16. Performance Analysis of Passive Solar Still for De-fluoridation of Water

Due to pollution and rapid resource depletion, the availability of clean water is decreasing at an alarming rate. Different techniques have been devised to utilize available polluted water to produce potable water. Most desalination systems use high-grade energy. Solar energy is a very large and inexhaustible source of energy. Solar desalination reduces the amount of energy used. The success of Solar still is dependent not only on the enhancement of its yield, but also the quality of distilled output. The objective of the present study is to examine the performance of solar energy with the addition of phase change material (PCM) to the bottom of it and affects energy storage capacity. The presence of fluoride may cause several health issues such as dental and skeleton fluorosis, bone rupture, muscle damage, neurological and thyroid damage, etc. Today, the removal and reduction from drinking water is a global concern. Solar energy is still one of the most suitable and economical techniques for reducing the level of fluoride in the water. A total of seven synthetic samples of fluoride-contaminated water were prepared as a feed for solar distillation. The concentration of fluoride was assessed in the distillate samples and it was found that the removal efficiency of passive solar still was greater than 90%.