ScholarWorks@동국대학교

초록

With increasing global water scarcity, sustainable desalination technologies are becoming essential. This study presents an improved solar still that operates entirely without electricity, offering a low-cost and environmentally friendly solution for freshwater production in remote or off-grid areas. Performance was enhanced by incorporating Al2O3/water nanofluid, a TiO2-coated absorber reservoir, copper fins for improved heat transfer, and a passive solar preheater. These modifications led to a 58 % increase in water yield compared to a conventional solar still (SSU), with a total cost of US$\mathrm{164.65.}Thelevelizedcostofwater(LCOW)wasestimatedatUS$0.05 per liter, proving more cost-effective than traditional basin stills and reverse osmosis units. Environmental analysis showed that for every unit of emission generated, over 800 were mitigated, with total reductions of 5.96 t (CO2), 35.80 t (SO2), and 137.23 t (NO), due to the exclusive use of solar energy. A predictive artificial neural network (ANN) model was also developed using environmental inputs, achieving high accuracy (R2 = 0.9948). Variable importance was evaluated through the Garson algorithm, supporting further optimization of the system. Overall, the proposed design offers a replicable, economical, and sustainable solution for decentralized desalination, contributing to SDGs 6, 7, 12, and 13. © 2025 International Solar Energy Society

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