Factors influencing the performance and productivity of solar stills - A review

Water scarcity is a major threat for future as the fresh water resources are being exploited and polluted rapidly by mankind. Hence, converting the brackish, saline water in to pure water is one of the viable solutions to overcome the demand for water. Desalination using solar still is simple among various techniques available for removal of salinity. The limitation being its productivity, researchers have consistently attempted to improve the performance of solar stills. This article reviews various factors that influence the performance of the solar still like solar radiation intensity, temperature difference, collector area, basin water depth, insulation, angle of inclination, thickness of glass cover plate, wind velocity and a few methods for improving the quantity of distillate produced. Such a review would benefit the knowledge society for further research and development of a solar still to make it an economically viable option.