Experimental Investigation of A Solar-Based Water Purification System for Safe Drinking Water
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67440/ahj.vi.2822Keywords:
Solar energy, solar still, water purification, solar distillation, drinking water, TDS, turbidity, renewable energy, water quality, sustainable water treatment.Abstract
The availability of safe drinking water is essential for public health and sustainable development, but reliable water treatment remains difficult in many rural, remote and energy-deficient areas. Conventional treatment systems may require continuous electricity, skilled operation and relatively high infrastructure and maintenance costs. Solar energy provides a renewable alternative that can be directly utilized for thermal water purification or indirectly converted into electricity for filtration and membrane systems. The present study develops an experimental framework for investigating a solar-based water purification system, with particular emphasis on a basin-type solar still. The system uses solar radiation to heat contaminated or saline water, followed by evaporation, condensation and collection of treated water. The experimental investigation is designed to evaluate the influence of solar radiation and temperature on water productivity and to determine changes in selected water-quality parameters including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity, turbidity, total hardness and chloride. Solar radiation, ambient temperature, basin-water temperature, operating time and daily distillate yield are proposed as the principal operating parameters. Removal efficiency is calculated from the measured concentrations before and after treatment, while specific productivity is determined from the volume of distilled water produced per unit basin area. The study also considers energy utilization, environmental benefits, operating limitations and potential economic applicability. Previous research indicates that solar still productivity is strongly affected by solar radiation, ambient conditions, water depth, cover characteristics and thermal losses. The proposed experimental methodology can provide site-specific evidence regarding the suitability of solar water purification for decentralized drinking-water applications.
