Enhanced solar still performance using a radiative cooling system

A basin type solar still is integrated with a packed bed storage tank which is used as an external condenser for the still. The packed bed condenser i s cooled during the night using a radiative cooling panel by circulating pu re water into the packed bed condenser and the radiative cooling panel. At the end of the cooling process, the packed bed tank attains low temperature , which is very close to the effective sky temperature. At the begining of daylight, the vapor produced by the solar still is sucked naturally by the packed bed condenser and condenses within it. A mathematical model describi ng the behavior of the modified still is proposed. The effects of different designs, climate and operating parameters on the still performance are inv estigated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.