The world is facing an urgent problem. By 2015, 40% of the world's population will be living in regions without adequate fresh water supply. Presently, almost all sea water desalination plans are electricity based and highly power intensive. With more than half the world likely to become dependent on sea water desalination such an energy-expensive scenario is clearly not sustainable.
The aim of the book is to provide the most recent information on various practices, developments and improvements in water distillation, heat and mass transfer in solar distillation, thermal modelling and embedded energy of solar stills, and the applications of solar distillation in today's world. The concluding chapter also deals with economic analysis of solar distillation.
To simplify the subject, figures, tables, solved examples and problems with hints are given at the end of each chapter, and there are appendices and a glossary of meaningful terms to assist the reader.
The authors have written an outstanding academic work which carries weight and resonance beyond university courses and libraries, and which impacts on the global population.
Contents
1. Introduction 2. Basic Elements of Heat and Mass Transfer 3. Knowledge of Solar Radiation 4. Knowledge of Water Heating Processes 5. Passive Solar Stills 6. Active Solar Stills 7. Effect of Design and Climatic Parameters 8. Applications of Solar Distillation 9. Thermal Modelling 10. Energy Analysis of Solar Stills 11. Economic Analysis for Solar Stills