The TUM SEED Center researcher and project coordinator Vikrant Katekar recently published a new study on Performance enhancement of solar distillation system with hemispherical projections and low-cost coating on absorber plate together with his co-authors Anand B Rao and Vishal R Sardeshpande.
The study highlights the environmental benefits and water purification capabilities of solar distillation systems, despite their need for large surface areas and low energy efficiency. It identifies energy efficiency, surface area, and cost as key factors affecting the adoption of these systems in communities. To address these issues, the study proposes a solar distiller featuring a low-cost, high-absorbent absorber plate coating and a novel design with hemispherical projections to increase surface area for heat transfer. Experimental results show that blackboard paint, particularly when combined with 30% aluminium oxide nanoparticles, is the most effective coating for the absorber plate, achieving high temperatures and avoiding expensive selective coatings. The optimal design for energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness is an absorber plate with hemispherical projections coated with blackboard paint containing aluminium oxide nanoparticles, making it suitable for developing low-cost solar distillation equipment.