Solar Cooker Research Articles

Solar Resource and Energy Demand for Autonomous Solar Cooking Photovoltaic Systems in Kenya and Rwanda

The challenges associated with traditional cooking methods in African countries, particularly the use of firewood and charcoal, which have negative impacts on the environment, health and human and economic development and safety, are addressed in this work. Given the high annual solar irradiation on the African continent, photovoltaic-powered electric cooking alternatives, such as electric pressure cookers (EPCs), are identified as a potential efficient, clean and affordable cooking solution. This work focuses on the potential of standalone solar electric cookers for use in rural African locations, namely, if this type of solution can satisfy cooking demand. Surveys and experimental data from several households in two different countries (Rwanda and Kenya) were collected. Specifically, the researchers performed a survey regarding cooking habits and an experimental campaign to determine real energy consumption profiles of EPCs. The main results are analyzed and discussed in this work. An assessment of the solar power capability to directly supply the EPCs’ energy demand, as determined from the experimental data, is performed. The findings indicate that, for the most commonly prepared food types, using EPCs saves considerable time in comparison with traditional cooking methods. In Rwanda, time savings range from 55% to 84%, while in Kenya, the time saved varies from 9% to 64%. Results show that, even for scenarios with high installed solar capacity, storage solutions are required to enable the PV-powered EPC system to supply more than 50% of meal demand.

The effects of using different thermal storage materials and their mixtures on the performance of a solar cooker

The effects of using different thermal storage materials and their mixtures on the performance of a solar cooker

Beyond Solar Cookers: Modeling and Designing Concentrated Solar Power as Engineering Projects in Physics Classrooms

Beyond Solar Cookers: Modeling and Designing Concentrated Solar Power as Engineering Projects in Physics Classrooms

Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer Coefficient in Parabolic Dish Solar Cooker with Thermal Energy Storage System

Abstract: The use of solar cooking can help cut back on the consumption of fossil fuels. Due to the rising expense of fossil fuels, there is a great demand for an energy efficient and affordable solar cooking technology, and it is currently the most popular study topic worldwide. This study examines how a thermal energy storage material (Erythritol) can improve the thermal performance of solar parabolic dish cookers. On the cooking vessel with and without thermal energy storage material, tests for stagnation temperature and water boiling and cooling are performed. In terms of thermal performance, heat loss factor, optical efficiency experimental results for the two instances are analysed. Heat loss factor was found to be 16.8 W/m2K and 28.21 W/m2K in with and without thermal energy storage system

THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF DUAL-OPERATED SOLAR COOKING AND DRYING SYSTEM

In this work, the thermal efficiency of a dual-operated solar cooking and drying system that may be utilized for domestic use was examined. An analysis of the system’s thermal performance was conducted at Sokoto Energy Research Centre (SERC) using the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Sampling cooking and drying tests were carried out, and the potential for extended cooking time for brine solution and animal fat was conducted. The results showed that the first figure of merit (F1) value agrees with the standard value of 0.12 and the second figure of merit (F2) value is in close correspondence with 0.25 (BIS Standard). The system was able to dehydrate 89 % of the moisture content of banana slices weighing 118 g which is of uniform thickness of 4 mm to achieve a stable weight of 12 g after 8 hours of drying. Animal fat showed more potential for extended cooking time than brine solution, as it took 5 hours to cool after heating for about 3 hours. Six pieces of eggs were boiled for 45 minutes in a temperature range of 29.7 oC and 88.2 oC. These findings indicate the potential of this dual-operated system for domestic applications.

Conception, Realization and Testing of a Solar Cooker Built with Ring Array Concentrator - RAC in sub Saharan region

A Ring Array Concentrator - RAC was conceived, realized and tested for cooking purpose in Burkina Faso where irradiation flux is about 5.5kWh/m2/day. The RAC, having a useful aperture area of 1.692 m2, was built with five (5) imbricated conical concentrators. The conceived RAC has a mean geometric concentration ratio evaluated to 38, allowing a transmitted temperature of 330∘C to the receiver’s fluid, supposing a possible cooking time of 6 hours and with a theoretical efficiency from 36% to 40%. This is therefore suitable for cooking, frying and roasting. Water was boiled from October 13th to 15th, 2021 and frying oil was raised up to 132∘C in October 21st and 22nd, 2022. One (1) kg of potatoes was fried and another kg of meat brochettes were roasted for experimental purpose, supporting the fact that RAC systems could be used efficiently to cook in Burkina Faso, a Sub Saharan country. The weak points of the system, such as the sharp decrease of the mean geometric concentration ratio compared to parabolic RAC and the fact that sun rays come from above, could even be improved by the multiplication of the cones and the channeling of the sun rays by multiple reflections. The RAC could therefore be implemented as a clean cooking technology in an area where abusive wood and Charcoal cooking is still widely in place in suburban areas.

