A comprehensive review and mathematical modelling of corrugated-absorber solar stills: Configurations, performance, and cost-effectiveness

Traditional solar stills have low evaporation rates and low thermal efficiency which limits their practical applicability in decentralized production of freshwater. Corrugated absorber designs have become a promising passive approach to improve heat transfer through the augmentation of the effective surface area and by encouraging the evaporation of thin films. A systematic review (2020-2026) conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines is presented in the study, which combines experimental evidence with a single mathematical modeling approach that adds a corrugation factor (ϕ) to measure geometry-enhanced heat transfer. It has been shown by the analysis that corrugated absorbers are much more effective than the traditional flat-plate designs, and the productivity of these absorbers improves by 28-300%. Hybrid systems with V-corrugated absorbers with nanofluids and phase change materials attain thermal and exergy efficiencies of up to 78 and 93% respectively. Economically, levelized water prices are 0.0038‐0.042 $/L, payback period is frequently less than 1.5 years, which proves a high cost-effectiveness. Environmental analysis also underscores the huge potential of CO 2 mitigation and the attendant carbon credit incentive. The review finds that corrugated absorber solar stills, especially when combined with novel materials like nano-enhanced phase change materials, nanofluids, and wicking structures are highly efficient economically feasible and scalable alternative to sustainable desalination. Other important research gaps such as geometry optimization, multi-physics model, and intelligent control strategies are also outlined to inform future development.