1.0 Solar energy Solar energy is defined as the suns radiation that reaches the earth.

It is the most readilyavailable source of energy. The sun is the earths power station and the source of all energy on our planet. We use the solar energy every day in many different ways. When we hang washed clothes outside to dry in the sun, we are using the solar heat to do work, dryingour clothes. Plants use the solar light to make food. Similarly, solar panels absorb the energy of the sun to provide heat for cooking and for heating water. Solar energy is sometimes called radiant energy. These are different kinds of radiant energy emitted by sun. The most important are light infrared rays. Ultra violet rays, and X- Rays.

The sun is a large sphere of very hot gases. Its diameter is 1.39x106KM. While that of the earth is 1.27x104 KM. The mean distance between the two is 1.5x108KM. The beam radiation received from the sun on the earth is reflected in to space, another 15% is absorbed by the earth atmosphere and the rest is absorbed by the earths surface. This absorbed radiation consists of light and infrared radiation without which the earth would be barren. The solar energy that falls on India in one minute is enough to supply the energy needs of our country for one day. Man has made very little use of this enormous amount of solar energy that reaches the earth.

1.1 The need to use solar energy With the growing population and fast pace of development, energy is becoming more expensive and our cities and towns face a major power crisis. The reality is thatresources like coal, oil and natural gas will not be around forever. We all realise today,that we need alternatives sources of energy that are renewable. Renewable energy is derived from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat. Solar energy or energy powered by thicPrie sun is one of the most promising future renewable energy sources. 1.2 Basic principle Solar energy consists of light and heat emitted by the sun, in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Technology today helps to capture this radiation and turn it into usable forms of solar energy - such as heating or electricity.Thus energy from the sun can be categorized in two ways: (1) In the form of heat (or thermal energy), and (2) In the form of light energy. Solar energy can be converted to thermal (or heat) energy and used to: Heat water for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools. Heat vessels for cooking food Heat spaces inside greenhouses, homes, and other buildings. Solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways: Photovoltaic (PV devices) or solar cells change sunlight directly into electricity. Solar Power Plants - indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermal collectors is used to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used to power generator. 1.3 Factors to consider for using solar energy A few factors which need to be looked at when determining the viability of solar energy in any given location are the following: Geographic location Time of day Season

 Local landscape Weather conditions Geographic location India is located in the equatorial sun belt of the earth, thereby receiving abundant radiantenergy from the sun. In most parts of India, clear sunny weather is experienced 250 to300 days a year. The country has the capacity to receive 4500 trillion kWh of pure solarenergy each year. The highest annual global radiation is received in Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. InRajasthan, large areas of land are barren and sparsely populated, making these areassuitable as locations for large central power stations based on solar energy. Time of Day Solar energy is at its peak at mid moon. A solar energy system works in the morning and in the late afternoon. It however reaches its maximum efficiency around noon time. Season A solar energy system is more efficient during summers than in winters when the days are shorter. Local landscape A solar energy system has to be installed in an open area unaffected by shade. If even a small section of the system is shadowed, the efficiency reduces. This is the reason why solar energy systems are placed mostly on roofs. Even in this case, care needs to be taken to ensure that no tall trees or taller neighbouring buildings cast a shadow on the system. Weather conditions Weather conditions have a large impact on the energy output of the solar energy system. Cloud cover, rain, snow, fog and smog all reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the system. The system will work but its efficiency will be greatly reduced.

1.4 Measuring solar energy Radiation data (the amount of solar energy available at a given location) for solarelectric (photovoltaic) systems is often represented as kilowatt-hours per square meter(kWh/m2). Direct estimates of solar energy may be expressed as watts per square meter (W/m2).

