Submission of Proposal for

Student Projects Scheme 2021 - 2022

COST EFFECTIVE & ECO-FRIENDLY GREYWATER

TREATMENT USING A NOVEL SOLAR DISTILLATION UNIT TO
PRODUCE DISTILLED WATER USED IN CPAP VENTILLATOR
FOR COVID TREATMENT

Submitted
To

TAMIL NADU STATE COUNCIL FOR

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

by
PAVITHRA V
SILSIYA ROY A

SUNDAR S

B.E Mechanical Engineering, IV year students, Velammal Engineering College

Under the Guidance of

M. DEEPAK KUMAR
Asst.Professor - II Department of
Mechanical Engineering
 PROJECT DETAILS
1. Graphical Abstract

2. INTRODUCTION
In this unprecedented situation, water plays an important role for the survival of mankind. Distilled
water has wide variety of applications in various industries. Although more than two thirds of the earth
have been covered with water, only about 0.014% of global water can be used directly for human and
industrial purposes. Distillation is the process of removing metals, minerals and other inorganic
compounds from sea water and brackish water to produce pure water to meet primary domestic needs.
Sea water contains 35000 ppm of dissolved solids mostly sodium chloride, calcium and magnesium
salts and brackish water contain 5000 – 10000 ppm of dissolved solids. The amount of dissolved solids in
potable water should not exceed 500 ppm. Approximately 16000 distillation plants are currently
operational, located in 177 countries and territories across the globe. Modern distillation methods utilize
electricity for operation which is a major drawback especially in under developed and developing
countries due to energy crisis in these regions. Also, these methods contribute to global warming and
incur high cost.

Solar energy is a clean renewable energy which is inexhaustible and environment friendly. The
energy density of solar radiation is approximately 1368 W/m 2 at the upper reaches of our atmosphere
and approximately 1000 W/m2 at the earth’s surface. The energy content is so high that the total solar
energy received by earth every day is about 200000 times the world’s total daily electric generating
capacity. Utilization of this abundant clean energy in desalination methods seems to be a viable option.
Solar desalination method is a simple, small scale and cost-effective method to produce potable water
from saline and brackish water. It consumes large amount of energy to extract a portion of potable water
from the feed water.
2.1 CPAP treatment for COVID patients
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is a novel coronavirus associated with high mortality rates. The use of
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) has been recognised as a management option for severe
COVID-19 cases. The humidifier in CPAP requires ultra-pure water without any solid contaminants.
Distilled water is one of the most viable option for such sensitive application.

3. Objectives
The various objectives of this project work are as follows,

1. Design and develop a novel solar still suitable for conversion of grey water from the washing
machine to distilled water.

2. Analyse the effect of grey water depth on the productivity of solar still so as to optimize the feed
water input.

3. Analyse the quality of water and determine the efficacy of the distilled water in CPAP humidifier
used for COVID treatment.

4. Methodology
4.1 System description

A schematic representation of the experimental solar still is shown in Fig. 2. A single slope
single basin solar still will be fabricated using 0.004 m thick galvanized iron sheet as the base material
and is covered at the top using glass of 0.006 m thickness. The usage of galvanized iron is to avoid the
formation of rust on the inner side of the basin and also for its high thermal conductivity. Glass is the
preferred material for cover, since it has high solar transmittance for various angles of incidence. The
glass cover is positioned facing south and inclined at an angle of 13 o in accordance with the latitude of
Chennai, India for maximum solar incidence. The whole basin surface is coated with black paint to
increase the solar absorptivity. The base area of the solar still is 0.7 x 0.7 m. The height of the solar still
was 0.2 m from the lower end of the glass and 0.362 m from the upper end of the glass cover. A gap of
0.15 m is provided between the ground and the solar still to avoid the conductive heat loss through the
bottom surface of the still. A separate water supply tank made of GI sheet is provided adjacent to the
solar still. The washing machine drain water will be stored in the storage tank and will be preheated
using solar energy before supplying to the still. Sealants are used to fill the gap between the glass cover
and the still basin to prevent any leakage. Since the grey water from the washing machine contains high
amount of TDS, the still has to be incorporated with a stirrer setup to enhance the heat transfer rate and
to remove the formation of scales at the bottom of the basin. The stirrer is powered by a motor and the
effect of rotational speed on the productivity is also analysed.
3.3 Methodology

Fig 1. Methodology Flow – Chart

4. Budget

S. No Expenditure Description Total ( .)

A Research Equipment

1 Solar Still Setup 7500

2 900
Water Quality Analysis

TOTAL COST 8400

6. Other Details
❖ Instruments and CPAP humidifier are already available at the institute

7. Project Similarity & Improvements

❖ Conversion of brackish water into potable water in a solar still has been already carried
out in our institution and across the globe.
❖ Treatment of drain water from washing machine has not been carried out or recorded
anywhere.
❖ Testing the efficacy of distilled water produced from solar still for CPAP humidifier has not
been analyzed.

“Save water and it will save us”