Design, Construction, and Evaluation of an Innovative Solar Distillation System for Water Purification: A Case Study in Sirjan

Mansouri, Hasan; Shamsoddini, Rahim; Hasanzaim, Ehsan

doi:10.48306/juem.2025.539130.1088

Design, Construction, and Evaluation of an Innovative Solar Distillation System for Water Purification: A Case Study in Sirjan

Authors

Hasan Mansouri ¹

Rahim Shamsoddini ²

Ehsan Hasanzaim ¹

¹ Sirjan University of Technology

² Graduate University of Advanced Technology

https://doi.org/10.48306/juem.2025.539130.1088

Abstract

This study designed and constructed an innovative solar distillation system with an emphasis on extremely low cost, ease of construction, and the use of locally available materials. It was tested under real-world climatic conditions in Iran, specifically in the city of Sirjan. The system's primary goal is to produce safe drinking water from contaminated sources without relying on fossil fuels or grid electricity. The key innovation lies not in thermodynamic principles, but in the practical feasibility of a truly affordable solution built using recycled and readily obtainable parts.Experiments were conducted during summer and autumn, using an initial water volume of 500 cc under various environmental conditions. Parameters such as ambient temperature, initial water temperature, and the volume of distilled water produced were recorded. Results indicated that the system's thermal performance is dependent on solar radiation. Under optimal conditions (midday on a clear summer day), it achieved an overall thermal efficiency of 19.6%, which is a commendable efficiency given its minimal construction cost. Microbiological tests confirmed the system's ability to completely purify water; total coliform counts dropped from 100 CFU/100ml in the input water to zero in the treated output. The innovative use of discrete mosaic mirrors, instead of a continuous parabolic mirror, played a key role in reducing cost while maintaining performance. Due to its simple construction, energy independence, and proven effectiveness, this technology offers a sustainable, practical, and cost-effective solution for providing safe drinking water in arid regions of the country.

Keywords

Water purification

Solar energy

Distillation

Contaminated water

Safe drinking water

1. World Bank, Two Billion People Still Lack Access to Safely Managed Water. World Bank Blogs – World Water Day, 2018.

2.UNESCO, UN World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water. UNESCO, 2023.

3.Wada, Y., & Bierkens, M. F. P., Sustainability of Global Water Use: Past Reconstruction and Future Projections. Environmental Research Letters, 2014, 9(10), p. 104003. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/104003

4. FAO, AQUASTAT Global Water Database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2021.

5.Statistics Canada, Municipal Water Use. Government of Canada, 2017.

6. Lentswe, K. A., Mawire, A., Owusu, P., & Shobo, A. B., A Review of Parabolic Solar Cookers with Thermal Energy Storage. Heliyon, 2021, 7(10), p. e08226. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08226

7.Baylon, J. S., Pérez González, M., García Morán, Y., Tintos Gómez, A., & González López, J. M., Design and Evaluation of a Solar Cooker with Reused Evacuated Tube: Enhancing Thermal Efficiency for Food Cooking. South Florida Journal of Development, 2024, 5(12), p. 5651–5663. DOI: 10.46932/sfjdv5n12-055

8. Arunachala, U. C., & Kundapur, A., Cost-Effective Solar Cookers: A Global Review. Solar Energy, 2020, 207, p. 903–916. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.07.026

9. Sharon, H., & Reddy, K. S., A Review of Solar Energy Driven Desalination Technologies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2015, 41, p. 1080–1118. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2014.08.058

10. WWAP, The United Nations World Water Development Report 2019: Leaving No One Behind. UNESCO, 2019.

11. Wahab, A., Javid, W., Ahmed, H., Sheikh, A., Shahbaz, M., & Iqbal, S., Enhancing Fresh Water Production in Solar Parabolic Dish Desalination System. Materials Proceedings, 2024, 17(1), p. 22. DOI: 10.3390/mp17010022

12. Hendy, Z., Mostafa, M. M., Elnono, M. A., Lasheen, A., & Abdel-Rehim, Z. S., Solar Desalination System Using Parabolic Collector. Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 2013, 30(4), p. 1117–1134.

13.Abd Elbar, A. R., Baz, F. B., Marzouk, S. A., Eldesoukey, A., & Salem, A. M., Analyzing Solar Still Performance with PV Electricity Storage: Energy, Exergy, Exergoeconomic, and Enviroeconomic Perspectives. Desalination, 2025, 597, p. 118400. DOI: 10.1016/j.desal.2024.118400

14. Ahmed, S. M. M., Al Amin, M. R., Ahammed, S., Ahmed, F., Saleque, A. M., & Rahman, M. A., Design, Construction and Testing of Parabolic Solar Cooker for Rural Households and Refugee Camp. Solar Energy, 2020, 205, p. 230–240. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.05.007

15.Essa, F. A., Abdullah, A., Majdi, H. S., Basem, A., Dhahad, H. A., Omara, Z. M., Mohammed, S. A., Alawee, W. H., Ezzi, A. A., & Yusaf, T., Parameters Affecting the Efficiency of Solar Stills—Recent Review. Sustainability, 2022, 14(17), p. 10668. DOI: 10.3390/su141710668

16. Chamsa-Ard, W., Solar Thermal Energy Stills for Desalination: A Review of Technologies. Journal of Environmental Protection and Technology, 2020. DOI: 10.21926/jept.2004018

17. Mawire, A., Simelane, S. M., & Abedigamba, P. O., Energetic and Exergetic Performance Comparison of Three Solar Cookers for Developing Countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021, 23, p. 14528–14555. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01255-w