The design, analysis and modeling
of solar energy-based water purifiers, commonly known as a solar still, which
is based on the greenhouse effect, is the requirement of time as there is a
scarcity of freshwater throughout the globe. The technology of purifying dirty
water using solar energy is a promising solution for simplifying contemporary
water scarcity as this technology does not create any bad effect on the
surroundings, unlike conventional water purification technology, which creates
a lot of polluting elements and ultimately has become problematic for the environment.
Most solar energy-based water purifiers are self-sustainable, and they can be
installed in remote locations where sunlight and source of impure water are available
in abundance. This solar energy-based technology of water purification should
perform better in hilly locations as the intensity of light is higher than the intensity
of light in fields. The current chapter deals with the thermal modeling of different
types of passive and active solar stills, including solar stills loaded with water-based
nanofluids, followed by their energy and exergy analyses.
Keywords: Solar still, Thermal modeling, Passive, Active, Nanofluid, Exergy analysis.