1.5 Applications of solar energy There are a variety of technologies that have been developed to take advantage of solar energy. The technologies are classified as passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques use photovoltaic panels, pumps, and fans to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques use sunlight for energy without active mechanical systems. Such technologies convert sunlight into usable heat (water, air, and thermal mass), cause air-movement for ventilating, or store heat for future use, without the assistance of other energy sources. While costs associated with operating these products may be limited or nil, maintenance costs are very low. 2.0 Solar cooker Solar cooker is a device which cooks food without any conventional cooking fuel/energy like cow dung, wood, coal, gas, kerosene or electricity. It converts sunlight into heat energy and cooks the food. In our country energy consumed for cooking shares a major portion of the total energy consumed in a year. In villages 95% of the consumption goes only to cooking. Verity of fuel like coal, kerosene, cooking gas, firewood, dung cakes and agricultural waste are used the energy crisis is affecting everyone. It is affecting the fuel bills for those who use it for heating the houses and cooking their food. The poor of the developing countries who have been using dry wood, picked up from the fields and forests as domestic fuel, have been affected in their own way, due to scarcity of domestic fuel in the rural areas. At present, fire wood and cow dung too precious to allow to be used for burning and cooking. It is very useful to improve the fertility of the soil; it should be used in proper way. The supply of wood is also fast depleting because of the indiscriminate felling of trees in the rural areas and the denudation of forests. There is a rapid deterioration in the supply of thefossil fuels like coal, kerosene or cooking gas. The solution for the above problem is the hardening of solar energy for cooking purpose. The most important is that the solar cooker is a great fuel saver. The department of new conventional energy source has calculated that a family using a solar cooker 275 days a year would save 800kgs of fire wood or 65 litres of kerosene. Similarly an industrial Canteen or a Hostel mess using the larger community solar cooker which can cook for 20 to 25 people could save 400kgs of fire wood or 335 litres of kerosene per year. 2.1 Basic principles of solar cooking

Solar cookers utilise the simple principles of reflection, concentration, glazing, absorption and the greenhouse effect to produce heat. Various types of solar cookers exist, harnessing one or more of these principles. Basically a solar cooker is an insulated container with a multiple or single glass (or other transparent material) cover. This kind of cooker depends on the greenhouse effect in which the transparent glazing permits passage of shorter wavelength solar radiation, but is opaque to most of the longer wavelength radiation coming from relatively low temperature heated objects. Mirrors may be used to reflect additional solar radiation into the cooking chamber. A double-walled insulated box can also serve to hold the heat inside the cooker. 2.2 Advantages and limitations of using a solar cooker Advantages of solar cooker: 1. Since the solar cooker does not consume any conventional fuel, it saves fuel. At the end of the session the students will be able to: Develop an understanding of construction and working of different types of solar cookers Develop skills in installing, maintaining and repairing solar cookers 15 Study Materials in Renewable Energy Areas for ITI students 2. It does not emit any smoke or smell and hence does not pollute the environment. There is thus no chance of causing cancer and affecting eyesight or lungs. 3. Since it does not require constant attention while cooking it helps saves time, which can be utilised for other productive work. 4. As it is a slow cooking device, it preserves the nutritional value of the food 5. Simplicity of construction and operation with minimal attendance required during the cooking process. 6. It can be used for cooking 3 to 4 items at a time 7. It keeps cooked food hot for 4 to 5 hours 8. It produces no glare and presents no risk of fires and burns. There is no possibility ofaccidents like bursting of cylinders or catching fire, electrical shocks, etc. 9. It saves money. Limitations of using a solar cooker: 1. Slow cooking process due to low temperatures. 2. It does not work in night or on a cloudy day 3. It cannot be used for frying or preparing chapattis However, in spite of these limitations, if a solar cooker is used throughout the year it does help to save substantial amount of cooking fuel and thereby contributes to savings.

3.0 Types of solar cooker Basically there are three designs of solar cooker; 1. Flat plate box type solar cooker with or without Reflector. 2. Multi reflector or concentrating type solar cooker. 3. Parabolic disc concentrator type solar cooker. 4.0 Box solar cooker Features The important parts of a solar cooker include the outer box with thermal insulator, inner cooking box or tray, the double glass lid, mirror and cooking containers. The outer box is generallymade of G.I. or aluminium sheet or fibre reinforced plastic. The inner cooking box or tray is made from aluminium sheet and coated with black paint to absorb solar radiation and to transfer the heat to the cooking pots. The cooking tray is covered with a double glass lid in which the two glass sheets are spaced at about 20 mm to entrap air which acts a insulator and prevents escape of heat from the inside. The space between the outer box and inner tray including bottom of the tray is packed with insulating material such as glass wool pads to reduce heatiosses from the cooker. In addition to the above, the cooker is fitted with a mirror to increase the radiation input on the absorbing space. This radiation is in addition to theradiation entering the box directly andhelps to quicken the cooking process by raising the inside temperature of the cooker. The cooking containers (with cover) are generally made of aluminium and painted black on the outer surface so that they also absorb solar radiation directly. A large number of items such as pulses, rice, kheer, khichri, vegetables, meat, fish etc. can be cooked in the solar cooker. The time taken to cook will depend upon the type of food, time of the day and solar intensity.

