DESIGNING AND TESTING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOX TYPE SOLAR COOKERS MADE FROM WOOD, ALUMINUM FOIL AND TRANSPARENT GLASS

Abstract

Three box type solar cookers were designed and prepared from locally available materials. Performance evaluations of the three box-type solar cookers were made by boiling water, heating sand and by measuring temperature of empty pots. The size of the boxes were 50 cm × 50 cm × 40 cm and 12 mm thickness. The absorber plate was made of 1 mm metal sheet and painted black. Commercially, available 4 mm thick transparent glass was used as cover material. The plane reflector was made of a commercially available aluminum foil which is sized to form a cover for the box when not being in use. The three boxes were identical except the first (BTSC1) had only one glass cover, the second (BTSC2) had double glass cover and the third ((BTSC3) double glass cover and reflectors. Three identical cooking pots were used for boiling water of 0.2 kg and heating sand of 1.3 kg. In all the three tests BSTC3 outperformed the other two by a minimum 15o C. The required time for heating water was reduced by using the reflector while steam condensation reduced by using the close-fitting pot.