Treating produced water is one of the key focuses in the Permian Basin region―one of the largest oil-producing basins. A solar still can be used to produce exceptionally clean water out of produced/flow backwater by using readily available solar thermal energy. A theoretical mathematical model is adopted to find the productivity and efficiency of a single slope single basin (conventional) solar still using solar intensities and wind velocities obtained from Midland, Texas from the first of every month in the year of 2019. The solar intensity values are found using the SOLPOS Calculator from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with coordinates of the Midland International Airport 31°56’33”N/102°12’6”W. External heat losses occur at the top, bottom, and sides of the solar still. The convective heat loss for the top of the still takes wind velocity into consideration. Numerical solutions are obtained by balancing energy at the glass, basin water, and basin liners to find the corresponding temperatures at different times of the day throughout the year. Heat is absorbed by the glass cover due to incident solar radiation as a fraction of total solar radiation and the basin water surface through convection, radiation, and evaporation. Heat is rejected by the glass cover and into the atmosphere through convection and radiation. Heat energy is absorbed by the basin water due to a fraction of the solar radiation hitting it and by the basin liner. Some of the energy is stored in the water due to its specific heat and the rest is transferred from the water surface to the glass cover through convection, evaporation, and radiation. A fraction of the transmitted solar radiation strikes the basin liner and it absorbs the heat energy. Some of the energy is transferred to the water and the rest is lost to the atmosphere through the bottom and sides of the basin by conduction and convection. The radiative, convective, and evaporative heat transfer coefficients are calculated using correlations due to Dunkle. The monthly productivity and efficiency values of the solar still are calculated. Recommendations for improving the performance of the solar still through adaptations are also reviewed. Some of the adaptations reviewed are the pyramid solar still, the addition of external reflectors, using different types of phase change material, the addition of fins, and stepped solar still. The goal of this study is to discover the most efficient, productive, and economically feasible solar still to be used in the Permian Basin to treat produced water.


Adopting a Mathematical Model of a Conventional Solar Still to Evaluate Its Performance in Odessa/midland Region to Treat Produced Water

Division / Sponsors: 
Aerospace, Bioengineering, Applied Mechanics, Design Engineering Division, Advanced Energy Systems, Manufacturing Engineering Division, Noise Control and Acoustics, Nondestructive Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Prognosis (NDPD), Nuclear Engineering Division, Process Industries Division, Fluids Engineering, Heat Transfer, Materials, Microelectromechanical Systems, Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis, Computers & Information in Engineering


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2020/volume/84478

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