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Solar Still Efficiency Enhancement by Using Graphene Oxide/Paraffin Nano-PCM

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  • Mohammad Reza Safaei

    (Division of Computational Physics, Institute for Computational Science, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 758307, Vietnam
    Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 758307, Vietnam)

  • Hamid Reza Goshayeshi

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad 918714757, Iran)

  • Issa Chaer

    (Centre for Civil and Building Service Engineering, School of the Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, UK)

Abstract

Solar-driven water desalination technologies are rapidly developing with various links to other renewable sources. However, the efficiency of such systems severely depends on the design parameters. The present study focused on using graphene oxide (GO) with the Φ = 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 wt.% dispersed in paraffin, as phase-change materials (PCMs), to improve the productivity of a solar still for desalination applications. The outcomes showed that by adding more graphene oxide to paraffin, the melting temperature got reduced. Solar still with GO/paraffin showed 25% productivity improvement in comparison with the solar still with only PCM. The obtained Nusselt number during the melting time also represented that free convection heat transfer into the melted region of the solar still has been enhanced by adding dispersed GO to the PCM, compared to the base paraffin. Also, increasing the hot wall temperature augments the Nusselt number. Finally, an empirical equation was derived to correlate the average Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number (Ra), the Stefan number (Ste), the subcooling factor (Sb), and the Fourier number (Fo). The obtained correlation depicted that Nusselt number enhancement has a reverse relation with Fourier number.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Reza Safaei & Hamid Reza Goshayeshi & Issa Chaer, 2019. "Solar Still Efficiency Enhancement by Using Graphene Oxide/Paraffin Nano-PCM," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:10:p:2002-:d:234246
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Haitham Alsaif & Shobhit K. Patel & Naim Ben Ali & Ammar Armghan & Khaled Aliqab, 2023. "Numerical Simulation and Structure Optimization of Multilayer Metamaterial Plus-Shaped Solar Absorber Design Based on Graphene and SiO 2 Substrate for Renewable Energy Generation," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Ewelina Radomska & Lukasz Mika & Karol Sztekler & Wojciech Kalawa, 2021. "Experimental Validation of the Thermal Processes Modeling in a Solar Still," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Lioua Kolsi & Fatih Selimefendigil & Mohamed Omri, 2021. "Effects of Surface Rotation on the Phase Change Process in a 3D Complex-Shaped Cylindrical Cavity with Ventilation Ports and Installed PCM Packed Bed System during Hybrid Nanofluid Convection," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(20), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Tomasz Tietze & Piotr Szulc & Daniel Smykowski & Andrzej Sitka & Romuald Redzicki, 2021. "Application of Phase Change Material and Artificial Neural Networks for Smoothing of Heat Flux Fluctuations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-17, June.
    5. Yıldırım, Erdal & Yurddaş, Ali, 2021. "Assessments of thermal performance of hybrid and mono nanofluid U-tube solar collector system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 1079-1096.
    6. Fadl A. Essa & AbdelKader Abdullah & Hasan Sh. Majdi & Ali Basem & Hayder A. Dhahad & Zakaria M. Omara & Suha A. Mohammed & Wissam H. Alawee & Amged Al Ezzi & Talal Yusaf, 2022. "Parameters Affecting the Efficiency of Solar Stills—Recent Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-58, August.
    7. Mahmoud Makkiabadi & Siamak Hoseinzadeh & Meysam Majidi Nezhad & Ali Sohani & Daniele Groppi, 2021. "Techno-Economic Study of a New Hybrid Solar Desalination System for Producing Fresh Water in a Hot–Arid Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-11, November.
    8. Jesus Fernando Hinojosa & Saul Fernando Moreno & Victor Manuel Maytorena, 2023. "Low-Temperature Applications of Phase Change Materials for Energy Storage: A Descriptive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-39, March.
    9. M. M. Sarafraz & Mohammad Reza Safaei & Arturo S. Leon & Iskander Tlili & Tawfeeq Abdullah Alkanhal & Zhe Tian & Marjan Goodarzi & M. Arjomandi, 2019. "Experimental Investigation on Thermal Performance of a PV/T-PCM (Photovoltaic/Thermal) System Cooling with a PCM and Nanofluid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-16, July.
    10. Hossein Yousefi & Mohamad Aramesh & Bahman Shabani, 2021. "Design Parameters of a Double-Slope Solar Still: Modelling, Sensitivity Analysis, and Optimization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-23, January.
    11. V, Krishna Raj & V, Baiju, 2023. "Enhancing thermal performance of latent heat storage unit for solar cooling: A hybrid approach with C-shaped fins and nano-additives," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 351(C).
    12. Zhu, Yanlong & Lu, Jie & Yuan, Yuan & Wang, Fuqiang & Tan, Heping, 2020. "Effect of radiation on the effective thermal conductivity of encapsulated capsules containing high-temperature phase change materials," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 676-685.
    13. Hoseinzadeh, Siamak & Ghasemi, Mohammad Hadi & Heyns, Stephan, 2020. "Application of hybrid systems in solution of low power generation at hot seasons for micro hydro systems," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 323-332.
    14. Milad Shirbani & Majid Siavashi & Mehdi Bidabadi, 2023. "Phase Change Materials Energy Storage Enhancement Schemes and Implementing the Lattice Boltzmann Method for Simulations: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-23, January.

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