Solar cooker

A solar cooker, or solar oven, is a device which uses the energy of direct sun rays (which is the heat from the sun) to heat, cook or pasteurize food or drink. The vast majority of solar cookers presently in use are relatively cheap, low-tech devices. Because they use no fuel and cost nothing to operate, many non-profit organizations are promoting their use worldwide in order to help reduce fuel costs (for low-income people) and air pollution, and to slow down the deforestation and desertification caused by gathering firewood for cooking. Solar cooking is a form of outdoor cooking and is often used in situations where minimal fuel consumption is important, or the danger of accidental fires is high. Simple solar cookers use the following basic principles: 1. Concentrating sunlight: A reflective mirror of polished glass, metal or metallised film concentrates light and heat from the sun on a small cooking area, making the energy more concentrated and increasing its heating power. 2. Converting light to heat: A black or low reflectivity surface on a food container or the inside of a solar cooker improves the effectiveness of turning light into heat. Light absorption converts the sun's visible light into heat, substantially improving the effectiveness of the cooker. 3. Trapping heat: It is important to reduce convection by isolating the air inside the cooker from the air outside the cooker. A plastic bag or tightly sealed glass cover traps the hot air inside. This makes it possible to reach temperatures on cold and windy days similar to those possible on hot days. 4. Greenhouse effect: Glass transmits visible light but blocks infrared thermal radiation from escaping. This amplifies the heat trapping effect. Different kinds of solar cookers use somewhat different methods of cooking, but most follow the same basic principles. The container of food is placed inside the solar cooker, which may be elevated on a brick, rock, metal trivet, or other heat sink, and the solar cooker is placed in direct sunlight. If the solar cooker is entirely in direct sunlight, then the shadow of the solar cooker will not overlap with the shadow of any nearby object. Foods that cook quickly may be added to the solar cooker later. Rice for a mid-day meal might be started early in the morning, with vegetables, cheese, or soup added to the solar cooker in the middle of the morning. Depending on the size of the solar cooker and the number and quantity of cooked foods, a family may use one or more solar cookers. The solar cooker is turned towards the sun and left until the food is cooked. Unlike cooking on a stove or over a fire, which may require more than an hour of constant supervision, food in a solar cooker is generally not stirred or turned over, both because it is unnecessary and because opening the solar cooker allows the trapped heat to escape and thereby slows the cooking process. If wanted, the solar cooker may be checked every one to

two hours, to turn the cooker to face the sun more precisely and to ensure that shadows from nearby buildings or plants have not blocked the sunlight. If the food is to be left untended for many hours during the day, then the solar cooker is often turned to face the point where the sun will be when it is highest in the sky, instead of towards its current position. The cooking time depends primarily on the equipment being used, the amount of sunlight at the time, and the quantity of food that needs to be cooked. Air temperature, wind, and latitude also affect performance. Advantages Conventional solar box cookers attain temperatures up to 165 C (325 F). They can sterilize water or prepare most foods that can be made in a conventional oven or stove, including bread, vegetables and meat. Disadvantages Solar cookers are less useful in cloudy weather and near the poles (where the sun is low in the sky or below the horizon), so a fuel-based backup heat source is still required in these conditions.

Water Heaters:
A solar water heater consists of a collector to collect solar energy and an insulated storage tank to store hot water. The solar energy incident on the absorber panel coated with selected coating transfers the hat to the riser pipes underneath the absorber panel. The water passing through the risers get heated up and is delivered the storage tank. The re-circulation of the same water through absorber panel in the collector raises the temperature to 80 C (Maximum) in a good sunny day. The total system with solarcollector, storage tank and pipelines is called solar hot water system. Broadly, the solar water heating systems are of two categories. They are : closed loop system and open loop system. In the first one, heat exchangers are installed to protect the system from hard water obtained from borewells or from freezing temperatures in the cold regions. In the other type, either thermosyphon or forced circulation system, the water in the system is open to the atmosphere at one point or other. The thermosyphon systems are simple and relatively inexpensive. They are suitable for domestic and small institutional systems, provided the water is treated and potable in quality. The forced circulation systems employ electrical pumps to circulate the water through collectors and storage tanks. The choice of system depends on heat requirement, weather conditions, heat transfer fluid quality, space availability, annual solar radiation, etc. The SHW systems are economical, pollution free and easy for operation in warm countries like ours. Based on the collector system, solar water heaters can be of two types.

Flat Plate Collectors (FPC) based Solar Water Heaters The solar radiation is absorbed by Flat Plate Collectors which consist of an insulated outer metallic box covered on the top with glass sheet. Inside there are blackened metallic absorber (selectively coated) sheets with built in channels or riser tubes to carry water. The absorber absorbs the solar radiation and transfers the heat to the flowing water. There are 60 BIS approved manufacturers of Solar Flat Plate Collectors. Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) based Solar Water Heaters Evacuated Tube Collector is made of double layer borosilicate glass tubes evacuated for providing insulation. The outer wall of the inner tube is coated with selective absorbing material. This helps absorption of solar radiation and transfers the heat to the water which flows through the inner tube. There are 44 MNRE approved ETC based solar water heating suppliers. Salient Features of Solar Water Heating System: Around 60 deg. 80 deg. C temperature can be attained depending on solar radiation, weather conditions and solar collector system efficiency Hot water for homes, hostels, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, dairies, industries etc. Can be installed on roof-tops, building terrace and open ground where there is no shading, south orientation of collectors and over-head tank above SWH system SWH system generates hot water on clear sunny days (maximum), partially clouded (moderate) but not in rainy or heavy overcast day Only soft and potable water can be used Stainless Steel is used for small tanks whereas Mild Steel tanks with anticorrosion coating inside are used for large tanks Solar water heaters (SWHs) of 100-300 litres capacity are suited for domestic application. Larger systems can be used in restaurants, guest houses, hotels, hospitals, industries etc.

Fuel Savings : A 100 litres capacity SWH can replace an electric geyser for residential use and saves 1500 units of electricity annually. Avoided uitility cost on generation The use of 1000 SWHs of 100 litres capacity each can contribute to a peak load shaving of 1 MW. Environmental benefits A SWH of 100 litres capacity can prevent emission of 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Life : 15-20 years Approximate cost : Rs.15000- 20,000 for a 100 litres capacity system and Rs.110-150 per installed litre for higher capacity systems

Solar Furnaces:

Solar Refrigerator: