AU2021107372A4

AU2021107372A4 - Design and Optimization of Solar Water distillation by Using Thermal Method

Info

Publication number: AU2021107372A4
Application number: AU2021107372A
Authority: AU
Inventors: P. Mohamed Ali; Thamotharan C.; Raguraman D.; Raja E.; Balachandar K.; Muthukumaran K.; Sathya prakash M.; Ramasamy N.; Gopinath Narayanan; Balu P.; Raja P.; Anbazhagan R.
Original assignee: Ali P Mohamed Dr; C Thamotharan Mr; D Raguraman Dr; E Raja Mr; K Balachandar Mr; K Muthukumaran Mr; M Sathya Prakash Mr; N Ramasamy Mr; Narayanan Gopinath Mr; P Balu Dr; P Raja Dr; R Anbazhagan Mr
Current assignee: Ali P Mohamed Dr; D Raguraman Dr; M Sathya Prakash Mr; P Balu Dr; P Raja Dr
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2021-08-25
Publication date: 2021-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-25

Abstract

Solar thermal heating systems operate on the thermal approach of solar water distillation. Solar thermal systems generate heat through the use of sunlight. Solar thermal collectors with flat plates create heat at low temperatures (80 to 140°F) and are commonly used to heat air or a liquid for space and water heating, as well as drying agricultural products. Concentrated solar collectors generate higher temperatures. Because they produce more energy per unit of collector surface area, they are most frequently used in applications where higher temperature heat is sought, significant thermal demands exist, and/or space for solar collectors is limited. Additionally, they can be used to manufacture or refine chemicals and fuels, as well as to generate mechanical or electrical energy. The following section discusses concentrating systems used for space or water heating. Additionally, these collectors are capable of generating heat for absorption cooling. 1 6 1 2 3 5 Figure: 1 Layout of solar water distillation (1.Reservoir, 2. Heating coil, 3. Heating Tank, 4. AC Supply, 5. Water Filter, 6. Pipe line, 7. Copper Tubes, 8. Flat plate collector)

Description

6 1 2

3 5

Figure: 1 Layout of solar water distillation (1.Reservoir, 2. Heating coil, 3. Heating Tank, 4. AC Supply, 5. Water Filter, 6. Pipe line, 7. Copper Tubes, 8. Flat plate collector)

Title of Invention Design and Optimization of Solar Water distillation by Using Thermal Method

Field and background of the invention Parabolic trough technology is the most established solar thermal electric technology. This is

mostly due to the operation of nine large-scale commercial solar energy facilities, the first of

which commenced operations in 1984 in the California Mojave Desert. Large fields of parabolic

trough collectors provide the thermal energy required to generate steam for a Rankine steam

turbine/generator cycle. There are two types of commercially accessible parabolic trough solar

heating collectors: cylindrical parabolic troughs and compound water heaters. A stationary

receiver/ absorber is positioned in the centre of a cylindrical parabolic trough at or slightly

beyond the radius of the reflector's edges. The focus point, and thus the receiver's position, is

governed by the shape of the trough (rim angle). A reflector's surface is frequently made of

polished aluminium, aluminum-coated plastic, silvered glass, or stainless steel.

In most receivers, an absorber tube coated with a selective material that has a high absorption

coefficient for visible light and a low emittance coefficient for infrared light is utilised. To limit

heat loss due to convection and radiation, the absorber tube can be sealed in glass with a vacuum.

Temperatures in the receiver can exceed 750°F (400°C). For the most part, man's energy

demands were met by the sun. With the world's and our country's populations expanding, as well as the demand for a higher standard of living and a higher quality of life, it is vital to meet basic energy needs.

The steam engine's creation, as well as the increasing use of fossil fuels for electricity generation

and industrial applications. Because of the recent rapid increase in the cost of fossil fuels,

increased awareness of environmental pollution issues, the finite size of fossil resources, and the

ever-increasing demand for a higher standard of living, alternate energy sources have been

harnessed to supplement and eventually replace fossil fuels. The multitude of possible techniques

to gather, store, transform, and distribute energy was investigated, and the utilisation of solar

energy became enormous.

