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AIMS Energy

2026, Volume 14, Issue 5: 983-1004. doi: 10.3934/energy.2026040
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Research article

Augmenting solar still productivity through phase-change materials and nano-enhanced PCM composites

  • 1.
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, India
  • 2.
    Sustainable Energy and Acoustics Research Lab, Mechanical Engineering Department, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, India
  • 3.
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Integral University Lucknow-226026, India
  • Published: 18 September 2026

  • Low productivity remains a key limitation of conventional solar stills for desalination. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a solar still integrated with copper rods filled with nano-enhanced phase change material (NPCM), benchmarked against three configurations: a conventional still, a still with empty copper rods, and a still using unmodified phase change material (PCM). Four single-slope solar stills were fabricated and tested simultaneously under identical ambient conditions. Distillate yield, temperature profiles, and thermal efficiency were recorded during daytime (9:00–17:00) and nighttime operation to assess the influence of dispersed nanoparticles on heat storage and release behavior. The NPCM still achieved a distillate yield of 4.27 kg/m2·day, compared with 1.98 kg/m2·day for the conventional still. The improved thermal conductivity and heat retention of the nano-PCM matrix resulted in a 19.4% higher nocturnal yield (1.49 kg/m2·day) relative to the PCM still (1.28 kg/m2·day). Peak rod temperature reached 86 ℃ for the NPCM configuration, versus 79 ℃ (PCM) and 68 ℃ (empty rod). Thermal efficiency increased from 47.20% (conventional) to 70.15% (NPCM), representing a 65% gain in productivity and a 48.62% improvement in efficiency. These findings confirm that nanoparticle dispersion in PCM enhances heat storage capacity, thermal distribution, and freshwater yield in solar stills. The NPCM-integrated design offers a promising route toward higher-efficiency, sustainable solar desalination for arid and coastal regions.

    Citation: Mohammad Saalim, Syed Mohd Yahya, Arshad Hussain Khan, Azhar Jamil, Mohd Seraj. Augmenting solar still productivity through phase-change materials and nano-enhanced PCM composites[J]. AIMS Energy, 2026, 14(5): 983-1004. doi: 10.3934/energy.2026040

    Related Papers:

  • Low productivity remains a key limitation of conventional solar stills for desalination. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a solar still integrated with copper rods filled with nano-enhanced phase change material (NPCM), benchmarked against three configurations: a conventional still, a still with empty copper rods, and a still using unmodified phase change material (PCM). Four single-slope solar stills were fabricated and tested simultaneously under identical ambient conditions. Distillate yield, temperature profiles, and thermal efficiency were recorded during daytime (9:00–17:00) and nighttime operation to assess the influence of dispersed nanoparticles on heat storage and release behavior. The NPCM still achieved a distillate yield of 4.27 kg/m2·day, compared with 1.98 kg/m2·day for the conventional still. The improved thermal conductivity and heat retention of the nano-PCM matrix resulted in a 19.4% higher nocturnal yield (1.49 kg/m2·day) relative to the PCM still (1.28 kg/m2·day). Peak rod temperature reached 86 ℃ for the NPCM configuration, versus 79 ℃ (PCM) and 68 ℃ (empty rod). Thermal efficiency increased from 47.20% (conventional) to 70.15% (NPCM), representing a 65% gain in productivity and a 48.62% improvement in efficiency. These findings confirm that nanoparticle dispersion in PCM enhances heat storage capacity, thermal distribution, and freshwater yield in solar stills. The NPCM-integrated design offers a promising route toward higher-efficiency, sustainable solar desalination for arid and coastal regions.



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