Abstract
This study examines the exergy analysis and exergy destruction of a solar still (SS) at varying seawater depths (1, 2, and 3 cm) with and without silicon carbide (SiC) as an energy enhancement material. The SS with SiC addition achieved daily production rates of 5.64 kg, 5.1 kg, and 3.06 kg at seawater depths of 1, 2, and 3 cm, respectively. In contrast, the SS without SiC addition achieved daily production rates of 4.68 kg, 3.9 kg, and 3.2 kg, respectively. The addition of SiC increased the yield by about 20% at a seawater depth of 1 cm and by 31% at a seawater depth of 2 cm but decreased the yield by 4% at a seawater depth of 3 cm. The thermal efficiencies of SS with SiC at 1 cm, 2 cm, and 3 cm are 44.2%, 39.9%, and 23.8%, respectively. In contrast, the thermal efficiencies of SS without SiC are 35.7%, 29.7%, and 24.3%, respectively. Likewise, the exergy efficiency of the SS containing SiC was 3.99%, 3.41%, and 1.76% at seawater depths of 1, 2, and 3 cm, respectively, while that of the SS without SiC reached 2.98%, 2.35%, and 1.8%, respectively. The most significant exergy loss in the SS basin was observed at 1 cm seawater depth, with values of 4231 W/m² and 4459 W/m² for SS with and without SiC, respectively. Furthermore, the most significant energy loss in saline water at a 3 cm seawater depth was 1640 W/m² for SS with SiC and 1546 W/m² for SS without SiC, while the smallest energy loss in saline water at a 1 cm seawater depth was 1138 W/m² and 626 W/m², respectively. The study concluded that maximum energy loss occurred in salt water at a seawater depth of 3 cm.