Design and experimental testing of an innovative building-integrated box type solar cooker

The construction and performance evaluation of a novel non-tracking box-type solar cooker are presented. The optogeometrical design of the cooker was optimized for Adrar, which is located in Algerian Sahara. The prototype is constructed with locally available materials and rustic means, is equipped with a fixed asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) as booster-reflector and its absorber-plate is in a form of a step. The various tests carried out under the real climatic conditions of Adrar, showed its effectiveness to cook two meals per day for a family of four persons. During no-load conditions tests of the cooker with its reflector, the maximum absorber-plate temperature reached 166 degrees C and 165 degrees C in hot and cold season respectively. Without its reflector, the maximum absorber-plate temperature reached 127.7 degrees C in cold season. The cooker performance was rated by using the first figure of merit (F-1 = 0.152) and the second figure of merit (F-2 = 0.470). According to International Standard procedure, the standardized cooking power is found to be 78.9 W. This system remains in a yearly stationary position during all cooking period; it can be integrated into the kitchen wall of a building and could be then exploited without having to go out at the sunshine. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.