Building and Performance Evaluation of Novel Solar Cooking System in Gujarat, India

Abstract

Wood is generally used as a source of energy for cooking in rural and semi-urban areas of India. Approximately 216 million tons per year of wood is consumed in the cooking of which 9.731 million tons per year is used in Gujarat. The use of wood causes deforestation and increases indoor pollution. To reduce this, solar energy can be used as an alternate source of energy for cooking. The current research aims to present the findings of two weeks of experiments in the Indian (Gujarat) climate with the novel solar cooker. The cooker was build using a parabolic dish collector (85 % reflectivity) with a supporting structure and adjustable mechanism, a receiver (heat exchanger) and a cooking burner with a pot. The experimental result shows that the maximum temperature available at the receiver is 110°C with 560.7 W/m2 of average solar irradiation, justifying solar cooking as a viable alternative source of energy for cooking in Gujarat and India.

Experimental Analysis of Solar Parabolic Trough Collector for Novel Solar Cooking System in Gujarat, India

“…Standardized Solar Cooking Power [10,11]: Employing the established reference value of standard solar irradiation at 700 W/m 2 , the standardised cooking power is computed through the utilization of equation ( 1).…”

“…(1) Where, I represent the interval average solar irradiance in watts per square meter (W/m²), and Ps signifies the standardized cooking power in watts (W) [10,11]: The effective solar energy intake during the heating process, quantified as the alteration in sensible heat content of water. The theoretical determination of solar cooking power is feasible through the utilization of equation (2).…”

“…(2) Where, P represents the power demand for cooking, measured in watts (W), mw denotes the mass of water being heated, expressed in kilograms (kg), Cpw signifies the specific heat capacity of water, measured in joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg•K), t stands for the duration of the heating process, represented in seconds (s), T1and T2 represents the initial and final temperatures of the water, respectively, in degrees Celsius (°C). [10,11]: Thermal efficiency is determined by using the equations (3).…”