Design of Portable Solar Dish Cooker

Sanket Deore1, Aqueeb Patel2, Mithila Deshmukh3, Pranali Dani4, Dr. Anil Dube5
Sammy.deore.98@gmail.com1, patel.aqueeb@gmail.com2, mmdeshmukh19@gmail.com3, pranalidani04@gmail.com4,
anil.dube@siem.org.in5

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Sandip Institute of Engineering & Management
Abstract - The reduction in the availability and the ever- collects the light and concentrates at small area so all
increasing prices of fossil fuels, as well as the expensive thermal energy is utilized uniformly over blackened
and insufficient electricity supply, are some of the reasons cooker which is specially designed for it. The advantage
explaining why the public awareness of the use of of using solar cooker are, it emits no harmful gases, nor
alternative cooking methods has increased in recent years. reason for global warming, it is very environmental
In most rural areas, the use of wood is even more preferred friendly. Mainly it is freely available and inexhaustible
for cooking than either fossil fuel or electricity, and this energy source.
has led to deforestation in many areas. To overcome this
problem there are solar cookers to harness the Sun’s
energy to its most. This project is all about designing,
manufacturing and testing a parabolic solar cooker using
sunlight as its energy source for cooking. The parabolic
solar cooker uses a reflector to concentrate the radiation
Fig 1.1 Types of Direct Solar Cookers
from the sun to a focal point. This point also known as the
 Box Cookers
Solar Death Ray is responsible for the cooking of food.
Box cookers are the most common type made for
The heat from this focal point then can be utilized to heat
personal use. They consist of an enclosed inner box
a container with food in it for the purpose of cooking.
covered with clear glass or plastic, a reflector, and
insulation. There is a wide variety of patterns and
I. INTRODUCTION
plans that can be adapted to work with available
Solar energy is one of the best ways of reducing the use of
materials. While they do not heat quickly, they
non-renewable resources. With solar energy, the sun’s
provide slow, even cooking. Box cookers are very
rays are used to generate electricity, heat water or other
easy and safe to use, and fairly easy to construct.
fluids, charge battery, and cook food. Usually a solar
cooker is used for cooking food which is used instead of
firewood and other fuels to cook meals.
Among the number of solar cookers available the
Parabolic Solar Cooker promises to be the best in
efficiency as far as the solar energy is available. Solar
energy utilization is a big milestone as it is available free
everywhere and it costs nothing. The only thing we need
Fig 1.2 Box type Solar Cooker
to do is to collect it in efficient way and convert into
 Panel Cookers
required form. Solar parabolic cooker is the one which
 Panel cookers are flat reflective panels which
focus the sunlight on a cooking vessel without
the inner box common in box cookers. Panel
cookers are the easiest and least costly to make,
requiring just four reflective panels and a
cooking vessel, but they are unstable in high
winds and do not retain as much heat when the
sun is hidden behind clouds.
Fig 1.3 Panel type Solar Cooker
 Parabolic Cookers
Parabolic cookers reach higher temperatures
and cook more quickly than solar box cookers,
but are harder to make and use. Parabolic
cookers require more precision to focus the
sunlight on the cooking vessel. If the sunlight is
not focused exactly on the cooking vessel, the
food will not cook. When the parabolic oven is
used, the temperature must be watched so the
vessel does not overheat, burning the food. The
risk of burns and eye injury is greater with
homemade parabolic designs. While they
provide excellent results when used correctly,
they are not easy to build at home and require
great care to use.
Fig 1.4 Parabolic Solar Cookers
1.1 Relative Movement of Sun
In the Design of thermal systems based on solar power,
the coordinates of the sun in relation to the collector during
the day, with the aim of catching maximum solar
radiation, must be considered
Azimuth angles
The azimuth angle is the compass direction from which
the sunlight is coming. At solar noon, the sun is always
directly south in the northern hemisphere and directly
north southern hemisphere. The azimuth angle varies
throughout the day.9 [1]
Fig 1.5 Azimuth Angle
Solar elevation angle
Sun light, sun angle, solar latitude angle or elevation (gS)
is the angle between the line that points from the site
towards the centre of the sun and the horizontal.[1]
Zenith angle
The zenith angle is the opposite angle to the sun height
(90° – gS). At a sun height of 90°, the sun is at the zenith
and the zenith angle is therefore zero.[1]
Fig 1.6 Zenith Angle
Declination angle (δ)
The declination angle denoted by δ varies seasoning due
to the tilt of the earth on its axis of rotation and the rotation
of the earth around the sun. If the earth were not tilted on
the axis of rotation, the declination would always be 0
degree. [1].
II.METHODOLOGY
Design of Parabolic dish, determining focal
distance.
Selecting the material for reflector by
comparing various temperatures attained.
Manufacturing the solar cooker as per the
calculations.
Testing of the solar cooker in different
conditons and preparing different food items.
Analyzing and the performance of the cooker
for different food items.
Comparing the taste, time required and
temperatures attained with the standard solar
cooker.
Analyzing the problems if any and solving
them.
Finalizing the working model in most efficient
way possible.
III. DESIGN & DEVELOPEMENT
Nomenclature
F=Focal distance, cm.
R=Radius of the parabolic dish, cm.
h=Depth of the parabolic dish, cm.
A=Surface area of parabola, cm2.
d=Diameter of the concentrator, cm.
∅=The opening half angle of parabola, °.
𝑄̇ =Power of heating, W.
∆𝑇 =Temperature difference between the ambient and the
boiling temperature, K.
Mw= Mass of water, kg.
Cw= Specific heat of water, J/kgK.
Ps= Standard power, W.
Twf= Final temperature of water, °C.
Twi= Initial temperature of water, °C.
Ib= Direct radiation intensity, W/m2.
t= Time required for cooking, sec.
For better accumulating heat without letting pass the fresh
air, we must choose the depth of the parabola. Our
parabolic solar cooker is composed of a parabola whose
diameter is 100 cm and focal point 14.5cm.
The choice of the pot is of primary importance. It must be
the darkest possible ideally black. For a good
effectiveness, the material of the pot must be a good
conductive of heat. In our case we have chosen a black
colored pan with a diameter of 30cm and capacity of
150ml.
We built a support in the form of a circular grid with a
diameter of 20cm attached at the ends of the parabola by
two stems. During our tests, the parabola should follow the
sun; accordingly the adjustments will be made.
To accomplish our simulation we used these different
equations:
 The equation giving the focal distance (F) is given by
Kalbande [2006]:
𝑅2
𝐹=
4ℎ
Where, R=Radius of the parabolic dish
h=Depth of the parabolic dish
 The parabola surface is:
3
8𝜋𝐹 2 𝑑 2 2
𝐴= {[( ) + 1] − 1}
3 4𝐹
Where, d=Diameter of the concentrator
 The half aperture of the parabola is:
1
tan ∅ =
𝑑 2ℎ
−
8ℎ 𝑑
 Where, ∅=the opening half angle of parabola

