In order to measure the effect of inner and outer glass cover temperatures on various internal heat transfer processes in a solar still, an indoor simulation has been carried over a typical operating temperature ranges. The condensing surface has been maintained at three different environmental conditions; (a) by exposing it to ambient air temperature, (b) by exposing it to air conditioned surroundings and (c) by keeping ice on it. The temperature dependent physical properties of enclosed vapor and the effect of other factors like inclination of glass surface, cavity volumes of the chamber, etc. are taken into account. It is observed that by using inner glass cover temperature of solar still; the model proposed based on inner glass cover temperature gives closer results with the experimental observations at both low and high operating water temperature ranges than others.
Solar Still, Evaporative Heat Losses, Purification of Water
