page_title: Solar still
section_title: Wick still
hierarchical_section_title: Solar still / Variations / Wick still
caption_attribution_description: English: This file shows how a wick basin solar still work. The original image is available from the article in the source.
context_page_description: A solar still distills water with substances dissolved in it by using the heat of the Sun to evaporate water so that it may be cooled and collected, thereby purifying it. They are used in areas where drinking water is unavailable, so that clean water is obtained from dirty water or from plants by exposing them to sunlight.
  There are many types of solar still, including large scale concentrated solar stills and condensation traps. In a solar still, impure water is contained outside the collector, where it is evaporated by sunlight shining through clear plastic or glass. The pure water vapour condenses on the cool inside surface and drips down, where it is collected and removed.
  Distillation replicates the way nature makes rain. The sun's energy heats water to the point of evaporation. As the water evaporates, water vapour rises, condensing into water again as it cools and can then be collected. This process leaves behind impurities, such as salts and heavy metals, and eliminates microbiological organisms. The end result is pure distilled drinking water.
context_section_description: The “wick” type solar still is a glass-topped box constructed and held at an angle to allow sunlight in. Salt water poured in from the top is heated by sunlight, evaporating the water. It condenses on the underside of the glass and drips to the bottom. A pool of brine in the still is attached to the wicks which separate the water into banks to increase surface area for heating. The distilled water comes out of the bottom and, depending on the quality of construction, most of the salt has been purged from the water. The more wicks, the more heat can be transferred to the saltwater, and more products can be made. A plastic net can also catch saltwater before it falls into the container and give it more time to heat up and separate into brine and water. The wick type solar still is made vapor-tight, as in the vapor does not escape to the atmosphere. To aid in absorbing more heat, some wicks are blackened to take in more heat. Glass's absorption of heat is negligible compared to plastic at higher temperatures. A problem, depending on the application, with glass is that it is not flexible if the solar still is not a standard shape.
caption: This image shows how a wick basin solar still works.
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