Experimental investigation of novel design of solar cooker with dual thermal storage unit based on parabolic dish-type collector

A solar cooker based on a parabolic dish collector with a dual thermal storage unit was investigated for different loads. In this experimental setup, a solar cooker with integrated sensible heat storage unit (sand) and latent heat storage unit (acetamide) was kept on a plate of parabolic dish collector. During the daytime, sand stores heat and transfers it to the latent heat storage unit, which further stores and transfers heat to the cooking pot. During the evening, the solar cooker is kept in the insulator box and the thermal storage system (acetamide and sand) delivers heat to the food. It was found that for different cases, the rate of evening cooking was found to be approximately 1.5 to 2 times faster as compared to noon cooking. Also the temperature of cooked food at 20:00 h was found to be in the range of 60.2°C to 70.6°C for different cases of cooking. This is due to sand, which acts as a sensible heat storage unit as well as an insulator to the solar cooker. © 2013 by Begell House, Inc.