“Energetic, Exergetic, Economic, and Environmental Analysis of a Pyramidal Solar Still Integrated with Different PCM Quantities.

The research was published by Elsevier in the Journal of Energy Storage, a prestigious Q1 journal with an Impact Factor of 7.10 and a CiteScore of 16.6.

The study investigates the impact of increasing the quantity of Phase Change Materials (PCM) integrated into a pyramidal solar still, with particular emphasis on its energetic, exergetic, economic, and environmental performance.

The experimental work involved the design, fabrication, and testing of two identical pyramidal solar stills under hot climatic conditions. One unit was used as a reference system, while the other was integrated with 2, 4, and 8 PCM containers. The performance of both systems was comprehensively evaluated in terms of freshwater productivity, thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, the production cost per liter of freshwater, and the potential for reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions.

The findings demonstrated a significant enhancement in thermal performance and freshwater production as the quantity of PCM increased, accompanied by a higher evaporation rate. These results highlight the effectiveness of integrating larger amounts of phase change materials into pyramidal solar stills to improve overall system performance while contributing to environmental sustainability.