Thermal Performance Analysis of a Box-Type Solar Cooker with Finned Pot: An Experimental Approach

The thermal performance of a box-type solar cooker with finned cooking pot has been investigated experimentally under local climate conditions at Talcher, Odisha, India. Box-type solar cooker with finned and un-finned cooking pots of same sizes have been used for this experimental study. Fins can be thought of as an extension of the surface which enables additional heat flow from cooker cavity to pot. The performance of the constructed solar cooker was tested using the standard procedure for testing. Testing was performed over 3-month period between May and July 2016, with 1 L water load. Furthermore, various factors affecting the cooking performance like pot type, the solar intensity, and the local time were examined. The maximum temperature in the un-finned and finned pot reached 93 and 102 °C, respectively in the clear weather condition and 70 and 76 °C in cloudy weather condition. The cooker efficiency can reach 53% for finned pot and 50% for un-finned pot in cloudy weather and 72 and 54% respectively in clear weather. The cooker temperature found to depend on the solar radiation intensity and the type of cooking pot. The present solar cooker is of low cost, fabricated locally and simple in use.