Enhancing Solar Still Productivity by Leveraging Synergy Between Loofah Sponge and Nanoparticle Coatings using Response Surface Methodology
J. Environ. Nanotechnol., Volume 14, No 2 (June 2025) pp. 244-252
Abstract
The present research proposes a statistical model based on response surface methodology (RSM) to evaluate the efficiency of a batch solar still. The goal is to analyse the impact of variables such as solar-exposed ambient temperature, insulation thickness and water depth on water production. A polynomial regression model based on an energy balance equation is introduced to predict the output of solar still. The adequacy of the quadratic model’s fit is evaluated based on the coefficient of determination (R2) which revealed strong concordance between the outcomes predicted via the statistical analysis and numerical simulation executed through the heat balance technique. The performance of solar stills was significantly influenced by the type of nanofluid coating used in combination with loofah. Aluminum nitrate nanofluid coating showed the highest enhancement boosting water productivity by 36.48% due to its superior thermal conductivity and efficient heat transfer. This study presents a straightforward polynomial statistical model developed to forecast and optimize solar still operations based on four significant input parameters.
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Reference
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