| Abstract: | An advanced version of the box-type solar cooker is presented: a fixed cooking vessel in good thermal contact with a conductive absorber plate is set into the glazing; the results are improved thermal performance, easier access to the cooking vessel and less frequent maintenance due to protection of all absorbing and reflecting surfaces. Outdoor tests show that 5 L of water per sq m of opening surface can be brought to full boiling in less than one hour. A finite element simulation model of the advanced box cooker is presented. It is shown that the most decisive parameters are absorber-to-pot heat transfer and absorber conductivity. Field tests in Ethiopia and India are under way, local production in India has started. |