Performance of solar cooker with evacuated tubes and photovoltaic panels with phase change materials

Performance of solar cooker with evacuated tubes and photovoltaic panels with phase change materials

Performance parameters, design considerations, social adoption, and computational techniques for solar box cooker development: current status and future possibilities

Practical utility of solar cookers is on rise nowadays. However, due to certain technological challenges this is not catching very fast. Present review paper encompasses studies and future possibilities for solar box cooker research. Various aspects like thermal performance param-eters, various phases of designs improvements, social acceptability issues and computational methods of analysis have been discussed in relation to Solar box cookers so that technical difficulties may be minimized. This paper discusses about introduction to solar box cookers, advantages, disadvantages, various practical considerations that are key factors for any SBC. Further, there is a handsome discussion on the various computational techniques like Com-putational fluid dynamics, Artificial intelligence techniques, IoT etc. Introduction, review of applications till date, and future possibilities related to research using application of these computational techniques have been presented. Emphasis has been given to future possibili-ties for solar box cookers development so that it could be a well-accepted future technology.

Simulation and economic analysis of an innovative indoor solar cooking system with energy storage

Solar energy technology and energy storage technology are promising to make a contribution to current energy and global climate issue. The energy demand of daily cooking is enormous, and conventional cooking methods use gas or electricity with large carbon emissions. This paper proposes an innovative solar cooking system (SCS) integrated with rock-bed thermocline storage. Thermal oils transfer heat from the collectors to the rocks in the charging process and release heat in cooktop unit for cooking. The energy consumption of a household is first assessed by a reasonable hypothesis. Mathematical models and simulation models are then established to analyze the heat transfer performance of the cooktop unit and the annual running performance of the SCS. The rock-bed thermocline storage, single-tank thermocline storage and two-tank storage are compared. The simulation results indicate that the rock-bed thermocline storage unit employed to SCS will enhance the annual running performance and acquire the minimum initial investment cost. The economic analysis shows that the lowest levelized cost of cooking energy (LCOC) of the SCS is 0.3884 $/kWh, while the corresponding levelized cost of cooking a meal (LCCM) is 0.953 $/Meal and the solar fraction (SF) is 71%. Compared to the electrical and natural gas cooker, the SCS saves 1.75 tons and 0.52 tons of carbon emissions annually, respectively.

Application of Different Dehydration Technology on Chrysanthemum for Quality Dry Flower Production under Terai Region of West Bengal, India

Flower is an integral part of human life and day by day the demand is increasing throughout the world. Though fresh flowers look attractive and become scented but it can’t be stored for long time, so, dry flower is the substitute of fresh flowers. Dry flowers are easy tohandle and it can be stored for a long time, hence, available for year roundsupply and post-harvest losses are very low.Twenty three different techniques can be applied for dry flower production, such as - Sun drying, shade drying, sand drying, silicagel drying, borax drying, corn meal drying, alum drying, glycerol drying, hot air oven drying, embedded drying in hot air oven, solar cooker dryingand embedded drying in solar cooker. The colours of initial fresh flowers were matched with RHS (Royal Horticulture Society) Colour Chart and observed as -Yellow group 7(A) and finalcoloursof dried flowers were observedas - T1 (22-B), T2 (15-D), T5 (22-B), T8 (14-C), T9 (15-B), T18 (19-A), T20 (22-A), T21 (18-C), T22 (18-B) meant Yellow orange group and T3 (13-B), T16 (13-B), T4 (11-A), T6 (9-B), T11 (9-B), T7 (13-C), T14 (13-C), T10 (10-A), T12 (8-A), T13 (12-A), T15 (12-A) meant Yellow group. Last two treatments like T17 (163-A) and T23 (162-A) showed Grey orange group. Maximum reduction infresh weight was noticed under T10(1.35g) treatment and minimum with T8(0.35g) treatment. The minimum days required for drying wasobserved under T5(4.17days) and T7(4.17days) treatments and maximum days requiredby T2(22.17days) treatment. Least moisture reduction in the finished product was observed in T8 (31.41%) whereas the moisture reduction was found highest inT10 [89.21(70.83)%] treatment.

