Effect of natural kenaf fiber on the augmentation of condensation rates in solar desalination: a sustainable approach to clean water production

This study evaluates energy-economic (2-E) efficiency by reducing the glass cover temperatures and enhancing the condensation rates in solar desalination systems. This improvement is accomplished by incorporating natural kenaf fibers. The research introduces an innovative modification to a conventional solar desalination system (CSDS) by implementing a water-dripping mechanism using kenaf fibers positioned atop the glass cover. Experimental investigations were conducted on both the unmodified CSDS and the solar desalination system with kenaf fibers (SDSK) under analogous meteorological conditions to scrutinize the impact of natural fibers on freshwater production within an environmentally sustainable solar desalination paradigm. The integration of water dripping and fibers significantly led to a substantial reduction in glass temperatures, manifesting as a 30% decrease compared to the conventional CSDS. Furthermore, the distillate productivity of SDSK exhibited a remarkable enhancement of 48% relative to CSDS. Beyond its thermal performance, the cost per liter of potable water obtained from SDSK was determined to be ₹1.35, accompanied by a swift payback period of merely 3.9 months. In contrast, the corresponding figures for CSDS were ₹2.32 and 5.7 months, respectively. These findings underscore the advantages of incorporating kenaf fibers and water-dripping technology in solar desalination. This results in enhanced performance and cost-effective and expedited access to clean drinking water.