Modeling and simulation of the continuous production of an improved solar still coupled with a photovoltaic/thermal solar water heater system

•The proposed system concerns the continuous production of distilled water along the day and night.•The productivity of active solar still provided (with reflectors), coupled with a (T-SWH) and (PV/T-SWH) has been simulated.•The stratification model is used to establish the energy balance of a storage tank.•Subdivision of direct solar radiation over several intervals

This work aims at studying the productivity of a solar active still with a single basin liner and a single slope fitted with two reflectors coupled with a photovoltaic/thermal solar water heater system. The simulation input parameters include climatic conditions concerning the site of Ksar Challala (35.10 N, 2.19 E, Altitude: 800 m) in Algeria, for three typical days, one in each season (winter, spring and summer). The effect of the reflectors on the still daily production is larger during the winter compared with spring and summer. The rise in the production is respectively about 127.06% in winter, 21.78% in spring and 10.1% in summer. Moreover, it is obvious that the still nocturnal production increases when it is coupled with a storage tank either thermal or photovoltaic/thermal out of the sunshine duration. The increase for the still coupled with a thermal storage tank is estimated at about 17.36%, 28.34% and 33.00% respectively for winter, spring and summer. When the still is coupled with a photovoltaic/thermal storage tank, the production increase is very significant and estimated respectively at 47.61%, 137.50% and 131.06% for the winter, spring and summer.