Enhanced performance figures of solar cookers through latent heat storage and low-cost booster reflectors

Solar box cookers draw attention of many researchers across the globe as a promising renewable energy application for cooking purposes. Compared to other types available in literature, solar box cookers are more in the centre of interest owing to their simple and low-cost design, emerging thermodynamic performance figures, high durability and reliable cooking processes without any risk of burning food. On the other hand, cooking power and overall thermal performance of solar box cookers are still somewhat challenging to compete with the conventional cooking systems for the climatic conditions with low solar radiation potential like the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Within the scope of this research, a novel solar box cooker is devised, fabricated and tested to overcome the said shortcomings of traditional solar box cookers through natural and recycled materials. Double-glazed structure having 16-mm-thick air between two 6-mm-thick thermally resistive clear glasses is considered for aperture glazing with an area of 0.16 m2. The oven area has a depth of 350 mm, and it is entirely painted matte black for maximum solar absorption. The oven body made of stainless steel sheets is encountered by a latent heat storage medium filled by natural beeswax product, waste of propolis. Propolis is a resinous mixture that is used for protection of beehives, from either climatic changes or diseases. Polyphenols rich in balsamic part of the structure is extracted by alcohol than used for many apitherapic purposes. The remaining pulp or waste is not considered. In this study, it is used as green chemistry agents. It is found that water temperature in the cooking pot is kept over 40°C till very late hours as a consequence of latent heat storage. First figure of merit is determined to be 0.08, and the thermal efficiency of the cooker varies from 7.47 to 4.54%.