SOLAR STILLS: 10 YEARS OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN COMMERCIALISING SOLAR STILLS WORLDWIDE

OLIVER KOPSCH DWC, Trier Germany

Abstract. The purpose of this document is to explain the principle of a commercial Solar Still developed by Wilfried Rosendahl, Germany. It explains the practical and decentralized application of such as system and the experience over many years of operation.

Keywords: Solar Still, decentralized, renewable, affordable, drinking water, distilled water

1. Working Principle of Solar Still The Rosendahl system is a single-step process, in which the power production, evaporation and condensation takes place in a single collector. The collectors can distil nearly any kind of water - although the system was initially developed for sea or brackish water. The untreated water is most commonly extracted from an intermediate tank, or taken directly from a pipe. Untreated water can come from wells, rivers, lakes or the sea; basically almost any kind of raw water can be used. A patented electronic monitoring system with the help of a radiation sensor regulates the quantity of the untreated water to the collector or a whole group of collectors, thus allowing that only the right quantity of untreated water is processed by the system with respect to the radiation of the sun. Only the exact amount of untreated water then passes into a channel for untreated water in the collector "1 , and then drips over wicks onto a black absorber fleece 5 . This special fleece can handle UV rays for many years and is food genuine.

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Figure 1. Detailed view of the Rosendahl collector and its working principle.

Figure 2. View how raw water enters fleece.

Figure 3. This picture shows how the water condenses underneath the glass and how it leaves the collector.

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The heat insulation "6" prevents losses of energy by the collector bottom. Using only energy from the sun the moist fleece heats up to temperatures of 80-90 C. Around 50 % of the untreated water evaporates and condenses under the cooler glass cover 4. The glass cover is made of standard window glass and can be obtained from any standard glass dealer. This condensed liquid is the drinking water and it flows into a condensation channel "2, and flows out of the side of the collector. The remaining untreated water "3, leaves the collector. It carries the dirt and salt from the fleece. However, the remaining untreated water is also purified on its way through the collector, by a combination of UV rays (sterilisation) and high operating temperature. All metal components which come into contact with water are made of stainless steel, the precondition for the longevity of the product. All outside parts are galvanized. The assembly takes place usually on sturdy threaded rods. In connection with hinge holding the gutters are easily put into a horizontal position while the absorber fleece is positioned in a precisely defined angle. The lifespan and the safety of the collectors can now be expected to be over 20 years. The intake of untreated water must be performed in such doses that around 50% evaporates and 50% remains as brine. Too much raw water results in unnecessary heat loss and therefore poor performance. Too little leads to salt crusting and drying-out, also poor performance. In order to get to grips with these problems a guided electronic control system was developed, which controls a solenoid valve. If sea water is used as untreated water then the brine can be converted into sea salt. This enables sea salt production to be used as an additional source of income. Otherwise, the brine must be transferred back to the sea, which poses no environmental problems whatsoever. It is also possible to establish a seepage well.

Figure 4. This picture shows the inventor with a F8-250 Compact Unit that carries all the parts needed to purify water virtually anywhere (decentralised).

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When obtaining sea water from a site on the coast it may be possible to use a well as source. This has the advantage of filtering the water to a certain extent. The processing of fresh water is mostly used in smaller, family-friendly plants, for producing mineral and germ free drinking water. The waste water from the collectors can be used here for watering plants or other uses. The collector itself is mounted and embedded on a metal frame. Additionally it carries a solar collector to run any pumps and the electrical control unit (incl. a rechargeable battery). It has two tanks, one for the raw water and one for the drinking water and connected with pipes. The only difference in the type of collectors is their size. The basic principle is the same in all of them. Over the years the collectors have become more and more efficient. Currently the 8th generation of collectors with a production per m of collector surface of 6-8 litres per day is standard. The versions are reflected in the product name F8 (F stands for Flat Collector). 2 sizes are available: F8-Mini: 1006 x 806mm, 0,8m surface, production* ca. 5 litres per day F8-250: 2520 x 1050mm, 2,5m surface, production* ca. 15-20 litres per day
*depending on local climate

The collectors are scalable according to your budget needs or the required water production. You could easily add collectors to existing collectors or remove them individually. Even if one collector breaks, the others will continue the production. The collector itself is extremely robust and easy to repair, as the cover glass might break. Since there are almost no moving parts it is not very likely that a collector is not working properly or breaks down at all. The largest true life application of this system is available with our partner in Puerto Rico called Solasia de Puerto Rico. Basically Solasia is offering a packaged solution with a raw water tank, Rosendahl Collector and a solar cell that provides all required electricity for pumps etc as well as the indoor installation (cable, pipes etc) for private households that do not have a reliable drinking water source. The system works in principle are shown in the following.

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Figure 5. Solar stills integrated in household.

2. Household Size Installation In household installations the input is the raw water from public sources where quality and reliability are not always perfect. The raw water is stored in tanks on the roof (gravity system) in this case (possible also in gardens, backyards, etc) and used for toilet or in the kitchen. The raw water is also fed into the collectors that produce drinking water. The drinking water is stored in a tank in the house (or anywhere else) and used with a separate tap in the kitchen as pure drinking water. The remaining raw water leaves to a rainwater tank as can be used to water the garden etc. 3. Group Size Installation A group of 4 collectors was produced and set up in Egypt using a salt water well with salt production as a by product. Important lessons with mixed results in the quality of local material as well as social factors have been learned. Another group of 4 collectors was placed in Cuba for scientific research and testing. Excellent results were obtained in the practical application as well as in the quality of the drinking water (distilled water). RSD Collectors are freely scalable. Up to 100 collectors can be set up in a group still using only one set up of electronic controls.

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Figure 6. Complete package of licensed partner in Puerto Rico including raw water tank, solar cell, Rosendahl collector.

Figure 7. Group of 4 collectors in Egypt. Figure 8. Group of 4 collectors installed in Cuba.

4. Local Production Practically all of the components of the Rosendahl system can be purchased and produced locally. The benefit of working with local partners is that they know best the local requirement, that they can install and run the system, are contact point for any queries and deal with the local community. They only use RSD collectors as a core and build the infrastructure around it themselves.

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Figure 9. Training in Germany.

5. Training/Know How Transfer

In order to train and help local people to produce or install the RSD System Wilfried Rosendahl either goes into the countries or have guests coming to see the production live in our factory in Hanover/Germany. The picture shows the latest training of an engineer from Mali/Africa. An extensive video coverage that demonstrates the system, how it is set up, how it works in detail etc is already available on our internet site in the section for our partners. Some video are also available for public use (multimedia). Plenty of photos for our partners document each step of the collector production. This DVD documentary video about all the installation and technical details is available and passed on to the trainees. 6. Water Quality The drinking water or distillate produced from the RSD Rosendahl System has been tested and reviewed by the American "Water Quality Association" in 1999 and was awarded with its gold medal. The objective of WQA is to help consumers choose quality water treatment products. WQA developed its Gold Seal Certification Programissuing the first Gold Seal in 1959. WQA only awards the Gold Seal to those systems, components, or additives that have met or exceeded industry standards for contaminant reduction, structural integrity, and material safety. It has also been tested and verified in China and other countries.

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7. About DWC DWC is a water consultant that is offering its clients independent advice on the most appropriate product and processes for a sustainable, decentralized and renewable water supply and waste water management. We believe that the shown product could be a possible solution for a specific problem whereas other challenges might require a different approach selecting and applying other products and services.