Thermal analysis of a smart solar cooker
Aditya PUNIA, Aditya NARERA, K. MANJUNATH
Abstract. A small-scale box-type solar cooker is built along with an Arduino module for temperature sensing and monitoring, making it a smart solar cooker. Experiments are conducted to evaluate this box-type solar cooker. Thermal tests have been carried out, and the required parameters have been determined, namely, thermal efficiency (55%), cooking power (10.6 W), and the two figures of merit (F1 and F2). A baseline box-type solar cooker is adopted as a benchmark for comparing the experimental validation of the cooker, including its cost and performance. The calculated figures of merit, F1 and F2 are 0.12 and 0.31, respectively, and the tested solar cooker can be considered as grade A but is not eligible for ISI certification. Also attempted to use an Arduino module to find a solution to the issue of overcooking in this box-style solar cooker.
Keywords
Box-Type Solar Cooker, Arduino Module, Thermal-Efficiency, Cooking Power, Figures of Merit
Published online 3/1/2025, 10 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Aditya PUNIA, Aditya NARERA, K. MANJUNATH, Thermal analysis of a smart solar cooker, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 49, pp 112-121, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903438-12
The article was published as article 12 of the book Mechanical Engineering for Sustainable Development
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
References
[1] ANSI/ASHRAE standard 93-2003 Methods of Testing to Determine the Thermal Performance of Solar Collectors.
[2] Mullick, S. C., T. C. Kandpal, and A. K. Saxena. “Thermal test procedure for box-type solar cookers.” Solar energy 39.4 (1987): 353-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-092X(87)80021-X
[3] Varshney, Geeteshwar Sharan. “Testing of Solar Box Cookers: A Review.” Journal of emerging technologies and innovative research (2017): n. pag.
[4] Purohit, Ishan, and Pallav Purohit. “Instrumentation error analysis of a box-type solar cooker.” Energy Conversion and Management 50.2 (2009): 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2008.09.030
[5] Lahkar, Pranab J., and S. K. Samdarshi. “A review of the thermal performance parameters of box type solar cookers and identification of their correlations.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 14.6 (2010): 1615-1621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2010.02.009
[6] Adewole, B. Z., O. T. Popoola, and A. A. Asere. “Thermal performance of a reflector based solar box cooker implemented in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.” (2015).
[7] Joshi, Smita B., and A. R. Jani. “Design, development and testing of a small scale hybrid solar cooker.” Solar Energy 122 (2015): 148-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.08.025
[8] American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE). (2003). ASAE S580 JAN03: Testing and Reporting Solar Cooker Performance. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE.
[9] Panwar, N. L., S. C. Kaushik, and Surendra Kothari. “State of the art of solar cooking: An overview.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16.6 (2012): 3776-3785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.03.026
[10] Arunachala, U. Chandavar, and Ashok Kundapur. “Cost-effective solar cookers: A global review.” Solar Energy 207 (2020): 903-916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2020.07.026
[11] Cuce, Erdem, and Pinar Mert Cuce. “A comprehensive review on solar cookers.” Applied Energy 102 (2013): 1399-1421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.09.002
[12] Geddam, Sunil, G. Kumaravel Dinesh, and Thirugnanasambandam Sivasankar. “Determination of thermal performance of a box type solar cooker.” Solar Energy 113 (2015): 324-331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2015.01.014
[13] Ahmed, SM Masum, Md Rahmatullah Al-Amin, Shakil Ahammed, Foysal Ahmed, Ahmed Mortuza Saleque, and Md Abdur Rahman. “Design, construction and testing of parabolic solar cooker for rural households and refugee camp.” Solar Energy 205 (2020): 230-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2020.05.007
[14] Omara, Adil AM, Abuelnuor AA Abuelnuor, Hussein A. Mohammed, Daryoush Habibi, and Obai Younis. “Improving solar cooker performance using phase change materials: A comprehensive review.” Solar Energy 207 (2020): 539-563. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2020.07.015
[15] Soria-Verdugo, A. “Experimental analysis and simulation of the performance of a box-type solar cooker.” Energy for Sustainable Development 29 (2015): 65-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2015.09.006
[16] Misra, Rohit, and Tarun Kumar Aseri. “Thermal performance enhancement of box-type solar cooker: a new approach.” International Journal of Sustainable Energy 31, no. 2 (2012): 107-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/1478646X.2011.552978
[17] Srivastava, Deeksha, Awanish Kesarwani, and Shivani Dubey. “Measurement of Temperature and Humidity by using Arduino Tool and DHT11.” International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) 5.12 (2018): 876-878.
[18] IS 13429-1 (2000): Solar Cooker – Box Type, Part 1: Requirements [MED 4: Non-Conventional Energy Sources]
