There is provided a solar still apparatus for converting contaminated water contained in a contaminated water body into distillate water, the contaminated water body having a water surface, the solar still apparatus comprising a cover in the form of a geometrical projection comprising a wall, an opening and a chamber, wherein the wall is adapted to be in thermal communication with the external environment for capturing solar heat and in optical communication with the opening for allowing passage of solar rays from the external environment to the opening; the opening is adapted to be in optical communication with the wall and the surface of the contaminated water body for allowing passage of the solar rays from the wall to the surface of the contaminated water body for heating the contaminated water to form a vapor, and adapted to be in fluid communication with the surface of the contaminated water body and the chamber for allowing passage of the vapor from the surface of the contaminated water body inside the chamber; and the chamber is defined by the wall, the chamber being adapted to be in fluid communication with the opening for receiving the vapor formed and condensing the vapor for forming condensed distillate water therefrom.

A buoyant apparatus that is capable of floating on liquid surfaces, such as bodies of water filled with waste byproducts. The buoyant apparatus supports a plurality of atomizers via rotatable and flexible arms that can achieve 180 adjustments with the respect to a longitudinal axis of the buoyant apparatus, such that the arms can be parallel to a surface of the body of water in both an extended orientation (with the atomizers deployed over the water surface) and a retracted orientation (with the atomizers stored within the surface area of the platform). In addition, the arms can achieve 360 rotational adjustments about the attachment point of the arms to the platform. The atomizers and arms are powered by low voltage direct current (DC) motors that can utilize solar power via photovoltaic cells such that the apparatus can be employed in remote locations without the need for a centralized power grid.

The present disclosure evaporation panel systems including plurality of evaporation panels, wherein a first evaporation panel and a second evaporation panel of the plurality of evaporation panels each include evaporation shelves and support columns to support and separate to the evaporation shelves. At least a portion of the support columns include evaporation fins so that wastewater is loadable along the support column. The first evaporation panel and the second evaporation panel in this example are releasably connectable to one another to form a sub-assembly.

An evaporation panel can include a first evaporation shelf including a first upper surface and a first lower surface, a second evaporation shelf positioned beneath the first evaporation shelf and having a second upper surface, and a support column disposed between the first evaporation shelf and the second evaporation shelf. In this example, the support column can include an evaporation fin.

A wastewater evaporative separation system can include an evaporation panel assembly having a plurality of individual evaporation panels laterally and releasably joined together, the evaporation panel assembly configured for receiving wastewater from a body of wastewater and evaporating water therefrom as the wastewater cascades down the evaporation panel assembly and contaminants become more concentrated. The system also includes a wastewater delivery system fluidly associated with the body of wastewater with a fluid directing assembly delivering the wastewater from the body of wastewater to an upper portion of the evaporation panel assembly.

A solar-powered system includes a support portion; and an evaporation portion having a pumping layer and a photothermal layer. The support portion pumps a fluid to the evaporation portion, the pumping layer evaporates the fluid based on solar power; and the photothermal layer is insulated from the pumping layer.

A double liquid distribution device is suitable for a fractionating or wash column comprising a high collector tray connected to a manifold support via at least two longitudinal liquid downflow ducts. The manifold support supports at least two series of transverse tubular manifolds and feeds liquid respectively to the first series of manifolds via a first longitudinal duct and to the second series of manifolds via a second longitudinal duct. Each manifold includes distribution orifices in its under face suitable for distributing the liquid onto the top face of the packing bed. The two longitudinal liquid downflow ducts are connected together in a low portion by a communication device fitted with a valve having controlled opening suitable for allowing the liquid to be transferred between the two longitudinal ducts in controlled manner.

The invention relates to a method and device for accelerating the evaporation of liquids, in particular water, using solar energy. The device is made of a polymer material with a density of 0.8-0.95 g/cm.sup.3 and contains a flat base, on the upper and lower surfaces of which there are ribs to ensure that the surface of the base is immersed under the surface of water, while the ratio the mass of the upper, lower ribs and base is 1:1:1. The efficiency of water evaporation is increased due to solar energy absorption into the thin surface layer of water having a thickness from 1 to 10 mm. The method uses the fact that the thin surface layer of water is isolated while the device under the surface of water. As the surface layer evaporates the device is steadily positioned at a given depth below the water surface.

An evaporation system including a reservoir, for receiving a liquid mixture to be reduced through evaporation; and a tray, for being received in the reservoir, the tray defining a heating chamber into which the liquid from the reservoir may flow, the heating chamber configured to heat the liquid therein to increase evaporation of the liquid.

There is provided a water transportation system comprising evaporation zones for converting water into water vapour; condensation zones for condensing the water vapour into condensed water, the condensation zones being in fluid communication with the evaporation zones; water vapour conduits adapted to enable the fluid communication of the water vapour between the evaporation zones and the condensation zones; condensed water conduits adapted to enable the fluid communication of condensed water between the condensation zones and the evaporation zones; wherein the evaporation zones and the condensation zones alternate in position along a water transportation path between a water source site and a water destination site for enabling the transport of water from the water source site to the water destination site through alternating processes of evaporation-condensation and condensation-evaporation of the water.