Development of a thermal model and performance evaluation of twin-chamber community solar cooker
Loading...
Date
2017
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
In this study, a twin-chamber community solar cooker is experimentally evaluated and global solar radiation availability and thermal model has been developed for selected latitudes and different seasons of the year. A mathematical program was developed and utilized to compute monthly average daily solar insolation, hourly solar insolation and instantaneous solar intensity captured by the solar cooker for use in the developed thermal model. The computed values of solar radiation were validated for 300N latitude (Ludhiana) and were found to be in close proximity with the predicted values. The solar radiation captured was utilized in developed thermal model by solving energy balance equations and validating them for chamber air and absorber plate temperature. The cooker was tested as per BIS standards (IS Code – 14329) for calculation of first figure of merit (F1), second figure of merit (F2) and standard boiling time (τ). It was observed that F1, F2 and τ were 0.128, 0.41 and 181 minutes respectively which shows that the designed cooker is ‘A’ grade cooker. Economic analysis was performed to compute the payback period and net present value and it was observed that the cooker can save 47 cylinders or 668 kg of LPG in one year. Environmental impact analysis was also performed to compute the carbon credits earned by using the designed solar cooker in substitution of conventional cooking fuels. It was observed that carbon credits earned in a year in substitution of fuels like cow dung cake, wood and LPG were 5.9, 4.1 and 2.0 respectively.
Description
Keywords
null