Flat plate box type design is the simplest of all the designs. This cooker allows. Solar radiation to enter through a double walled glass cover placed inside a blackened box which is well insulated and made airtight. Maximum no load temperature with a single reflector reaches up to 160oC. This type of solar cooker consists of an insulated box made of cardboard, wood, metal or plastic. It is painted black on the inside and has a large glass or Plexiglas window on top to let in sunlight. Just like panel cookers, box cookers can be left unattended in the sun for hours to cook food and pasteurize water. There is no danger of burning the food. Box solar cookers only need a slight adjustment to track the sun every few hours. They are bulkier than panel cookers, but most can hold more than one pot, are more durable and can reach temperatures up to 350F (177C). Some solar box cookers have aluminium reflectors on the outside to direct even more sunlight into the box. There are hundreds of thousands of box cookers in India alone. Box cookers are made in the United States, Spain, Germany, Bolivia, South Africa, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic, Senegal, Afghanistan and other countries. Although some box cookers are produced in factories, they are also easy to make with local materials. 4.1 Construction a.) The Outer Body The outer body of a solar cooker is made of a metal sheet or fibre reinforced plastic having suitable dimensions. b.) The Inner Cooking Box/Tray The inner cooking box is of aluminium sheet. All the five surfaces of the inner cooking tray or the top surface of the cooking box which are exposed to the sun are coated with black board paint which absorbs solar radiation. In the case of tray type cooker one may have to apply the black paint frequently as it comes

out due to rubbing of the pots with the coated surface during loading and unloading of the cooker. In the case of box type cooking system, the coating is not touched and hence will not be affected during such operations.

c.) Thermal Insulation The space between the outer box and the inner cooking box/tray is filled with insulating material such as glass wool. This is done to prevent the heat loss from the cooker. While selecting the insulating material, it should be remembered that the material should be stable at least up to 200 C. Resin bonded insulating materials are not allowed in the solar cooker. The insulation should be in the form of a pad and should not be less than 5cm. thick. The performance will be better if the thickness of insulating material is more than 5 cm. d.) The Double Glass Lid A double glass lid is provided on top of the cooking box/tray of the solar cooker. The lid had length and breadth slightly greater than the cooking box/tray and is fixed in an aluminium frame maintaining a small spacing between the two glasses. This space contains air which acts as an insulator and prevents convective heat loss from inside. The frame is attached to the outer box by hinges. A strip of suitable insulating material between the frame and the edges of the cooking box/tray prevents heat leakage when it rests on top of the cooking box/tray. The inner glass of the double glass lid should be tough to avoid its being damaged due to daily heating and cooling effects. In box type cooker single glass cover of toughened glass\ is enough if the absorber is coated with selective coating material. The lid in such cases need not have hinges and should permanently be fixed since it does not have to be lifted during loading and unloading of the cooker. The insulating strip between the edges of the cooking box/tray and the glass lid should be stable at least upto 200C and should not outgas, expand or contract between -30 and 200C. Silicon rubber or EPDM is suggested for this strip. Gaskets used in pressure cookers can also be used after suitably modifying the design. e.) Mirror Mirror is used to increase the radiation input on the absorbing surface. The sunlight incident on the mirror gets reflected from it and enters the box after passing through theglass lid. This radiation is in addition to the radiation entering the box directly and helps to achieve better results during the cooking

process by raising the inside temperature of the cooker. The reflectivity of the mirror should be over 85%. The mirror could also be in four equal segments. f.) Cooking pots The cooking pots with cover are generally made of a suitable aluminium alloy or stainless steel. The pots are painted dull black on the outer surface so that they also absorb radiation directly. However, if the inner portion of the cooker is box type, the cooking pots need not be painted black.

g.) Side window A well-insulated door is provided on one side of the cooker for loading and unloading when the inner cooking space is in the form of a metal box. The insulated box should have no leakage when it is closed. 4.2 Specifications Overall Dimensions Length x breadth x height (mm)500 x 500 x 200 Weight (kg) 12 Time taken in cooking (min)rice, 45-60, vegetables 60-100 Conversion efficiency (%)35-40 4.3 Uses It is used for cooking purposes where sunshine is available in plenty. 4.4 Precautions to take The surface of the cooking box exposed to solar radiation and the outer surfaces of cooking pots should always be kept coated with black paint/selective coating material. There should be no leakage of hot air through the joints or any other portion of the cooker. The lid with double glass system should be perfectly sealed so that water vapour, do not enter into the space between the glass surfaces and get condensed reducing the transmission of sunlight through the lid.

