| A fully operational air transport distillation unit was built and tested at the University of Nevada at Reno. A mathematical model was developed to predict system performance for different conditions, and laboratory data on the still validated the model for all considered conditions.; The system is designed to accommodate solar heat input, which can be remotely collected and delivered to the first stage evaporator. Although only one stage was built and tested, the theory and test data indicate that several stages are possible for greater production rates.; General design parameters and guidelines for a large scale system are developed, discussed and presented. The validated mathematical model permits system optimization regarding relative component size and operational conditions. The impact of each system parameter is highlighted. A larger solar still (30 kW-t input), based on the developed design, is being built at Erciyes University in Kayseri, Turkey. |
