Condensate loss estimation and transient solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency for effective performance evaluation of the inclined solar still

Previously, freshwater yields of the solar still were quantified only based on the actual distillate recovery, not considering condensate losses by any means. Likewise, solar-to-vapor conversion efficiencies of the solar still were conventionally considered and evaluated as one-off -rigid values- based on the latent heat of the average water temperature. In most cases, these approaches do not give a comprehensive performance details of the solar still. Thus, we suggest two considerations for effective performance evaluation of the inclined solar still. The first consideration is theoretical estimation of the condensate loss due to the condensate collection channel slope, while the other is the use of a transient method to evaluate the solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency. We demonstrated, geometrically, that the condensate loss on the inclined solar still can be significant-hence the need to consider it alongside the overall yield. We formulated a model to estimate the condensate loss and validated the model by comparing an estimated condensate loss with experimental loss. Similarly, we demonstrated a transient approach to evaluate the solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency by using the latent heat of the hourly water temperature. Accordingly, the optimum hourly efficiency of the investigated solar still prototype was 161.4%, with a daily average of 113.4% versus 108.4% from the conventional method. Overall, no study on the solar still had previously accounted for condensate losses by any means whatsoever, making our current study a reference and a pioneer in this concept and suggesting an advancement in the approach to report the performance productivity of the solar still.•Condensate loss on the inclined solar still due condensate collection channel slope was estimated geometrically and demonstrated to be significant.•Solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency was evaluated using an hourly transient approach.