Recent developments in solar energy-based systems for essential oil extraction from aromatic and medicinal plants: an...

The present study summarises recent developments in solar-assisted extraction systems for distillation of essential oil from aromatic and medicinal plants. Various solar integrated essential oil extraction systems are compared based on performance parameters such as essential oil yield and system efficiency along with their potential effects on the domains of renewable energy. Solar steam distillation is an environmentally beneficial and energy-efficient technology of desalination that is especially ideal for areas with plentiful sun resources. Incorporating solar energy into the extraction process not only improves the sustainability of the production of essential oils but also presents a possible means of lowering carbon emissions. The study covers several new concepts aimed at enhancing the performance and application of solar steam distillation systems. Therapeutic properties of essential oils are also discussed. Among various plant species, maximum essential oil yield (2.2%) has been found for lemongrass grass and the system with the highest efficiency (60.25%) is the one with parabolic dish collector. Minimum essential oil yield (0.46%) is noted for rosemary and minimum system efficiency (8.37%) has been found for square parabolic trough collector.