SIMULATION MODELLING OF STAND-ALONE TRIPLE BASIN SOLAR DESALINATION SYSTEM

Abstract

This project titled as ―Simulation Modelling of Stand-alone Triple Basin Solar Desalination System‖ aims to design and analyze a water distillation system that can produce clean water from a contaminated source, and the system should be relatively portable, inexpensive, and relies solely on renewable source solar energy. Inspiration for this project comes from my native place Danalpur at Karauli district of Rajasthan, which is situated at the bank of the river Gambhir. There is a shortage of pure drinking water. Water in the river is contaminated by dissolved salts and concentration of Fluoride above safe permissible limits. Hence, I decided to design a energy efficient potable Desalination System that can treat the saline/contaminated water at minimum cost, efficient and at the same time run from a clean source of energy. From the literature, it has come to notice that the triple basin solar desalination system with cover cooling is designed by Srithar [30]. Some improvements were suggested depending on multiple other resources from the literature. Geometry for the triple basin solar desalination system equipped with parabolic concentrator is modelled on COMSOL and ANSYS. Simulation analysis is carried out on ANSYS FLUENT v19.2 at the atmospheric conditions of the Delhi region at 28.7041° N, 77.1025° E coordinates. All the modes of heat transfer and evaporation & condensation phenomena are examined above climatic conditions. Therefore, the dimensions and 5 geometry of the fins are varied as cylindrical and triangular. The heat-absorbing material in the fins is tested by varying it with charcoal and river sand. Within th is analysis domain, simulation results of the designated systems were calculated and comparison is carried out. The simulation results found that peak temperature is higher at the edge of fin in triangular geometry (73.112oC) compared to cylindrical fins (66.09oC). The maximum temperature of air and water-vapour mixture inside the system is 351.5 K, and the minimum temperature is 304.25 K. Parabolic concentrator causes the maximum sunlight to concentrate on the surface of the glass casing and that trapped radiation increases the temperature of the system. Peak temperature of the system raises to 78.35 oC for the current system. The maximum water production rate in a TBSS is 16.78 kg m-2 day-1 when the system is equipped with heat storage material, concentrator, cooling water arrangement, and proper insulation.