Advanced Solar Distillation Systems

This book is primarily intended to serve as a textbook and reference work for graduate and professional training coursework on solar desalination of water. The book begins with an introduction to the increasing demand for potable water, various types of water pollution and its impacts on human health, and goes on to cover basics of desalination technologies. It covers all aspects of solar-energy based distillation and desalination for producing potable water resources, including radiation and heat transfer concepts, a history of solar distillation systems, and background on solar collectors. The contents include thermal modeling and parametric study of solar distillation. Energy and exergy aspects are analyzed in detail, including energy matrices of solar distillation. A special chapter on exeroeconomics introduces fundamental equations which include the general balance equation, thermodynamic balance equations, and economic balance equations. A chapter on Economic Analysis of Solar Distillation completes the coverage. The book includes solved examples and end-of-chapter exercises in the form of both problems and objective-type questions. The contents of this book are useful to students, researchers, professionals, and policymakers looking for a comprehensive resource on solar desalination.

This book essentially summarises the water shortage crisis in the world and its possible solution by using solar energy through solar stills. The world is facing an urgent problem. By 2015, 40 per cent of the world's population will be living in regions without adequate fresh water supply. Presently, almost all sea water desalination plans are electricity based and highly power intensive. With more than half the world likely to become dependent on sea water desalination such an energy-expensive scenario is clearly not sustainable.The aim of the book is to provide the most recent information on various practices, developments and improvements in water distillation, heat and mass transfer in solar distillation, thermal modelling and embedded energy of solar stills, and the applications of solar distillation in today's world. The concluding chapter also deals with economic analysis of solar distillation. To simplify the subject, figures, tables, solved examples and problems with hints are given at the end of each chapter, and there are appendices and a glossary of meaningful terms to assist the reader. The authors have written an outstanding academic work which carries weight and resonance beyond university courses and libraries, and which impacts on the global population.

This book discusses topics such as solar energy, heat transfer, solar cell and photovoltaic module, greenhouse-integrated semi-transparent photovoltaic thermal (GiSPVT) system for agriculture and aquaculture, GiSPVT solar dryer, and PVT water and air collector for water heating, air heating, biogas heating and swimming pool heating, etc. The book also discusses energy matrices, including EPBT, EPF, and LCCE. It includes pedagogical elements such as exercises, tables, and figures including problems and objective questions at the end of each chapter. Further, it includes the unit conversion from FPS system to SI unit of each parameter, namely length, energy, power, velocity, pressure force, etc., and some standard constants used in examples. Quasi steady state and periodic modeling of PVT technology described in the book is a useful reference for students, researchers, and academicians to design solar energy-based technology.

This book reviews recent advanced research work in the area of flat plate collectors, solar distillation, greenhouse technology for crop drying and production and solar electric/ thermal (PV/T) systems. The basic working principle, energy balances, thermal modelling, energy and economic analysis will be discussed. An instantaneous and overall efficiency of each solar thermal and electric system are also discussed and their results compared for economic analysis. Basic knowledge of availability of solar radiation is discussed in the beginning. Life cycle cost analysis, which includes initial investment, operating cost, interest rate, salvage value and annual power output, has been considered. An energy pay back time (EPBT) for solar electric/ thermal (PV/T) system has been evaluated by evaluating embodied energy during production of solar cell, PV module and balance of system (BOS) and useful both electric and thermal energy. Thermal energy from PV module can be in the form of sensible heat either for water or for air heating system.

Solar Energy Conversion and Photoenergy Systems: Thermal Systems and Desalination Plants theme in five volumes is a component of Encyclopedia of Energy Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Solar Energy Conversion and Photoenergy Systems: Thermal Systems and Desalination Plants with contributions from distinguished experts in the field, discusses solar energy, renewable energy, thermal systems, and desalination systems, some of which are already in commercial and practical applications and others are under research and testing level. The volumes provide an analysis and discussion about the reasons behind the current efforts of our society, considering both developed and developing countries, to accelerate the exploitation of the huge solar energy potential in our normal daily lives. The five volumes also provide some basic information about the solar energy potential, history and the amazing trip of a photon from its creation in the Sun until its arrival to the Earth. These five volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.

This book reveals key challenges to ensuring the secure and sustainable production and use of energy resources and provides corresponding solutions. This book covers the advanced technologies applied in renewable energy generation, energy storage, an alternative to petroleum fuels, waste to energy, solar energy, the impact of fossil fuel combustion on the environment, green buildings, social sustainability, etc. It goes beyond theory and describes practical challenges and solutions associated with energy and sustainability. This book is of particular interest to graduate students and academic or industrial researchers/professionals working in renewable energy, sustainability, bioenergy, and mechanical and automobile engineering. This book makes a forceful foundation for the establishment of the role of renewable energy in energy transition for a sustainable, cleaner, and greener future. This book is unique compared to other available books because it covers a wide variety of topics on a single platform.