Enhancing Solar Still Productivity through Fin, Solar Collector and Wick Modifications: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Solar distillation has emerged as a vital technique for providing fresh water to communities at an economic level. Among various systems, the solar still has been recognised as a promising technology due to its simple design, low maintenance requirements and environmental benefits, particularly in reducing carbon footprint and supporting sustainable development goals. However, the yield of a solar still is highly dependent on solar intensity, which drops significantly at night, thereby limiting its overall efficiency. So, this review article explores a wide range of low-cost modifications for improving the evaporation rate and freshwater yield. The article covers the fabrication process of the solar still and discusses various design modifications. These modifications include the effects of fin geometry and placement. Furthermore, the article examines the integration of external attachments such as flat plate collectors (FPC) and evacuated tube collectors (ETC) to enhance heat transfer. The influence of wick materials, their types and placement within the solar still are also analysed. Lastly, the article provides a key recommendation highlighting the potential future research for the development of high-performance solar stills.