Experimental results of a solar cooker with heat storage

Abstract

This research article determines the experimental efficiency of a solar cooker with storage system. This system is composed of flat plate collectors, a cooking unity, control valves and a heat storage tank. In its operation, the working fluid is heated in the solar collectors and moves in a thermal siphon circuit. The control valves direct the fluid flux to the cooking unity or to the storage tank for later use. In the experiments, the gathered data are measured by precision instruments and are stored in a data-logger. These data are used to determinate the heat sensible and boiling thermal efficiencies. The results show the good system performance, with the sensible efficiency varying from 0,34 to 0,38. The results also show that when the same tests are made with the heat stored into the tank, the heating time intervals for direct and indirect cooking are very closed. The latent efficiency varied around 0,30.