Water distillation is the process of eliminating undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants,

suspended particles, and gases from contaminated water. The idea is to create water that is

suitable for a certain use. The majority of water distillation is done for human consumption

(drinking water), but it can also be done for a variety of other reasons, such as addressing the

needs of medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, and industrial uses. In general, physical processes

such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation are used, as well as biological processes such as

slow sand filters or biologically active carbon, chemical processes such as flocculation and

chlorination, and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light. Distillation of

water can significantly lower the concentration of suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae,

viruses, and fungi, as well as a range of dissolved and particulate matter derived from the

surfaces with which water may come into contact after falling as rain. Governments or

international standards are usually used to set drinking water quality requirements. These

guidelines will normally establish minimum and maximum pollutants concentrations for the

water's intended use. It is impossible to know whether water is of acceptable quality simply by looking at it. Simple processes like boiling or using a household activated charcoal filter aren't enough to remove all of the pollutants that could be present in water from an unknown source.

Current issues and solutions, despite the fact that there are numerous technologies for water

distillation, the real issue is where the problem arises. Solar distillation of tap water or brackish

groundwater can be a pleasant, energy-efficient choice for persons concerned about the quality of

their municipally supplied drinking water and unsatisfied with other techniques of extra

distillation accessible to them.

needs of medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, and industrial uses. Physical procedures like

filtration, sedimentation, and distillation are utilised in general, as are biological processes like

slow sand filters or biologically active carbon, chemical processes like flocculation and

chlorination, and the utilisation of electromagnetic radiation like ultraviolet light. Water

distillation can reduce the concentration of suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses,

and fungi, as well as a variety of dissolved and particulate material obtained from the surfaces

that water may have come into touch with after falling as rain. Governments or international

standards are usually used to set drinking water quality requirements. These guidelines will

normally establish minimum and maximum pollutants concentrations for the water's intended

use. It is impossible to know whether water is of acceptable quality simply by looking at it.

Simple processes like boiling or using a household activated charcoal filter aren't enough to

remove all of the pollutants that could be present in water from an unknown source. Current problems and their resolutions Despite the fact that there are several water purifying technologies available, the main issue is where the problem originates. Solar distillation of municipally supplied drinking water or brackish groundwater can be a pleasant, energy-efficient option for individuals worried about the quality of their municipally supplied drinking water and dissatisfied with other available methods of additional distillation.

Objective of Invention 1. The goal of the idea is to utilise solar thermal energy for the pasteurisation and filtration

of water. As a result, water can be filtered without the use of any non-renewable resource.

2. Killing pathogens, viruses, and other disease-causing substances in water, thereby

purifying it.

3. Sediment and particle matter removal from water

Brief Description of the System Solar kettle

The most common type of concentrated solar thermal heating collector is the parabolic trough.

Parabolic troughs, also known as U-shaped concentrators, direct sunlight onto a linear receiver

tube located at the trough's focal line. The receiver could be housed in a transparent glass tube

to prevent heat loss from the absorber and to maximise solar energy absorption. They typically

track only one axis, as seen in thefigure. The parabolic dish is a type of concentrating device

that can be employed in our project's heating application. This one features a bowl-shaped

reflector that focuses sunlight toward a small receiver. For best performance, they require dual

axis tracking, and the receiver travels with the reflector. This complicates their usage for water

and space heating. The majority of parabolic dish systems are either extremely sophisticated systems used to generate electricity or extremely simple systems used to prepare food on a small scale.

Reflector

One side of a coated glass mirror is used as a reflector. The reflector seen in Figure 1 is used to

direct the sun's rays into the collecting chamber. The glass is 2.4 mm thick. On one side, the

glass is coated with mercury.

Tilting mechanism

For solar thermal heating systems, there are two types of tilting mechanisms. . They are,

• Single axis Tracking (From east to west)

• Double Axis tracking (East to west or north to south)

A central pipe, guiding bush, and nut make up the tilting mechanism. As seen in figure 1, the

parabolic disc is inclined in one direction from east to west.

Cooker

The cooker is attached to the collector's parabolic dish in the centre. Aluminum is used to

construct this. The reflected sun rays are concentrated in the centre of the cooker, efficiently

heating the item.

