Low cost realisation of a high temperature solar cooker

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes a low cost solar cooker for high temperature, traditional pan style, cooking. A non-imaging concentrator comprised of eight flat reflective panels is linked via a cylindrical light guide to a cooking pan that sits at convenient height in a reflective cooking enclosure to minimise radiant and convective losses. The cooker can be manually tracked in azimuth and in altitude. Low temperature cooking and water sterilisation can be achieved in conventional cooking pans. High temperature cooking is achieved by modifying the base of a conventional cooking pan to be either solar selective or windowed with a transparent glazing. The solar cooker is inexpensive to fabricate and simple and safe to use.