4.4 Raw Materials Required For Fabrication

G.I. sheet, Aluminium sheet, M.S. Channels, Glass, Mirror ,Asbestos fibre Sheet, Glass wool, Caster wheel, Black board paint, Hinge, lock, Screws and other miscellaneous items. Details of Machinery and Equipment Required For Fabrication Hand saw, Hand shear, Portable drilling machine, Hammer, Screwdriver, Pliers, Measuring tape Painting brush etc. 4.5 Standard testing procedure and quality control Routine Test: i) Inner box leakage test (by filling with water, then joints are examined) ii) Cover gasket leakage test (By inserting pieces of papers in four positions in each side of the cooker below the cover plate, after properly tightening the cover plate, the paper pieces should exhibit a firm resistance at the time of withdrawal by hand) iii) Leakage test of upper side of cover plate (by pouring a thin film water on the cover plate and then by examining the cover plate for any sign of water entry between the glass sheets) iv) Leakage test of lower side of cover plate (after boiling of water in cooking pots by solar heating and then by keeping the cooker in shaded location to allow the vapour to condense, there should be no sign of vapour entry between inner and outer glass sheets of the cover plate) V) Temperature test for paint on inner box, cooking tray and cooking pots at 160 degree Celsius for one hour and temperature tests of cover gasket, cover glass and insulation at 200 degree Celsius in electric oven. There should be no sign of damage or crack. Degradation test A minimum of 30 clear sunny days are required to complete the degradation test. The cooker is kept in the sun with empty cooking pots inside and degradation, if any, of various components is studied carefully. There should not be any degassing from any insulating material, sealing gaskets, paints, etc. Collection of water vapours within the space between the glasses of the lid, change in colour of the cooking pots, deposition of water vapours or any other material on the glass lid on exposing the cooker to outsideatmospheric conditions in the sun is not allowed. 4.6 Maintenance and servicing of box solar cookers Maintenance required is an occasional coat of black paint on the inside of the cookerand on the outer surfaces of the cooking pots. Replacement of gasket Replacement of glass and mirror

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4.7 Customer education A. Box solar cookers available in the market Box solar cookers normally measure about 60 60 cm, and each are provided with four pots. Smaller models are also available. An electrical heater to serve as a back-up during non-sunshine hours is available in some models. These cookers can be procured from manufacturers, suppliers, district and head offices of state agencies, as well as from Aditya solar shops. National standards have been established for box type solar cookers by the BIS. The cost of a box solar cooker varies from Rs 1200 to Rs 2500 depending on its size and features. A normal-size box cooker is sufficient for a family of four or five members. It has a life of 1012 years. Its payback period is 23 years depending upon the extent of use and place of use.

B. Cooking Time Cooking time is normally about 2 to 2 hours depending upon the kind of food and the season of the year. It also depends on local conditions such as ambient temperature, time of the day, latitude of the place, etc. C. Cooking tips Black pots work a lot better than silver pots. The pot needs to absorb as much light as possible and silver tends to reflect the light. Dull or matt finishes absorb more light than shiny surfaces. Pots with close fitting lids keep the heat in and help the cooking process. Placing the stove in a sheltered area stops the wind from cooling the outside of the pot.

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D. Trouble Shooting and Actions to be taken Symptom Food not cooked even on clear sunny day Problem Black coating from the cooking box and from pots has faded or peeled off Glass lid is broken Mirror spoilt is broken Action Paint the cooking box and pots with jet black paint or the recommended paint.

Replace the broken glass lid or Replace the mirror or silver the same mirror

Heat is leaking from the Find out the heat leakage joints points and seal them Dust has collected on the Clean the glass lid and glass lid and mirror mirror The absorber box has Clean the absorber become dirty properly Lid is being opened Minimise opening the lid frequently Direction of the box is Keeps the cooker always notproper facing the sun such that the reflected rays from the mirror fall on to the cooking box and cover its whole area.

5.0 Multi Reflector or Concentrating Type Solar Cooker 5.1 Features In order to increase the solar radiation entering the hot box, additional reflectors have been incorporated to reduce the cooking time. In this cooker, twin reflector mirrors (unbreakable acrylic mirror) are fixed. It is effective in central and North India especially in winter season. It is useful for cooking food and baking. As compared to the box type solar cooker with one mirror available in the market, the twin reflector box type

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cooker is capable of maintaining 25 to 30C higher temperature. It saves 20% time spent in cooking food drying winter and 12- 16% of time during other months.

