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ENHANCED THERMAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF SINGLE AND DOUBLE SLOPE SOLAR STILLS COATED WITH TiO2 NANOPARTICLE-INFUSED NANOPAINT
Authors:
Pavan Kumar Pathak1
, Bholu Kumar2
, Rahul Agrawal3
1Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Poornima University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Poornima University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Bhopal, India
Received: 8 July 2025
Revised: 1 September 2025
Accepted: 15 September 2025
Published: 30 September 2025
Abstract:
With increasing freshwater scarcity worldwide, due to rapid population growth, it is difficult to maintain freshwater supplies; in places like Rajasthan and Gujarat in India, the desalination and purification techniques are proving to be the primary means of meeting the increasing demand for freshwater. However, the growing cost of fossil fuels is making typical distilling practices less competitive compared to other types. Therefore, this study shows that solar stills with TiO2 nanocoating are a cost-effective and sustainable technique for the production of freshwater for regions with water scarcity due to their improved efficiency without the use of conventional energy sources. The experiments were conducted in May and March and included two types of solar stills with a 1 m2 area and water depths of 10 mm, 20 mm, and 30 mm. Each configuration was subjected to three surface coatings of black paint, 2%, and 4% TiO2 nanopaint coatings. The results showed that nanocoating increased thermal efficiency and water yield in single and double-slope solar stills. During March, the single- slope solar still with 4% TiO2 nanocoating attained the maximum yield of 1811 ml/m2 at a water depth of 10 mm, an improvement compared to 1377 ml/m2 with simple paint. The yield for 20 mm and 30 mm water depths also increased significantly with the use of nanocoating. In March, the 4% nanocoated double slope still reached 2488 ml/m 2 at 10 mm of depth, greatly surpassing the 1970 ml/m2 of the simple painted version. Due to elevated ambient temperatures and solar radiation, all stills performed better in comparison to March in the month of May. Double- slope solar stills proved to be more efficient than single-slope stills due to greater condensation surface area and better heat retention. Lower water depths led to higher output, as heating the water required significantly less thermal energy.
Keywords:
Solar still, TiO2 Nanoparticles, Nanocoating, Thermal Performance, Water Desalination, Single and Double Slope Configuration
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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 10
Number 3
September 2025
Last Edition
Volume 10
Number 3
September 2025
How to Cite
P.K. Pathak, B. Kumar, R. Agrawal, Enhanced Thermal Performance Analysis of Single and Double Slope Solar Stills Coated With TIO2 Nanoparticle-Infused Nanopaint. Applied Engineering Letters, 10(3), 2025: 146.159.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2025.10.3.3
More Citation Formats
Using lean manufacturing to improve process efficiency in a fabrication company
Authors:
Andra Maria Popa1
, Kapil Gupta1
1University of Johannesburg, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technology, Johannesburg, South Africa
Received: 29 June 2024
Revised: 20 September 2024
Accepted: 26 September 2024
Published: 30 September 2024
Abstract:
This article presents a case study on improving process efficiency in a mining equipment part fabrication company. The company was facing issues concerning communication, organisation, and workflow processes. This study investigated that ineffective communication among departments was the major weakness which was responsible for the long lead or idle time. This lead time was a waste that affected the company’s productivity. A great amount of time was spent on non-value-added processes. The Kanban Centralised Communication System was implemented. Time study and value stream mapping were also used. A significant improvement in process efficiency from 34% to 85% was achieved by reducing lead time from 4200 minutes to 1680 minutes after streamlining the communication in the company using Kanban.
Keywords:
Lean manufacturing, Kanban, Optimization, Process efficiency, Production lead time, Value stream mapping
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© 2024 by the author. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 10
Number 3
September 2025
Last Edition
Volume 10
Number 3
September 2025
How to Cite
V.H. Quan, Research and Optimization of Sport Utility Vehicle Aerodynamic Design. Applied Engineering Letters, 9(2), 2024: 105-115.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2024.9.2.5
More Citation Formats
Quan, V.H. (2024). Research and Optimization of Sport Utility Vehicle Aerodynamic Design. Applied Engineering Letters, 9(2), 105-115.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2024.9.2.5
Quan, Vu Hai, “Research and Optimization of Sport Utility Vehicle Aerodynamic Design.“ Applied Engineering Letters, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 2024, 105-115.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2024.9.2.5
Quan, Vu Hai, 2024. “Research and Optimization of Sport Utility Vehicle Aerodynamic Design.“ Applied Engineering Letters, 9 (2):105-115.
https://doi.org/10.46793/aeletters.2024.9.2.5
Quan, V.H. (2024). Research and Optimization of Sport Utility Vehicle Aerodynamic Design. Applied Engineering Letters, 9(2), pp. 105-115.
doi: 10.46793/aeletters.2024.9.2.5.