Enhancing Solar Desalination: A Water-Channel-Integrated Modified Double-Slope Solar Still for Diverse Water Treatment Applications

This experimental study investigates the performance and sustainability of a modified double-slope solar still (MDSSS) integrated with a combined water channel to enhance evaporation rates. The integration of the water channel ensures uniform water flow and enhanced heat distribution across the basin surface, thereby improving thermal performance. Experiments were conducted using three types of feed water, groundwater, saline water, and domestic wastewater, to assess the system’s versatility and effectiveness in various water desalination applications. Under identical meteorological conditions, thermal parameters, distillate yield, energy efficiency, and sustainability were analyzed. The results revealed that incorporating the water channel significantly increased evaporation and condensation rates compared to the conventional double-slope solar still (DSSS) configuration. Also, the performance of an MDSSS was evaluated under various water qualities, including physical, chemical, and biological parameters. The experiment begins at half the optimal water depth for water quality, with the remaining half passing through an open-channel attachment into the solar still basin. The modified system effectively reduced pollutants, achieving a 98.18% reduction in chemical oxygen demand in groundwater, complete salt removal from saline water, and a 96.67% reduction in sewage water.