Investigating the triple effect of corrugated absorber, wick, and external reflectors on the performance of a conical solar distiller: 4E and sustainability analysis

Solar distillation presents a viable and sustainable solution for mitigating water scarcity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where conventional water purification methods are either unavailable or economically unfeasible. This study examines the combined impact of a triangular corrugated absorber, a wick material, and external reflectors on the performance of a conical solar distiller, utilizing a comprehensive 4E (energy, exergy, economic, and environmental) and sustainability assessment framework. Two configurations were evaluated: a reference conical solar still (RCSS) and an advanced design (CSS-CAER-W) incorporating the aforementioned performance-enhancing features. The enhanced CSS-CAER-W achieved a remarkable daily water yield of 8.1 L m⁻², representing a 78.02% increase over the RCSS's yield of 4.55 L m⁻². Furthermore, the system demonstrated a 66% improvement in thermal efficiency, a 255% increase in exergy efficiency, and a 178% enhancement in carbon mitigation potential compared to the RCSS. The sustainability index also rose by 1.5%, indicating improved energy utilization and overall system sustainability. These results confirm that the synergistic integration of geometric, capillary, and optical enhancements significantly improves distillation performance, making the proposed design a promising and scalable approach for decentralized, eco-friendly water purification in water-stressed regions.