Exploring aluminum as a solid thermal storage medium for solar cooking application: An experimental investigation...

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Materials Science
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Intermittent solar energy supply challenges reliable cooking applications, especially in emerging economies.
• Reducing reliance on traditional fuels necessitates sustainable energy solutions for cooking.
• Existing solar cooking systems often lack efficient thermal storage for off-sunshine hours.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel solar thermal storage (STS) system using aluminum for household solar cooking.
• To evaluate the temperature suitability, efficiency, and heat retention of aluminum as an STS material.
• To provide practical guidelines for designing efficient thermal storage systems for solar cooking.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations using OpenFOAM to analyze heat transfer and determine optimal aluminum block size.
• Experimental validation through solar-induced heating-cooling cycles.
• Practical cooking tests with various food types (water, lentils, stew) to assess performance.

Main Results:

• Aluminum STS achieved a maximum temperature of 235°C after 5.5 hours of heating.
• Stored heat sustained temperatures up to 160°C for cooking tasks.
• Experimental results confirmed aluminum's suitability for efficient heat transfer and sustained cooking.

Conclusions:

• The integrated numerical and experimental approach validated aluminum as an effective material for solar thermal storage in cooking.
• The optimized STS system enhances the reliability and adaptability of solar energy for consistent cooking needs.
• This research offers a validated methodology for designing and optimizing thermal storage systems for practical solar cooking applications.