Enhancement of hybrid solar desalination system composed of solar panel and solar still by using porous material and saline water preheating

•Impact of saline water preheating and BSWF on the SP integrated with solar still is studied.•Preheating 60% of the salty water rises freshwater yield 20.9%, compared to MSS.•Using BSWF increases freshwater yield of MSS 13.7%and MSS with 60% preheating 11.8%.•MSS + BSWF at 60% preheating achieves maximum yield of 3.534 kg/m2.day and efficiency of 38.07%. An experimental investigation is executedon the enhancement of hybrid solar desalination system composed of integrated solar panel with solar still by utilizing porous material and saline water preheating. The saline water preheating is performed by passing it over the solar panel front surface before entering the still which is also used as solar panel cooler. The solar panel integration is performed by installing it directly over the solar still. Solar panel output power transferred directly to the salty water to raise still freshwater production. The enhancement of the desalination system by utilizing black steel wool fibers as porous material in the basin of solar still is studied. The study is performed under the meteorological conditions of Borg Al-Arab city, Alexandria, Egypt. The findings reveal that preheating 40%, 50%, and 60% of the salty water rises the freshwater yield of the solar desalination system (Conventional solar still integrated with solar panel) by 10.4%, 15.5%, and 20.9%, and its energy efficiency by 8.2%, 13% and 20%, respectively. Using black steel wool fibers increases the production of conventional still, solar desalination system, and solar desalination system with 60% preheating by 17.8%, 13.7%, and 11.8%, and its energy efficiency by 13.58%, 9.73%, and 13.5% respectively compared with solar still without porous material. Solar desalination system with black steel wool fibers at 60% preheating achieves maximum yield and average daily efficiency of 3.534 kg/m2 day and 38.07%, respectively with an increase 51.4% and 38%, respectively in comparison with conventional solar still.