Iranian Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (IRSHRAE) Journal of Renewable and New Energy 2423-4931 12 2 2025 09 23 Factors affecting the improvement of solar desalination efficiency in Iran, a review study Factors affecting the improvement of solar desalination efficiency in Iran, a review study 106 117 223275 10.22034/jrenew.2025.223275 FA Masoud Dorfeshan Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khatam Al-Anbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran Arash Bighdeli Msc. Student, Department of Energy Systems, Khatam Al-Anbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran Mahdi Elyasi Kojabad Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Khatam Al-Anbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran Journal Article 2024 12 29 Nowadays, solar water desalination is one of the promising solutions to the problem of drinking water shortage, mainly in remote and sparsely populated areas. In this study, the studies conducted to improve the efficiency of solar water desalination devices are reviewed. The areas under study are divided into three sections: external factors, design and modeling, and special factors. External factors affecting efficiency include suction fans, linear collector lenses, porous blades, microwave preheating, external rotating reflectors, evaporative spray units, and external condensers. In the design and modeling section, various factors such as the design of a desalination plant based on phase change materials, the design of a portable one-person desalination plant, the design of a solar collector, the design of an improved type of step desalination plant, and the optimal modeling of a pond desalination plant have been studied. In the last section, the analysis of specific criteria affecting the performance of solar desalination plants such as magnetic field, extended surfaces, thermoelectric effect, solar tracker, the effect of using sand, the effect of corrosion on components, and the appropriate location for using the desalination plant have been studied. Based on the results of the research, each external factor improves the efficiency of the system on a specific scale from a minimum of 86.5% for the suction fan to a maximum of 76.6% for the linear lenses. These specific criteria also recorded an 11% increase in device efficiency when using 6 3.5 cm high steps to 77% when using vacuum tube collectors. Nowadays, solar water desalination is one of the promising solutions to the problem of drinking water shortage, mainly in remote and sparsely populated areas. In this study, the studies conducted to improve the efficiency of solar water desalination devices are reviewed. The areas under study are divided into three sections: external factors, design and modeling, and special factors. External factors affecting efficiency include suction fans, linear collector lenses, porous blades, microwave preheating, external rotating reflectors, evaporative spray units, and external condensers. In the design and modeling section, various factors such as the design of a desalination plant based on phase change materials, the design of a portable one-person desalination plant, the design of a solar collector, the design of an improved type of step desalination plant, and the optimal modeling of a pond desalination plant have been studied. In the last section, the analysis of specific criteria affecting the performance of solar desalination plants such as magnetic field, extended surfaces, thermoelectric effect, solar tracker, the effect of using sand, the effect of corrosion on components, and the appropriate location for using the desalination plant have been studied. Based on the results of the research, each external factor improves the efficiency of the system on a specific scale from a minimum of 86.5% for the suction fan to a maximum of 76.6% for the linear lenses. These specific criteria also recorded an 11% increase in device efficiency when using 6 3.5 cm high steps to 77% when using vacuum tube collectors. https://www.jrenew.ir/article_223275_569b690e62489ebb342379c10954b8f8.pdf