The thermal analysis of paraffin wax in a box-type solar cooker

Abstract

In this study, the potential use and effectiveness of paraffin wax in solar cooker during the daylight and/or late evening hours is experimentally investigated. For these experiments, a box-type solar cooker was constructed by filling paraffin wax with metal shavings. The side-and sub-surface temperatures of the paraffin wax in the cooker are continuously measured during June and July 2011. The effect of the reflector angle on the thermal efficiency of the cooker is tested with different isolation conditions on different days. In conclusion, the designed cooker can be effectively used at an angle of 30 degrees. The thermal efficiency is increased to around 18.35% with the reflector. The maximum temperature of the paraffin achieved during the experiments is in the range of 75.1 degrees C to 80.5 degrees C. The reflected radiation makes a maximum contribution of 13.29% to the temperature of the paraffin wax. In addition, the heating time is decreased to approximately 1 h. So, the paraffin wax could be used as a phase change material integrated with the solar system. The rectangular solar cooker filled with the paraffin wax has a high thermal performance, which is indicated by high temperatures and decreased cooking times, for the given design conditions. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4768547]