Experimental validation of design-induced change on the opto-thermal performance of solar box cooker utilizing the novel design of cooking pot

The present work explores the influence of design-induced change on the performance of box solar cooker (BSC). A novel cooking pot design with stainless steel fins on its lateral surface and a glass lid is fabricated and tested under field conditions. The performance of the BSC with a new cooking pot is evaluated and compared using a TPP-based test protocol. The present work is the first evidence of using the proposed novel cooking pot’s design in a BSC operating at an intermediate temperature. The inter-cooker performance of BSC with a new cooking pot design is compared with the same BSC design tested previously with two other cooking pot designs.

The opto-thermal performance of a BSC with a new pot design resulted in the COR as 0.115 [(m²·°C)/W]. The typical experimentally observed maximum achievable load temperature and reference time values are 136.6 °C and 42 min, respectively. A comparison of the results showed that the earlier values of COR of the same BSC tested with the modified cooking pot (MCP) and the conventional cooking pot (CCP) are relatively higher. Thus, the present work depicted the influence of minor design changes and the detrimental impact of external fin on the thermal performance of BSC. Hence, the proposed study will contribute to developing innovative designs of cooking vessels operating at intermediate temperatures and give insights into the pros and cons that must be considered while creating them.