Comparative Thermal Performance Analysis of Circular and Triangular Embossed Trapezium Solar Cooker with and without Heat Storage Medium

Comparative Thermal Performance Analysis of Circular and Triangular Embossed Trapezium Solar Cooker with and without Heat Storage Medium

SOLAR COLLECTORS AND A HELIOSTAT PLANT ANALYSIS: A REVIEW

Since the greenhouse effect of overconsumption of fossil fuels is the cause of global warming, efforts have been made in recent decades to replace coal, oil and natural gas with solar energy. Solar cookers, photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar thermal collectors, concentrating solar power plants, and other methods is applicable to harness the sun's energy and bury it into heat and electrical energy. Focusing primarily on solar panels, the purpose of this discussion is to introduce various solar panel systems such as: As an example, we study a molten salt cavity receiver's and heliostat collector's energy and exertion. Finally, we present some methods to optimize plant performance by calculating cycle energy and exergy losses.

Experimental and numerical investigation of a hybrid solar thermal-electric powered cooking oven

The rapid development in technology and changing food habits have drastically altered the cooking method in recent years. Electric ovens are dominating the cooking sector in bakeries, restaurants, and domestic cooking. India holds the second position in terms of revenue generated by the sales of cookers and ovens. The electrical energy requirements are also adding up with electricity-based cooking. In addition, solar energy-dependent solar cooking appliances are available in the market, but they come with their own set of merits and demerits. This paper discusses the new concept and development of an Electric-Solar hybrid cooking appliance. The implemented control mechanism in the fully-featured hybrid OTG (Oven, Toaster, & Griller) oven shows the simplicity and ease of using solar energy in conjunction with electrical energy. The experimental and numerical results show that the temperature distribution inside an electric-solar hybrid oven saves energy up to 51% and takes much less cooking time than electric ovens and solar cooking appliances when operating in hybrid mode. The STEPCO (Solar Thermal-Electric Powered Cooking Oven) oven has demonstrated potential for a relatively quick return on investment, with a payback period of around 2.3 years in hybrid mode and 3.7 years in solar mode. Experimental testing has shown that the hybrid mode of the STEPCO oven achieves an impressive efficiency of 63%, which is significantly higher than that of the electric and solar modes, which are only 35% and 4.0%, respectively. Additionally, the STEPCO oven has the environmental benefit of emitting very little CO2 during the cooking process when used in hybrid mode and zero CO2 emissions when used in solar mode.

Ensuring self-sustainability in decentralized communities through solar cookers combined with food dryers

In the background of the COVID 2019 pandemic, the importance of developing realistic and efficient decentralized energy solutions is one of the essential requirements. This paper presents the performance of a small-scale solar box cooker cum dryer (SBCD) for decentralized communities and domestic scale applications. The drying process in SBCD uses a simple and effective method for moisture removal. It enables de-moisturization of the cooker interior, allowing efficient use of SBCD for the simultaneous dual-mode operation of cooking and drying. Cooker Opto-thermal Ratio (COR) as a thermal performance parameter and glycerin as a test load enable cooking process analysis. COR-based objective parameters (OPs) realistically comment on the cooker performance in the dual-mode operation. Drying kinetic studies describe the drying performance of the device. The levelized cost of cooking meals (LCCM) allows understating of the economics of SBCD.The mean value of COR for the cooker is 0.104 ± 0.0028 (m2·°C)/W with a percentage standard deviation of 2.69%. The experimental values of OPs, reference cooking time, and maximum achievable load temperature varies between 74 and 86 min and 103–111 °C, respectively. Thus, SBCD cooks in approximately 80–90 min and dries ∼ 100 g of food products simultaneously with 70–80 % moisture removal. The LCCM for SBCD is $ 0.0174 per meal. Thus, SBCD depicts a realistic solution for ensuring self-sustainability in decentralized communities.

Comparative Study of a Fixed-Focus Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator/Conical Cavity Receiver System with and without Glass Cover Installed in a Solar Cooker

The glass cover is often situated at the aperture of a cavity receiver in concentrating collectors to reduce heat dissipation. However, the decrease in optical efficiency due to the reflection loss on the surface of the glass cover will directly reduce the thermal efficiency of a collector, especially for a fixed-focus solar concentrator, whose optical axis is generally not coincident with the central axis of the receiver. To fundamentally evaluate the effect of a glass cover on the efficiency of a fixed-focus Fresnel lens solar concentrator/conical cavity receiver system, its performances with and without a glass cover considered under different incidence angles were comparatively investigated. To obtain the optical performance, optical models of the system were first built with TracePro® 7.0 software. An experimental setup was then constructed to test the thermal performance of the system. The results show that the optical efficiency of a system without a glass cover is much higher than that with a glass cover. The difference between them remains unchanged for incidence angle at a range of 0–20°. The time constant of the system with a glass cover is much less than that without a glass cover, in the ranges of 29–33 s and 48–59 s, respectively. The system with a glass cover for a wide range of higher temperature differences also has better thermal efficiency.

