Binary salt phase change material for concentrated solar cooker: storage and usages

ABSTRACT

As per earlier research work, the traditional solar cooker works only during the day time having less cooking capacity after sunset. The developed system works during the day as well as at night time. During Day time, it works under the impact of solar radiation, using the parabolic collector which supplies the heat energy for cooking, and during nighttime, the PCM supplies the stored thermal energy which is used for cooking with a huge backup of up to 4 h after sunset. The main advantage of this system is it cooks two food material same time, which not yet employed by using parabolic solar collector. From the observations made, it is found that the use of binary salts as a PCM improves the overall cooking performance. The results show that during daytime, cooking required 19 to 21 minutes with a temperature drop of 49 to 60°C. Further, the results obtained during nighttime observations show that cooking the same food items takes approximately 22 to 25 minutes with temperature drop of 53 to 70°C. Hence, the currently used PCM proves the best choice as a thermal storing medium in food preparing industries and domestics.

KEYWORDS:

• Binary salt
• energy storage
• parabolic concentrator
• PCM
• solar cooker

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Department of Mechanical Engineering, N.K. Orchid College of Engineering & Technology Solapur, India for providing laboratory facilities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

List of nomenclature

(Us)Uncertainty of refrence

(UI) Uncertainty of temperature

(Ur)Repeatability

(d)Distrubition

(Uc) Total Uncertinity

(U)Pyranometer Expanded Uncertinity

PCMPhase Change Material

NaNO₃Sodium Nitrate

KNO₃ Potassium Nitrate

LPGLiquefied Petroleum Gas

TESThermal Energy Storage

Highlights

• The study focused on creating usefulness during the day as well as in night time.

• Overcome the effects of discontinuous nature and abrupt change in weather conditions with the help of Phase Change Material (PCM)

• Binary salts PCM improve the overall performance of parabolic concentrating solar cooking.

• The use of PCM materials as a thermal storing medium proves to be a better choice in food preparing industries and domestics.