In Multi Reflector type, four square or triangular or rectangular reflectors are mounted on the oven body. They all reflect the solar radiation into the cooking zone in which cooking utensils are placed. Temperature obtained is of the order of 200oC. The maximum temperature can reach to250oC if the compound cone reflector system is used. Some Important Points about Multi Reflector Type Solar Cooker The solar oven consists of a well-insulated semi-cylindrical box made of aluminum sheet and wood. Two shells are made and the space between them, 7.5 cm, is filled with fiber glass insulation. The interior sheet is painted black. A door of the same insulating material is also made for keeping and taking out food. The window (40 X 40 cm) of the oven consists of two transparent glass sheet (3 mm thick) with a spacing of 2 cm. Eight reflectors made of silvered glass mirrors, four of square shape and four of triangular shape has been used. The oven can be manually tilted and oriented towards the sun. With single reflector, temp attained reaches up to 160 degree and in multi- reflector temp reaches around 200 degree/c to 250 degree/c.

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5.2 Specification Overall Dimensions Length (mm)600 Width (mm)500 Height (mm) 250 Weight (kg) 19 Cooking Capacity4-5 persons Time taken in cooking (hrs)2.0-2.5 5.3 Uses It is used to cook foods and for baking purposes especially during winter in the northern latitudes of India. 6.0 Parabolic disc concentrator Type Solar Cooker 6.1 Description The third major class of solar cooker utilizes concentrating optics. Using mirrors and/or lenses, these cookers can achieve extremely high temperatures. The concentrating cooker is the only class of solar cooker that is truly suitable for frying, as the temperature at the focus can rival that of conventional electric, gas, or wood fired stoves. Similar to the panel cooker, the concentrator suffers from a strong reliance on direct beam insolation. Cloudy conditions and wind combine to make concentrating cookers highly difficult to use. In field studies, the concentrating cooker is not generally chosen due to its need to closely follow the sun (characterized by a low acceptance angle), its relatively high cost, and safety issues as focused sunlight can cause burns or eye damage. Nevertheless, in some applications, solar concentrators can make ideal cookers. So long as direct insolation is readily available and the user is experienced and careful, the concentrator represents a highly useful and powerful cooking tool. A dish solar cooker uses a parabolic dish to concentrate the incident solar radiation. Thissolar cooker is commonly known as an SK-14 type of cooker, and is useful for homes and small establishments. In parabolic type cooker, parallel suns rays are made to reflect on a parabolic surface and concentrated on a focus on which the Utensils for cooking are placed. The temperature of the order of 450oC can be obtained in which solar radiation are concentrated on to a focal point. Parabolic solar cookers operate at a much higher temperature than panel and box cookers. They focus a narrow beam of sunlight on the bottom of a cooking pot that sits on a metal stand. This light instantly generates temperatures as high as 450-500F. (232-260 C), which is as hot as an open fire or a gas burner.

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Although parabolic solar cookers require regular adjustments to track the movement of the sun, they can be used from sunrise to sunset even in freezing temperatures. Hundreds of thousands of families in China and India use parabolic solar cookers for cooking food and boiling water whenever the sun is shining. Large institutional parabolic reflectors like the Prince and the Shuffler are used for cooking in community kitchens at schools, health centres, bakeries and orphanages.

6.2 Design A typical dish solar cooker has a minimum aperture diameter of 1.4 m and a focal length of 0.28 m. The parabolic dish, made of single reflector, or by joining smaller pieces of reflector, is fixed firmly to a rigid frame. Size and shape of the dish should be such that when exposed to sun in the normal direction, a point focus would be formed. The reflecting material used for fabrication of this cooker is anodized aluminium sheet, which has a reflectivity of over 80%. The thickness of the Glass mirrors should be about 3 mm, with suitable protective layer on back to minimize degradation of the reflective coating due to weathering. The cooker has to track the sun and has to be adjusted manually after every 15 20 minutes. The cooker can deliver power of about 0.6 kW, which can boil two to three litres of water in half-an hour. The temperature achieved at the bottom of the vessel could reach 350400 C, which is sufficient for roasting, frying, and

