Hybrid PVT Active Two Compartment Solar Still for improving performance of Solar PV and Enhance the productivity of Solar still

ABSTRACT

The current world requirement for electricity and freshwater is increasing daily. Innovative hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar still can yield more distilled water and solar PV power. In this study, a hybrid PV/T solar still method is established through active condensation aimed at improving the efficiency of the solar PV modules with the support of rehashed edible corn oil that acts as a coolant to reduce the temperature. This work has been carried out on a polycrystalline solar panel with a backside cooling storage tank, and the rehashed edible corn oil filled in the backside storage tank acts as a coolant. A two-compartment solar still tank was constructed. The first compartment consists of waste metals, waste copper, nickel–chromium (NiCr heater) lead, and edible oil collected from the backside of the PV storage tank. The second compartment consists of waste metals, copper, NiCr lead, and saline water. Also, each container has one blower that operates at every particular time interval. In this hybrid PV/T method, the efficiency of the solar PV is improved by using rehashed edible oil that acts as a phase change material and the thermal efficiency of the still tank is enhanced by using the two-compartment technique, which is a technique to increase the condensation and evaporation and to correspondingly enhance the production of the distilled water. The modified hybrid PV/T active solar still improves the performance of the solar PV and enhances the productivity. The hybrid PV/T energetic solar still showed an improved solar PV efficiency of 11.7% and an enhanced still thermal efficiency of 18.01%.

KEYWORDS:

• Solar still
• hybrid PV/T
• rehashed edible oil
• phase changing material
• solar PV
• efficiency

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Karthikeyan Ganesan

Karthikeyan Ganesan received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Anna University, Chennai, India in 2012 and received his master’s degree in Applied Electronics from Anna University in 2014. He completed the doctoral degree from Anna University, Chennai. Presently, he is working as Associate Professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, PSR Engineering College (Autonomous), Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India. His current research interests include power electronics, renewable energy systems and antenna, wireless communication.