Barriers of solar cooking and policy prescription towards its adoption in Tanzania: The case of Southern Unguja and Kilimanjaro regions

Solar cooking is a sustainable way of cooking and heating that use direct energy from the sun. Despite the introduction of solar cookers in Tanzania, various challenges have hindered the adoption of this technology. This study aims to explore the level of awareness of solar cooking technology among community members, and the main barriers confronting its usage, while exploring factors that can strengthen its adoption in Tanzania. The study is informed by semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and a review of relevant documents. The collected quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were brought under thematic analysis. The study found a good level of understanding and awareness of solar cooking technology among researched communities. Nevertheless, higher prices, poor designs, limited access, weather dynamics were found among factors discouraging successful adoption. Moreover, solar cooking adoption is incentivized by the relief from costs of using of conventional fuels such as fuelwood. The study concludes that solar cooking technology bears a great potential of environmentally friendliness, long term cost saving with zero operational costs, and protects the health of the users from some harmful cooking fuels. This study recommends more efforts to promote the domestic use of solar cooking through education to individuals in the communities and policy interventions to increase its adoption rate in Tanzania.

Theoretical Analysis and Thermal Design of Solar Cooking Unit with NaNO3+KNO3 Phase Change Material

Theoretical Analysis and Thermal Design of Solar Cooking Unit with NaNO3+KNO3 Phase Change Material

Precise Fourier series and fuzzification method analysis of standardized thermal energy of solar box cooker performance: economic and environmental studies.

A solar cooker is essential for cooking nutrient-dense food as opposed to LPG, which is avoidable. In the current situation, the solar cooker's incorporation of a nanoparticle covering resulted in improved thermal performance and shorter cooking times. It has been attempted to forecast thermal performance using the Fourier series and to validate the study of cooking liquid temperatures using the Fourier series. Additionally, the logical modeling of the complete cooking process with the climatic conditions has been fuzzified in order to create fuzzy rules. Also, a thermal measurement of the cooking process was conducted during the experiment to support the fuzzy inference. From the study, it can be inferred that fuzzy logic modeling and Fourier series analysis can both be used to simulate the proposed system under various climatic settings that are comparable to the local climatic conditions in Chennai. In comparison to Pt values that have a larger dependence, a solar box cooker study of the environment and economy is applied to determine total carbon dioxide emissions (%) that reduce a period when this design was used. There is a clear correlation between minimization of CO2 emission and Pt values. The overall efficiency was determined to be 52.6% when boiling water and 38.99% when the oil was at its steady-state temperature.

Thermal performance analysis of solar box cookers using different fin configurations: An experimental investigation

Thermal performance analysis of solar box cookers using different fin configurations: An experimental investigation

Performance Prediction Model Development for Solar Box Cooker Using Computational and Machine Learning Techniques

Abstract The development of prediction models for solar thermal systems has been a research interest for many years. The present study focuses on developing a prediction model for solar box cookers (SBCs) through computational and machine learning (ML) approaches. The prime objective is to forecast cooking load temperatures of SBC through ML techniques such as random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), linear regression (LR), and decision tree (DT). ML is a commonly used form of artificial intelligence, and it continues to be popular and attractive as it finds new applications every day. A numerical model based on thermal balance is used to generate the dataset for the ML algorithm considering different locations across the world. Experiments on the SBC in Indian weather conditions are conducted from January through March 2022 to validate the numerical model. The temperatures for different components obtained through numerical modeling agree with experimental values with less than 7% maximum error. Although all the developed models can predict the temperature of cooking load, the RF model outperformed the other models. The root-mean-square error (RMSE), determination coefficient (R2), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean square error (MSE) for the RF model are 2.14 (°C), 0.992, 1.45 (°C), and 4.58 (°C), respectively. The regression coefficients indicate that the RF model can accurately predict the thermal parameters of SBCs with great precision. This study will inspire researchers to explore the possibilities of ML prediction models for solar thermal conversion applications.