Desalination technique using optimised solar still and solar foam

This paper deals with the development of a material structure called 'solar foam' with double layered structure of exfoliated graphite flakes and reticulated PU foam for solar steam generation at low solar intensity and keeping the bulk liquid at low temperature with no vacuum. Solar desalination is a one such technology which uses direct sunlight for purification of water at low cost and with less space occupied. This approach requires either costly high optical intensity parabolic reflectors leading to heat loss by the hot bulk liquid and heated surfaces. To decrease these losses new solar receiver concepts such as nano fluids or volumetric receivers have been proposed. But their conversion efficiency is comparatively lower (30%). To harvest solar energy for a broad range of phase-change applications this new structure will be novel approach. Suitable modifications have done to solar still to increase its productivity.