Performance Evaluation of Concentrating Solar Cooker under Indian Climatic Conditions

The work presented in this paper essentially consists of modeling and analysis of energy and exergy efficiency of a Community solar cooker, installed at Holistic Health and Food Centre, I.I.T. Delhi India in March 1998. The cooker is meant for community cooking, which consists of a linear parabolic concentrator with concentration ratio of 20. The experiments, on this cooker, were performed in summer and winter, both the climatic conditions. The measurements were done by using microprocessor based on line data acquisition system using class I solar pyranometer and Pt. 100 temperature sensors. Based on the experimental data obtained by testing and performance evaluation of this concentrating type of solar cooker, the energy and exergy efficiencies are calculated. From an analysis of the experimental values the average efficiency of this cooker is measured as 14% only. The different losses contributes to low efficiency are optical losses (16%), geometrical losses (30%) and thermal losses (35%) accounts for more than, 80% energy waste from the radiation coming to the reflector. The rest of the losses are due to edge losses etc. the maximum temperature of water was recorded 98 degrees C during water heating tests.