Design, Realization, and Preliminary Tests of a Three-Dimensional Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) Solar Cooker in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

AbstractSolar cooking is a good solution to stop environmental damages such as deforestation. The chapter presents a solar cooker fitted with a three-dimensional compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) reflector. A solar ray comes into the CPC at an angle θ. In the first step, the best half acceptance angle θc was investigated. From this investigation, the value θc = 20° was chosen for the design of our CPC concentrator. The width b of the circular absorber, the focal length f of the parabola, and θc are correlated. A width b = 0.28 m was chosen. Then from the values of b and θc = 20°, the focal length f was determined. Then the aperture width a of the concentrator was calculated by assuming that the CPC is ideal. Finally, the length h of the CPC was calculated. Two parabolas were used to get the CPC reflector profile. The two-dimensional profile was realized using steel rods. The three-dimensional CPC is realized by rotating the two-dimensional profile around the axis of symmetry. Then galvanized steel sheets were used to make the 12 facets of the reflective surface. Square pieces of mirror were set on the galvanized steel to increase the reflectance of the inner surface of the CPC. The base of the receiver was insulated. A support and a manual tracking system were realized. The CPC was glazed by a circular glass set above the receiver. Cooking tests were made that allowed the well cooking of eggs.KeywordsSolar cookerThree-dimensional CPCReflector profileSun tracking