 The power of heating is given as follow:

𝑀𝑤𝐶𝑤∆𝑇
𝑄̇ =
∆𝑡

Where, ∆𝑇 =Temperature difference between

the ambient and the boiling temperature, K.
Mw= Mass of water, kg.
Cw= Specific heat of water, J/kgK.

 To compare the various cookers in various countries

and under various climates, Funk [2000] has shown
that the power of radiation is standardize to 700 Fig 1.7 Dish with Al foil paper
W/m2. The standard power is expressed then by:
(𝑀𝑤𝐶𝑤)(𝑇𝑤𝑓 − 𝑇𝑤𝑖) 700
𝑃𝑠 = ∗
600 𝐼𝑏
Temprature achieved Temperature achieved
by using Al foil by using foil paper
Where, Adhesive Tape
Twf= Final temperature of water, °C. Paper burning--- Paper burning---
Twi= Initial temperature of water, °C. 150degree celcius 101degree celcius

Ib= Direct radiation intensity, W/m2. Diameter---63cm Diameter---63cm

t= Time required for cooking, sec.

 The power of evaporation is given by Zerelli [2004]:
𝑄̇ 𝑒𝑣 = 𝑚̇𝑒𝑣 ∗ ℎ𝑓𝑔
Where, mev= mass of water evaporated per unit time, kg/s.
hfg= latent heat of vaporization, J/kg.
These equations above give us the necessary data required
for the manufacturing and analysis of the solar cooker.
Test by Using Different Reflective Material
IV.CONCLUSION
 The temperatures attained by the Al tape were more
than that of Al foil paper.
 Temperatures attained were capable of burning paper.
 The temperatures attained will be useful for cooking
purposes.
 The temperature will be further more when Al sheet
will be used.

V.FUTURE SCOPE

 By using Aluminium sheet as reflective material.

 By placing slots making it portable.

References

1 Design and Realization of a Parabolic Solar Cooker,

M. Ouannene, Et al. On convective Heat and Mass
Transfer in Sustainable Energy April 26- May 1, 2009,

2 Design, Construction and Testing of Parabolic Solar

Oven, Yahuza I1, Et al

3. Portable solar cooker and water heater, Ali A.

Fig 1.8 Dish with Al foil adhesive tape
Badran, Et