Q4Power Generation Sources
Question
Q.4. What do you mean by solar desalination?
Answer
Solar desalination uses solar thermal energy to evaporate saline water and condense the vapor as fresh water, typically in a solar still, providing potable water in remote, sunny, water-scarce regions without electricity.
In solar desalination, saline or brackish water is placed in a shallow, blackened basin inside a solar still covered with a sloped, transparent glass cover. Solar radiation passes through the glass and is absorbed by the blackened basin, heating the water; the water evaporates, and the vapor rises and condenses on the underside of the cooler glass cover as pure distilled water, which trickles down into a collection trough. This is a simple, low-cost, low-maintenance method suitable for small-scale potable water production in remote areas.