Initial experiment results on the research prototype freshwater distillation equipment high efficiency

Abstract

Vietnam has a high potential of solar energy. Distilling freshwater using solar energy is a promising way to sustainable development since the energy used is free and clean. In this paper, the freshwater distillation equipment using a parabolic concentrated solar collector has been experimentally studied. The experimental system consists of a parabolic concentrated solar collector with 1.3 m diameter and 0.45 m depth. The material of reflective surface’s parabolic collector is Inox, so that it can reflect solar radiation. The parabolic type's solar collector is adjusted according to the movement of the Sun every 15 minutes so that the reflective surface of parabol is perpendicular to the solar radiation. At the focal point of  the  parabolic collector  mount the freshwater distillation equipment. Performance of  the  freshwater  distillation  equipment using a parabolic concentrated solar collector is tested under the local conditions of Định Quán, Đồng Nai province during the days from 13/6/2012 to 30/11/2012. The experiment shows that, the influence of the solar  radiation and wind speed on a capacity of the equipment.  The capacity of this equipment can range from 6 to 8 L/day of fresh water in normal conditions from 8 AM to 4 PM.