Examination of a novel solar still equipped with evacuated tube collectors and thermoelectric modules

• The performance of a novel solar still equipped with evacuated tube collectors and thermoelectric modules was examined.
• This study involves conversion of vapor latent heat to electrical energy using the thermoelectric modules.
• The effect of creating a forced convection inside the condensation chamber was examined by using the electricity generated.
• The maximum yield and efficiency of the system were respectively equal to 1.11 kg/m2hr and 68%.

In this article, a novel solar still which is equipped with thermoelectric modules to utilize the heat of vapor condensation is experimentally investigated. The use of thermoelectric modules as devices for generating electricity from the temperature difference between two environments (hot vapor steam and cold ambient air) as well as taking outstanding advantages of evacuated tubes as collectors with high performances in adverse climatic conditions, led to utilizing of the energy dissipated due to vapor condensation and a considerable increase in the performance of the system. The effect of using the generated electricity to operate a small propeller fan for inducing forced convection was examined. The results indicated that, by generating a forced convection, the water yield and hourly efficiency of the system increase and reach respectively to the maximum values of 1.11 kg/m2/h and 68%. In addition, the effect of two different depths for the water inside the evacuated tubes underwent experiments and it was observed that by filling the evacuated tubes, the output increases by 27% compared with the half-full case.