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boiling. This cooker can meet the needs of about 15 people, and can be used for eight to nine hours during the day. 6.3 Material required for fabrication: Supporting Frame of the dish Is made either of MS rings supported by MS strips, FRP material, or thick MS wire-mesh structure. It should be rigid enough to resist any deformation of the dish shape due to wind pressure or manual handling. The MS structure should have epoxy/anti-rust coating. Stand for the dish It is made of MS with epoxy/powder coating. It is equipped with an arrangement to hold cooking pot of different sizes. It should have a suitable provision to secure the cooker to the ground. Tracking Mechanism It is either manual or automatic, allowing unrestricted rotation of the dish along its horizontal and vertical axes enabling its adjustment in the normal direction to the suns rays. A provision of locking arrangement to hold/fix the dish at a desired position is present. It is equipped with an arrangement (in the form of a vertical pointer) to enable users to position the dish in a direction normal to the suns rays. Cooking vessel (Optional) For dish cooker of about 1.4 m diameter, a pressure cooker of 5 l capacity with ISI mark is required. For larger sizes, proportionately higher capacity of pressure cooker is required. High temperature resistant black powder coating is given to the bottom of the vessel. 6.4 Other requirements The entire structure should be able to withstand wind pressure up to a speed of 60 km per hour without damage. All parts/components should be weather resistant and able to withstand degradation due to climatic conditions for a period of 15 years (except for reflecting mirrors whichmay require replacement early). Accessories, like cap, hand gloves, goggles, manual for its installation and proper use, and tool kit for installation are also supplied. The life of this cooker is estimated at about 20 years for the metallic structure. 6.5 Maintenance and servicing of dish solar cookers Maintenance required is an occasional coat of black paint on the outer surface of the pressure cooker.

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 Replacement of reflecting sheets once in 5 years Cleaning of the reflective panels on parabolic solar cookers should be done after every use. All that is needed is a soft cloth and clean water to remove dust and spilled food. The reflectors should never be scrubbed or cleaned with soap or an abrasive material because that will dull the shine and reduce the temperature at which it cooks. Covers for parabolic solar cookers that are left outside at night will dramatically extend their life span. They can be sewn locally. 6.6 Customer education A. Dish solar cookers available in the market The cost of a dish solar cooker may vary from Rs 4300 to Rs 5000 depending on the type of reflector and supporting structure. The dish solar cooker can save up to 10 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders per year upon full use at small establishments. Its payback period ranges from 1.5 -2 years, depending on the extent of its use and the place of use. B. Cooking Time Cooking time is as low as an hour for boiling water to about 2 to 2 hours depending upon the kind of food and the season of the year. It also depends on local conditions such as ambient temperature, time of the day, latitude of the place, etc. C. Cooking tips Black pots work a lot better than silver pots. The pot needs to absorb as much light as possible and silver tends to reflect the light. Dull or matt finishes absorb more light than shiny surfaces. Pots with close fitting lids keep the heat in and help the cooking process. Placing the stove in a sheltered area stops the wind from cooling the outside of the pot. 6.7 Working Principle of Parabolic Solar cooker To make cooking simple and comfortable the cooking-place should not have to be moved, even better, it should be inside the house and the concentrating reflector outside in the sun. The best solution is an eccentric, parabolic reflector which rotates around as axis parallel to earth- axis synchronous with the sun. Additionally the reflector is adjusted to the seasons by making it flexible in a simple way. The system of parabolic cooker comprises a primary reflector, a secondary reflector, and tracking mechanism. The primary reflector produces a converging

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beam of sunlight aligned with an axis of rotation which is parallel to the axis of the earth, and which passes through the centres of both reflectors. The tracking unit rotates the primary reflector around its axis of rotation, keeping the reflected beam aligned with the axis of rotation as the sun moves. The fixed secondary reflector reflects the beam from the primary reflector onto a cooking pot or frying surface as shown in above figure. In the course of the seasons the incident angle of the solar radiation varies +/- 23.50 in relation to the perpendicular earth-axis. The parabolic has to perform the same change of inclination in order to stay directed to the sun. Otherwise its not possible to obtain a sharp focal point. But the centre of the reflector and the position of the focus are not allowed to move as shown in figure. With the help of a simple mechanical tracking system the solar disc rotates in the direction of the movement of the Sun to give continuous and accurate solar energy concentration. For a fully tracking the sun normal to the primary reflector must be normal to the solar beam. Therefore, the reflectors azimuth and altitude angles must coincide s with the suns azimuth angle and the compliment to the suns altitude angle. The incidence angle is equal to zero. 7.0 How to Make a Solar Cooker

Introduction We studied about renewable and non-renewable energy and we learned two big ideas: 1.We should try to conserve and save the non-renewable energy resources we have. 2.We should learn how to switch to renewable energy resources.The suns energy is really powerful. Solar energy is renewable and its free. We can use it to make electricity, to heat buildings and to cook. Millions of people cant find enough wood to cook, so using solar cookers is a good idea. We designed one made mostly from scrap materials and it works pretty well; we wrote the plans with photos, so you can make it easily. We hope you like it as much as we do.

