Destilação solar para fins de dessalinização: aplicação de materiais alternativos e tecnológicos para a produção mais eficiente de água potável

Abstract

The growing global water crisis and the drought phenomenon that affects the Brazilian semi-arid region show the real need to investigate more efficient and low cost desalination systems and processes. In this context, the objective of this work is to investigate the use of alternative and technological materials in the absorption of solar radiation, with the purpose of increasing the productivity of simple design solar distillers. The applicability of selected materials such as: Cobalt Ferrite, Chitosan | Graphite, Residual ash; Monazite \ Alanita and Black Commercial Paint, were investigated by the study of evaporation kinetics, conducted in a photo-assisted environment and under real solar irradiation. For this, a photoassisted evaporator was designed and built, followed by the development of methodologies for the acquisition of evaporation kinetics in the two environments investigated. Photoassisted assays with nanostructured cobalt ferrite promoted maximum increments of the 14.8% in the evaporation rate compared to the reference system, with reproducibility higher than 99%, evidencing that both the evaporator and the methodology for the acquisition of the kinetic data in this environment are reliable. Photo-based studies with residual ash from the sugar and alcohol industry resulted in a 24.3% increase in the evaporation rate compared to the reference system. Evaporation experiments in the real environment promoted improved productivity by up to 60.7% with the use of black commercial frosted paint, suggesting accumulated 4.0 kg / m² of distillate in only 3.5 hours of sun exposure.