of solar distillation” Sol. Energy, 75 (2003) 367–373. 
[29] Yuichi, Y., Haruki, S., “Development of small-scale multi effect solar still” Int. Sol. Energy Conf. (2003) 167–173.
[30] Tanaka, H., Nakatake, Y., “Increase in distillate productivity by inclining the flat plate external reflector of a tilted-wick solar still in winter” Sol. Energy, 83 (2009) 785–789.
[31] Dhiman, N.K., “Transient analysis of a spherical solar still” Desalination, 69 (1988) 47–55.
[32] Ismail, B.I., “Design and performance of a transportable hemispherical solar still” Renew. Energy, 34 (2009)145–150.
[33] Rubio-Cerda, E., Porta-Gandara, M.A., Fernandez Zayas, J.L., “Thermal performance of the condensing covers in a triangular solar still” Renew. Energy, 27 (2002) 301–308.
[34] Huang, B., Lin, T., Hung, W., Sun, F., “Performance evaluation of solar photovoltaic/thermal systems” Sol. Energy, 70 (2001) 443–448.
[35] Koech, S.K.R.R.K., Ondieki, H.O., Tonui, J.K., “Performance analysis of a PV/T air system based on heat transfer perspective” Int. J. Sci. Eng. Res. 3 (2012) 1–7.
[36] Teo, H.G., Lee, P.S., Hawlader, M.N.A., “An active cooling system for photovoltaic modules” Appl. Energy, 90 (2012) 309–315.
[37] Narayan, G.P., Sharqawy, M.H., Lienhard, J.H., Zubair, S.M., “Thermodynamic analysis of humidification dehumidification desalination cycles” Desalin. Water Treat. 16 (2010) 339–353.
[38] Cuce, E., Cuce, P.M., “Improving thermodynamic performance parameters of silicon photovoltaic cells via air cooling” Int. J. Ambient Energy, 35 (2013) 193–199.
[39] Singh, A., Tiwari, G., Sharma, P., Khan, E., “Optimization of orientation for higher yield of solar still for a given location” Energy Convers. Manag. 36 (1995) 175-181.
[40] Ji, J., Lu, J.P., Chow, T.T., He, W., Pei, G., “A sensitivity study of a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal water heating system with natural circulation” Appl. Energy, 84 (2007) 222-237.
[41] Saeedi, F., Sarhaddi, F., Behzadmehr, A., “Optimization of a PV/T (photovoltaic/thermal) active solar still” Energy, 87 (2015) 142-152.
[42] Dwivedi, V.K., Tiwari, G.N., “Comparison of internal heat transfer coefficients in passive solar stills by different thermal models: an experimental validation” Desalination, 246 (2009) 304–318.
[43] Bicer, Y., Sprotte, A.F.V., Dincer, I., “Concentrated solar light splitting using cold mirrors for photovoltaics and photonic hydrogen production applications” Appl. Energy, 197 (2017) 169–182.
[44] Namjoo, A., Sarhaddi, F., Sobhnamayan, F., Alavi, M.A., Mahdavi Adeli, M., Farahat, S., “Exergy performance analysis of solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air collectors in terms of exergy losses” Journal of the Energy Institute, 84 (2011) 132-145.
[45] Eltawil, M.A., Omara, Z.M., “Enhancing the solar still performance using solar photovoltaic, flat plate collector and hot air” Desalination, 349 (2014) 1–9.
[46] Omara, Z.M., Kabeel, A.E., Abdullah, A.S., Essa, F.A., “Experimental investigation of corrugated absorber solar still with wick and reflectors” Desalination, 381 (2016) 111–116.
[47] El-Sebaii, A.A., Yaghmour, S.J., Al-Hazmi, F.S., Faidah, A.S., Al-Marzouki, F.M., Al- Ghamdi, A.A., “Active single basin solar still with a sensible storage medium” Desalination, 249 (2009) 699–706.
[48] Tiwari, G.N., Vimal Dimri, Y., Singh, U., Chel, A., Sarkar, B., “Comparative thermal performance evaluation of an active solar distillation system” Int. J. Energy Res, 31 (2007) 1465–1482.
[49] Fath, H.E.S., El-Samanoudy, M., Fahmy, K., Hassabou, A., “Thermal-economic analysis and comparison between pyramid-shaped and single-slope solar still configurations” Desalination, 159 (2003) 69-79.
[50] Dev, R., Abdul-Wahab, S.A., Tiwari, G., “Performance study of the inverted absorber solar still with water depth and total dissolved solid” Appl. Energy, 88 (2011) 252-264.
[51] Faegh, M., Shafii, M.B., “Experimental investigation of a solar still equipped with an external heat storage system using phase change materials and heat pipes” Desalination, 409 (2017) 128–135.
[52] Jafari Mosleh, H., Jahangiri Mamouri, S., Shafii, M.B., Hakim Sima, A., “A new desalination system using a combination of heat pipe, evacuated tube and parabolic through collector” Energy Convers. Manag. 99 (2015) 141–150.