The effects of using different thermal storage materials and their mixtures on the performance of a solar cooker

Solar cooking is one of the cost-effective ways to reduce deforestation. The major goal of current study is to examine the thermal performance of a solar cooker using low-cost heat storage material. The cooker has an angled surface called a reflector to collect the maximum solar energy. Various low-cost heat materials, such as water, ethylene glycol, desert sand, charcoal, and copper grits, and their mixtures were prepared and tested for optimal performance as thermal heat storage material inside insulated and uninsulated solar-cooker. The experiments were performed under climatic conditions of Karachi, Pakistan. Results showed that the cooker provided suitable temperatures for healthy food preparation. Insulation improves the performance of the cooker. The use of copper grits as a heat storing material allows for a maximum temperature of 110 °C within the insulated cooker. After solar noon, the temperature measurements reached their highest and stabilized. Additionally, it was found that the performance of the copper, sand, and charcoal mixture was diminished when ethylene glycol was added. The performance of the copper, sand, and charcoal mixture was reduced when ethylene glycol was added. The performance of the mixture of sand, charcoal, and copper grits was found to be insignificant.