The performance of a solar cooker in Egypt

Journal Article · · Energy Sources; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0960-1481(95)00088-7· OSTI ID:6156202

Ibrahim, S M.A.; El-Reidy, M K ^[1]

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1. Al-Azhar Univ., Cairo (Egypt). Mechanical Engineering Dept.

A simple, efficient solar cooker was designed and its performance in the Egyptian climate was evaluated. The cooker is of the hot box type with a plane booster mirror reflector. The performance of the cooker was measured experimentally for over 2 years under different working conditions. The test conditions include experiments with and without adjusting the cooker's position for maximum solar radiation and the tilting angle of the booster reflector for maximum concentration. Formulas for calculating the orientation angle of the oven and the tilt angle of the reflector were deduced. The shadow effect caused by the sides of the oven were also calculated. The solar cooker proved to be reliable, trouble-free, and efficient. All kinds of food were cooked, including meat, chicken, rice, peas, beans, potatoes, soup, eggs, and cakes. A good meal for a family of four was cooked in 3-4 h. It was established that better heat transfer occurred when the cooking pot was covered with an air-tight plastic transparent cover rather than using an ordinary metallic cover. The energy balance of the cooker from heat-transfer considerations enabled estimates of both oven and food temperatures to be made. Calculated values agreed well with the experimental measurements.

• OSTI ID: 6156202
• Journal Information: Energy Sources; (United States), Vol. 15:3; ISSN 0090-8312
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
SOLAR COOKERS
PERFORMANCE
DESIGN
EGYPTIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
ENERGY BALANCE
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
EQUATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOOD PROCESSING
HEAT TRANSFER
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POSITIONING
SHADING
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR REFLECTORS
SOLAR TRACKING
TIME DEPENDENCE
AFRICA
ARAB COUNTRIES
DATA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
INFORMATION
MIDDLE EAST
NUMERICAL DATA
PROCESSING
RADIATIONS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STELLAR RADIATION
TESTING
140909* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Miscellaneous Solar Applications- (1980-)