Performance of Elliptical Solar Cooker Suitable for Baghdad Environment

Abstract

In this research, a solar cooker was manufacture from the scrap of an elliptical satellite dish, the dish was covered with reflective layer of aluminum that reflects up to up to 85% of solar radiation. This solar cooker has the ability to move horizontally in 360 degrees and vertically in 90 degrees, which makes it easier to follow the movement of the sun. Experimental investigation was carried out on this solar cooker in January, March, June, September between the hours of 9:00 AM. to 3:00 PM local time in Baghdad city in year 2020, by heating 1 L of water at every experiment, the results showed the best month for testing is June, due to the increase in the intensity of solar radiation and the reduced influence of weather factors, wind speed and cloud cover. this changing environmental conditions led to an instability in energy efficiency. The results also showed that the thermal efficiency is correlated inversely with solar radiation. This means that whenever the quantity of solar radiation was high we needed less energy to raise the temperature of the water, because the thermal efficiency is the ratio of the sensible energy required to heat the mass of water in the pot when the solar energy falls on the dish at the same time, and is correlated inversely with temperature and wind speed.