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7.1 Design: Focus and ConcentrateSolar Energy All sides slope in about 30 degrees. The aluminium foil is to focus and concentrate the suns energy. The suns energy is reflected off the foil and is focused to the centre. That is where you need to put your food.

7.2 Design: Trap Solar Energy We tried a model solar cooker. We decided you need a clear lid to trap the solar energy; the lid keeps the heat from the sun from getting out.

7.3 Use Inexpensive or Recycled Materials You can find cardboard or refrigerator boxes at an appliance store. You can buy clear plastic bags at a dry cleaner, saran wrap or cooking bags at a grocery store or window covering at a hardware store.

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Look for Mylar blankets or buy wide aluminium foil at a grocery store.

7.4 Tools and Safety You will also need tools and supplies: scissors, masking tape, two sided tape, rubber cement and rubber bands.Wear goggles for safety.Have adults help if you use tools like saws or utility knives.

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7.5 Construction Pattern 1 Make This Piece

Pattern 2: Make These Pieces

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7.6 More about the top and bottom Be sure you cut both pieces exactly the same size. Be sure to cut in the notches at least an inch deep. You dont make any creases in these pieces.

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Pattern

3:

Make

This

Piece

7.7 Creases Take your main piece and make creases in these places: It is important to have creases because you need to fold it.

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7.8 Glue the Foil Next you put foil on all three pieces. Make the foil an inch bigger on all sides. Spread rubber cement over all the pieces. Tape the extra foil to the back.

7.9 Avoid Wrinkles and Scratches on the Foil Use your fingers to lightly push on the foil to smooth out wrinkles. Try to make it like a mirror. That way the suns energy doesnt hit any wrinkles and reflect away from the food.

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7.10 Construct the lid rectangle cardboardstrip to make the rectangle lid. nice square angle.

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7.11 Construct the Lid Fold the strip into a rectangle. Put books in the corners to keep the lid square. Cover the lid with clear plastic a little bigger than the lid. Use double-sided tape to fasten the plastic on the frame.

7.12 Assembly: Using Rubber Bands We designed our solar cooker so you can assemble it and take it apart easily with rubber bands; but you can use string or twist ties instead. Make a loop with two rubber bands about size #64 like this. Make 3 sets of looped rubber bands.

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7.13 Put the Box Together Set the folded side piece between the top and bottom pieces. Stretch one rubber band loop at the back. Stretch the other two rubber band loops at the sides.

7.14 Attach the Lid Hook a rubber band over each corner of the lid. Then stretch it back to the slot on the side of the solar cooker.

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7.15 Test andUse Your Solar Cooker Make a container to cook food. Paint a small jar or can with flat black paint. Black will absorb the suns energy. Set your solar cooker outside to face the sun directly. Prop it up with stones, books or a wire brace made from a coat hanger bent in the middle. Put the container inside with about 2 inches of water and a cooking thermometer. Measure the temperature before you start. Measure again every 5 or 10 minutes and record the results 7.16 Test solar heating Time Temperature-Degrees F. Start 80 + 10 minutes115 + 20 minutes160

7.17 Cook with Your Solar Cooker Try these ideas: 1.Cook rice 2.Bake cornbread 3.Make baked potatoes 4.Make hard-boiled eggs

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8.0 Testing Methodology Performance of parabolic concentrating solar cookers is quite sensitive to design parameters and operational conditions, and therefore, the task of evolving and implementing a test procedure for the purpose of standardization and certification is quite involved and challenging. Presently, no specific test standard is available for performance evaluation of parabolic concentrator solar cookers. Some work was done at IIT Delhi to develop a thermal test procedure for these solar cookers. The cooker was tested for its thermal performance and cooking abilities by conducting following tests: i. No Load Test: In the no load test, temperature was determined by monitoring the top and bottom temperature of an empty pot kept at the cooking place of the solar cooker. Thermocouples are placed at bottom centre and 20 mm from the top of the cooking vessel respectively. By using the pyranometer direct solar radiations are measured in 15 minutes of interval. The test was carried out until there was not much variation in the temperatures at bottom and top of the cooking vessel. Also the ambient temperature was recorded in 15 minutes of interval. ii. Water heating and Cooling Tests: The water heating test was conducted by placing a vessel with half literand one liter of water at room temperature on the cooker. The temperature at the middle of the water mass was monitored. The water temperature, ambient temperature and direct solar radiation were measured in15 minutes of interval. The pot with a full load of water is heated by exposing the concentrator to solar radiation until boiling occurs and then cooled by shading the concentrator. Set readings of heating and cooling test are recorded. The overall heat loss factor (F'UL) was obtained from the cooling curve and the optical efficiency factor (F'o) was determined from the heating curve--both under full load conditions. iii.Cooking test: This was done to evaluate the time taken to cook a certain quantity of food items like rice, green gram, red gram, bean nut and khichadi. An equal quantity of these items was cooked individually on solar cooker. An equal quantity of water was added with each item. During the test the ambient temperature, direct solar radiation and time taken to cook the food were recorded. Also the cooker was tested for tea and coffee. 8.1 Results and Discussion: No Load Test: In the no load test an empty pot was kept at the cooking place of the solar cooker as shown in figure. The pot was made up of aluminium which is coated with black paint.

