Abstract:

Cooking is a major energy-consuming activity and a necessary part of daily life. Non-renewable
cooking fuels like wood and cow dung contribute significantly to pollution and environmental
degradation. Solar-powered cooking offers an alternative that supports environmental
sustainability and reduces global warming threats. This study presents the development of a box-
type solar cooker, highlighting its components and heat transfer characteristics. Key
performance-affecting parameters such as energy and exergy efficiency are analyzed. Economic
metrics, including payback period (PP), net present value (NPV), benefit–cost (B–C) ratio,
internal rate of return (IRR), levelized cost of heat (LCOH), and levelized cost of cooking a meal
(LCCM), are used to assess its feasibility. Environmental benefits of solar cooking are also
explored. Enhancements through geometrical modifications, the use of reflectors, and transparent
insulating materials are discussed. Additionally, the integration of phase change materials for
latent heat storage is considered effective for enabling cooking during evening hours. With
suitable policy support, solar cookers can gain broader social and economic acceptance.

Introduction:
Cooking is a major energy-consuming activity, especially in developing countries, where it
constitutes approximately 36% of total energy use. Reliance on non-renewable fuels like wood,
oil, and gas contributes significantly to pollution, global warming, and human health risks. A
sustainable and clean alternative is the use of solar energy for cooking.

Sunlight is the most abundantly available renewable energy source on Earth. By using solar
energy directly through solar cookers, it is possible to provide a low-cost and eco-friendly
cooking solution. Solar cookers work by focusing sunlight onto a cooking vessel, generating heat
without the need for conventional fuels. Among various types, box-type solar cookers are
especially beneficial due to their simplicity, durability, and low maintenance.

In a box-type solar cooker, sunlight is concentrated into an insulated box using one or more
reflectors. Our design involves three mirrors reflecting sunlight to a central point inside the
box, enhancing heat gain and improving cooking performance. These cookers can be easily
constructed using locally available materials and can effectively meet basic cooking needs during
sunny hours.

However, one limitation of solar cookers is their reliance on direct sunlight, which restricts
cooking to daytime. Despite this, for many applications, especially in rural or off-grid areas, a
simple reflective solar box cooker offers a reliable and sustainable solution. The use of additional
mirrors, as in your project, improves sunlight concentration and raises internal temperatures,
allowing faster and more efficient cooking.

Types of Solar Cookers:

Figure 1 shows the typical classification of SCs. Solar cookers are divided into two categories,
i.e., direct and indirect cooking. Direct cooking SCs have sunrays focused straight onto the
receiving area where the cooking pot is kept; however, a transient fluid transports heat from the
collector to the cooking unit for indirect solar cookers.

Figure 01

The solar cooker which is made us is type of direct cooking with reflectors of box type. So here is detail
explanation of direct cooker with box type.

Direct Solar Cookers

Direct SCs are quite frequently used for cooking due to the small cost of materials and ease of
construction. The two most common among them are box-type SC and concentrating SC.

Box-Type Solar:
The box-type solar cooker (SC) in this project is a simplified design that utilizes three external
reflectors to concentrate sunlight into a central cooking zone. Unlike traditional models, this
cooker does not include an internal metal plate or multiple cooking pots. Instead, the focus is on
directing concentrated solar radiation to a single point where the cooking vessel is placed.

The cooker body is an insulated box with a transparent glass cover on top. The inside of the box
is painted black to maximize heat absorption. The key working principle of the cooker relies on
the greenhouse effect: sunlight enters through the transparent cover as short-wavelength
radiation and is absorbed by the dark interior. The absorbed energy is then re-emitted as long-
wavelength infrared radiation, which gets trapped inside the box, increasing the internal
temperature.
The three reflectors, typically made of reflective aluminum or mirror-finish sheets, are positioned
around the box to bounce additional sunlight into the cooking chamber. These reflectors
significantly enhance the thermal performance of the cooker by increasing solar input from
multiple angles.

This cooker is designed to accommodate a single cooking vessel at the center, where the
maximum concentration of heat occurs. The simplicity of the design makes it cost-effective,
lightweight, and suitable for rural use or low-budget applications where access to clean cooking
energy is limited.

Performance Evaluation of Solar Cooker:

The performance evaluation of the SC can be undertaken by calculating the first (F1) and the
second figure of merit (F2) according to criteria set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The
F1 can be calculated by obtaining the stagnation temperature of the cooker at no load state. It is
the ratio of the optical efficiency, which can be equated with the rise in temperature of the
absorber plate to the heat loss factor. This is mathematically represented as

Where η is the optical efficiency, ULs is the heat loss factor, Tb is the stagnation temperature of
the absorber plate, Ta is the ambient temperature, and H is the solar radiation when the steady
conditions are reached. F2 can be obtained in the full load condition using 2 kg of water, which
is heated and boiled. The F2 can then be calculated by measuring the ambient temperature, water
temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed. This can be mathematically calculated as

where mw is the mass of water, Cpw is the specific heat of water, A is the aperture area of SC, Tw1
is the lower level of water temperature, Tw2 is the upper level of water temperature, τ is the time
interval when the temperature of water rises from Tw1 to Tw2, and H is the average solar radiation
of water temperature rise from Tw1 to Tw2. The average power delivered by the cooker during the
boiling process can be obtained by the below equation
Environmental Analysis:
The environmental analysis of solar cookers can be performed regarding the amount of CO2
emissions it can inhibit from going into the environment. The CO2 emitted from the traditional
cooking method that uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) composed of propane and butane can be
quantified using the following stoichiometric calculation:

C3H8 + 5(O2 + 3 .76 N2) = 3CO2 + 4H2O + 18.8N2

2C4H10 + 13 (O2 + 3.76 N2) = 8CO2 + 10H2O + 48.88N2

The calculation shows that for each 1 kg of propane and butane burnt, 3 kg to 3.0345 kg of CO2
are released into the environment. To analyze the environmental effect of cooking, a study was
undertaken by Herez et al. to quantify the amount of CO2 generated from cooking at home, at a
snack bar, at a hotel, and in a restaurant. The estimates showed that 60.55, 908.28, 3996.43, and
6055.20 kg CO2 is generated per month in a typical home, snack bar, hotel, and restaurant,
respectively.

The amount of CO2 that can be reduced using a box-type solar cooker can be calculated using the
following equation

Qred,CO2=Pr ·Qtotal,CO2

where Qred,CO2 is the quantity of CO2 reduced while using a box-type SC in place of a
conventional LPG, Qtotal,CO2 is the total quantity of CO2 produced (in kg/month) when using
conventional LPG, and Pr is the percentage of the time a solar cooker is used. Here, it is
important to note that 30.27, 454.14, 1998.21, and 3027.6 kg/month of CO2 can be reduced at
home, snack bar, hotel, and restaurant if the SC is used 50% of the time. When the SC is used the
whole time, 60.55, 908.28, 3996.43, and 6055.20 kg/month of CO2, respectively, can be
prevented from releasing into the environment. It is important to note that the fuel used in
calculating CO2 reduction is LPG, which is not universal. Many countries use natural gas as an
option, and similar calculations can be shown against natural gas or any other gas used as fuel to
calculate the quantity of reduced CO2