Design, Construction, and Evaluation of the Performance of Dual-Axis Sun Trucker Parabolic Solar Cooker and Comparison of Cooker

Abstract

Energy demand is increasing due to population increment and industrialization. To meet this energy demand, technologies that use renewable energy such as solar energy are being developed. A parabolic solar cooker is one of the main solar cookers, which can cook food and boil water at a high temperature within a short period. This study aimed to design, construct, and evaluate the performance of the constructed parabolic solar cookers. Moreover, this study aimed to compare the constructed cooker with firewood, charcoal, kerosene, and electricity in terms of cooking time and energy cost. The cooker was constructed using different materials such as old satellite dishes, tyres, steel, and aluminum foil. The aperture diameter, aperture area, receiver diameter, receiver area, depth of the parabola, focal length, rim angle, circumference of the circle, surface area, length of the circumference, and concentration of the cooker were 1.8 m, 2.54 m2, 0.16 m, 0.02 m2, 0.3 m, 0.67 m, 67.38°, 5.76 m, 2.81 m2, 5.76 m, and 123.46, respectively. The cooker can track the sun from north to south and from east to west. The performance of the cooker was evaluated by calculating the efficiency and power. The output energy, input energy, and average upcoming solar radiation of the constructed parabolic solar cooker were 0.182 kW/m2, 1.691 kW/m2, and 0.665 kW/m2, respectively. The efficiency and power of the cooker were 10.75% and 0.3 kW/hr, respectively. The constructed parabolic solar cooker relatively showed better performance in cooking different foods. A family, which has five members, was considered to compare the constructed cooker with other fuels in terms of energy cost of cooking. Since the parabolic solar cooker does not have any energy cost, it can save the energy cost of cooking foods. Therefore, parabolic solar cookers have a great advantage for developing countries including Ethiopia.

Improved Receiver Design Concepts for Parabolic Dish Direct Solar Cooking Systems

“…The use of thermal oil as the working fluid achieved higher temperatures compared to water. Tibebu and Hailu (2021) designed, constructed, and evaluated the performance of dualaxis sun-tracking parabolic solar cooker and compared the cooker with firewood, charcoal, kerosene, and electricity in terms of cooking time and energy cost of cooking. The study found that the output energy, input energy, efficiency and power of the parabolic solar cooker were 0.182 kW, 1.691 kW, 10.75%, and 0.3 kW/hr, respectively.…”

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

“…Traditionally, solar cooking solutions use solar thermal energy in solar ovens or cookers, equipment that collects solar radiation and converts it into heat used to cook food. Their mode of operation is based on reflecting solar radiation to a focal area where the pot or pan (or frying pan in some cases) is placed, and/or trapping and absorbing solar radiation in an enclosure that retains the heat [14][15][16].…”

A Theoretical Evaluation of the Efficiencies of Metal-Free 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Insights from Electron–Hole Separation Distance Analysis

“…Additionally, widespread concerns have also been raised about the pervasiveness of global warming caused by energy consumption [2]. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have several advantages: they replenish themselves naturally, produce little secondary waste, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability [3,4]. These sources include bioenergy, direct solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, wind, and ocean energy (tide and wave) [4].…”