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The maximum temperature recorded at the top was 870C and at the bottom it was 1200C.The test was conducted in morning time. The average ambient temperature and average solar radiation were 390C and 694.27 W/m2 respectively. Heating Test: The water heating test was conducted by placing a vessel with half litre and one litre of water at room temperature on the cooker. The temperature at the middle of the water mass was monitored. Graph.2 and.3 shows the variation in water temperature, ambient temperature and solar radiation for the water having different masses.

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For one litre water test, maximum water temperature achieved was 950C and time taken for this was 90 minutes. The average ambient temperature and direct solar radiation recorded were 40.420C and 764 W/m2 respectively. Heating and Cooling Test: The pot with one litre of water was heated by exposing the concentrator to solar radiation until the temperature reached to 950C and then cooled by shading the concentrator and the complete setup. A set reading of heating and cooling test was recorded. Results of heating and cooling tests are shown in graph 4. The total duration for both heating and cooling test was 2 hr. 15 minutes. Water temperature, ambient temperature and direct solar radiation are recorded in time interval of 15 minutes.

8.2 Analysis from cooling curve Analysing over an infinitesimal time interval during the sensible cooling of water, the time taken, dr for a fall of dT,. (Negative) in water temperature is

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8.3 Analysis from heating curve

8.4 Cooking Test: Many different food items were cooked using the cooker at the Institute. Quantity of each item cooked and the time taken are shown in Table1. The cooker was found capable of cooking all the food items such as rice, various types of dals, khichadi and tea, coffee needed for a family quite comfortably. The tracking arrangement, operation, loading and unloading were found to be

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convenient to use. The exposed vessel sustained considerable heat loss in the windy season resulting in longer cooking hours
Food cooked Rice Quantity cooking Time (min) 15 Ambient temp. 0 C 36 Average direct solar radiation (w/m2) 696.82

Rice 100 gms Water 200 ml Rice 100 gms Red gram 20 gms Water 300 ml Green gram 100 gms Water 200 ml Bean nut 100 gms Water 200 ml Red gram 100 gms Water 200 ml 3 cup (450 ml water, 150 ml milk) 1 cup (200 ml)

Khichadi

35

37

673.65

Green gram Bean nut

25

33

704.25

30

36

675.41

Red gram Tea

35

38

711.50

20

39

720.14

Coffee

10

37

712.45

Cooking Test: The various food items were cooked in both the types of solar cookers. Comparison of the time taken for cooking various food items by parabolic solar cooker and box solar cooker is shown in bar chart which indicates that cooking process in parabolic solar cooker is faster than box solar cooker.

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8.5 Instruments used for testing 6.1Thermocouples and Temperature Indicator: Thermocouples are used for temperature measurement. In this project it is used to measure water temperature, ambient temperature, and temperature at the focus point and at the bottom of the cooking pot. Temperature indicator used to display the temperature which is sense by the thermocouple. The electric supply is needed to this temperature indicator. 6.2 Pyranometer: Solar radiation flux is usually measured with the help of a pyranometer. A pyranometer is an instrument which measures either global or diffused radiation over a hemispherical field of view. The pyranometer is generally used in India. An accuracy of about +_ 2 % can be obtained with the instrument. 6.3 Digital Multimeter: It is used to display the voltage sensed by the pyranometer which is in the range of mill-volts. By setting the rotary switch to volt-mode and connecting the probe tips parallel with the voltage source (i.e. pyranometer) it measures the voltage. Conversion formula is:

Where, S = Solar Flux in W/m2 and mV = mV reading shown by the pyranometer.

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