Filter

Using a fine physical barrier, a chemical process, or a biological mechanism, a water filter

removes pollutants from water. Filters cleanse water to varied degrees, making it suitable for

irrigation, drinking water, aquariums, and swimming pools.

Thermal Performance of Receiver/Cover System

The temperature gradients formed by the receiver pipe will induce radioactive heat loss to the

atmosphere and sky due to the nature of thermal processes. Furthermore, heat is lost through

conduction through the support structure. There are also convective losses to the environment

from wind, as well as convective losses between the cover and receiver pipes. This analysis is

performed using the general rule of thumb that as the temperature of the receiver rises, so will

the amount of heat lost.

Qin=Qsolar,1+Qsolar,2

Where Qsolar,1 represents the incoming solar insulation and Qsolar,2 represents the solar

radiation transmitted through the Pyrex cover, which absorbs some of the incoming radiation.

Qloss, total=Qrad+Qconv+Qrad,sky+Qconv,wind+Qcond,sup

The heat lost to the supports via conduction is considered to be in the overall system analysis.

Furthermore, because the space between the receiver and the cover was believed to be

evacuated, convective heat losses from the receiver to the cover were also ignored. In addition,

all surfaces are expected to be smooth.

Description of the System The parabolic dish is a form of focusing device that can be used in a heating application,

according to our research. A bowl-shaped reflector sends sunlight to a small receiver. The

glazing is selected to allow maximum sunlight to reach the absorber. The receiver travels with

the reflector and requires dual axis tracking. This limits their use for water and space heating.

Most parabolic dish systems are either complex power generation systems or basic food

preparation devices. Another method concentrates sunlight into a central receiver atop a tower using a series of reflectors. The focus of these systems' development has been on electric power generation.

The fundamental issue comes despite the different water distillation technology. A pleasant,

energy-efficient alternative for those concerned about the quality of their municipally supplied

drinking water and dissatisfied with other available methods of further filtration is solar

distillation. In Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), huge mirror fields monitor the incoming

radiation, concentrating it towards absorbers. They receive the concentrated radiation and

thermally transfer it to the working material. A solar thermal heating system works by purifying

water using CSP technology. Solar thermal systems turn sunlight into heat. For space and water

heating, solar thermal collectors with "flat plates" produce heat at low temperatures (27 to 65°C).

Solar collectors that focus the sun's energy yield hotter temperatures. Because they provide more

energy per unit of collector surface area, they are typically used in applications where higher

temperatures are required, or when mounting space is limited.

Claims

We Claim: • This gadget concentrates solar energy on a copper pipe using a parabolic trough. The

copper pipe employs a heat exchange technique similar to ours, with the exception that

our heat exchanger is linked to the distiller. Untreated water is then pushed into the outer

channel, where it is directly heated by concentrated sun energy. When the water reaches

the pipe's terminus, it returns via the middle channel, preheating the untreated water.

• The Florida Solar Energy project does not require preheating, however the conditions for

our parabolic solar distillation do. Photovoltaic panels, on the other hand, provide

electricity for the pump in both our and their applications. Experiments at the Florida

Solar Energy Center revealed that a 92-square-foot concentrator could produce up to 660

gallons of drinking water each day.

• The materials cost for this device is anticipated to be around $1,680, according to the

creators. When the pump and reservoirs are included in, this becomes one of the more

costly devices. Because our parabolic solar water distillation project would generate less

litres of drinking water per day, the materials will be significantly less expensive.

• Our planet has traditionally overextended its resources, but with solar energy, we may be

able to repay it by increasing our energy efficiency. The parabolic solar water distillation

system will increase solar energy efficiency while also providing a reliable water source

for the customer.

• The highest temperature reached on the absorber plate was at 55°C. The low value of the

figure showed higher convection and radiation losses due to the cardboard side walls and

poor insulation quality of the 3 mm thermion sheet. The sensible water heating test of the solar cooker was carried out by filling the cooking pots with a known amount of water and positioning the solar cooker in an open place facing due south.

Figure: 1 Layout of solar water distillation ( 1.Reservoir, 2. Heating coil, 3. Heating Tank, 4. AC Supply, 5. Water Filter, 6. Pipe line, 7. Copper Tubes, 8. Flat plate collector)