Enhancing the traditional solar still using nano-particle doped sand

Water scarcity is a growing global crisis, with arid countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bearing the brunt. Some of the more developed arid countries employ fossil fuel driven desalination plants to meet water demands. While effective, these plants are subject to fuel price fluctuations, and are not environmentally sustainable. The motive of the present project is to enhance the traditional solar still concept as a potential solution for the looming crisis. A solar still purifies saline waters by using solar radiation to produce, condense, and subsequently collect pure water. The primary objective of this project is to speed up a conventional solar still process by harnessing solar energy in nanoparticle-doped desert sand using the Plasmonic Effect. A secondary objective of this research will be to provide a portable, low-cost thermal energy storage system where thermal energy heats the water. This novel approach has proven successful as temperatures of around 400 degrees Celsius temperatures was attained within our heating element.