Experimental investigation of thermal storage integrated indirect solar cooker with and without reflectors

Environmental degradation, harmful gas emissions, and the increase in prices of fuel and electricity are the main driving forces behind the need for more effective utilization of renewable energy. In the present study, indirect solar cooking system with a flat plate collector integrated with a phase change material was designed, constructed and experimentally tested. Comparative study was conducted on the performance of the solar cooker with and without reflectors. Four plane reflectors on each side of the collector were used to enhance the solar insolation falling on the collector while stearic acid is used as PCM in the thermal storage unit. Daily average enhancement of 42.3% on the reflected solar radiation was found with four reflectors. The result showed that the maximum average absorber plate temperature, maximum outlet water temperature, maximum energy and exergy efficiency of FPC with and without reflectors are found to be 130 °C, 103.65 °C , 79%, and 48% and 92 °C, 71 °C, 63%, and 42% respectively.The overall system efficiency of the indirect solar cooker was found to be 19.04%. The utilization efficiency and characteristic boiling time of the cooker was found to be 22.3% and 15.7 min/kg.