A Review of Vacuum-Enhanced Solar Stills for Improved Desalination Performance

Mudhar A. Al-Obaidi (), Farhan Lafta Rashid, Hassan A. Abdulhadi, Sura S. Al-Musawi and Mujeeb Saif
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Mudhar A. Al-Obaidi: Technical Instructor Training Institute, Middle Technical University, Baghdad 10074, Iraq
Farhan Lafta Rashid: Petroleum Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Kerbala, Karbala 56001, Iraq
Hassan A. Abdulhadi: Technical Instructor Training Institute, Middle Technical University, Baghdad 10074, Iraq
Sura S. Al-Musawi: College of Engineering, Al-Naji University, Baghdad 10074, Iraq
Mujeeb Saif: College of Administrative and Financial Science, Gulf University, Sanad 26489, Bahrain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-32

Abstract: The lack of freshwater and the low efficiency of the traditional solar stills have led to the search to find a technology that can enhance desalination by use of vacuum-enhanced solar still technology. This review intends to investigate the impact of integrating a vacuum into solar stills, which include vacuum membrane distillation (VMD), nanoparticle-enhanced solar stills, multi-effect/tubular solar stills, geothermal integration and parabolic concentrator solar stills. The most important findings show that the productivity improves greatly: vacuum-assisted solar stills give up to 133.6% more product using Cu 2 O nanoparticles, and multi-effect tubular stills under vacuum (40−60 kPa) show a doubling in freshwater productivity (7.15 kg/m 2 ) in comparison to atmospheric operation. Geothermal cooling and vacuum pump systems show a 305% increase in productivity, and submerged VMD reached 5.9 to 11.1 kg m −2 h −1 with solar heating. Passive vacuum designs further reduce the energy used down to a specific cost, using as little as USD 0.0113/kg. Nevertheless, membrane fouling, initial cost, and the complexity of the system can still be termed as the challenges. This review highlights the significance of vacuum-enhanced solar stills to address the critical issue of freshwater scarcity in arid regions. The integration of vacuum membrane distillation, nanoparticle and heat recovery into vacuum-enhanced solar stills enabled us to improve the economic feasibility. We conclude that vacuum technologies significantly boost the efficiency and economic feasibility of solar desalination as a potential approach to sustainable desalination. Specifically, these inventions will contribute to providing a renewable and cost-effective solution for freshwater production. Further investigations are required to overcome the existing challenges, such as system complexity and membrane fouling, to effusively comprehend the efficacy of vacuum-enhanced solar stills to ensure sustainable water management.

Keywords: vacuum-enhanced solar stills; sustainable desalination; membrane distillation; multi-effect distillation; renewable energy; economic feasibility; comprehensive review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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