An experimental study on increasing the productivity of novel conical solar distillers with flat and egg steel trays basins: Energy, exergy, and exergo-economic evaluation

•Performance of solar stills enhanced by using flat and egg steel trays basins was investigated experimentally.•Yield of modified stills with flat and egg steel trays basins enhanced by 16.81 and 52.73%, respectively.•The exergy efficiency of modified still with egg steel trays basin was improved by 131.46 %.•The yield cost of modified still with egg steel trays basin enhanced by 18.89 %.•The payback time of modified still with egg steel trays basin enhanced by 29.58 %. The productivity of solar distillers should be improved, especially in water-stressed regions, to address the shortage of drinking water. In this study, experimental work was conducted to augment the performance of conical solar stills using innovatively shaped water basins. Flat and egg trays made of stainless steel were designed and used as basins for conical solar distillers. The corrugated surface of the egg-shaped steel tray basin increases the absorption area of ​​incident solar radiation and thus enhances convective heat transfer rates and improves water evaporation and productivity. Three conical distillers (having the same dimensions and made of the same materials) were designed and tested under the same atmospheric conditions. The first distiller is the conventional without any modification (CCSD), the second is the modified distiller with flat steel tray basin (CSD-FST), and the third is the modified distiller with an egg steel trays basin (CSD-EST). The performance, economics, and payback time of the modified distillates are evaluated and compared with that of the reference distiller and with other relevant studies. The findings showed that the highest performance was provided by the modified conical distillers with egg steel tray, followed by flat steel traybasin, and finally with CCSD. The productivity of the modified distillers with flat (5465.13 ml/m2day) and egg (7145.95 ml/m2day) steel trays basins were improved by 16.81 and 52.73 %, respectively. The thermal and exergy efficiency of the modified distillers with flat and egg steel traysbasins were improved by 17.40 and 58.30 % and 39.41 and 131.46 %, respectively. The freshwater cost and payback period of the modified distiller with egg steel tray basin enhanced by 18.89 % and 29.58 %, respectively.