Performance of box type solar cooker using finned vessel design

A study was conducted to improve cooking performance of box type solar cooker by modifying the design of the circular vessel lid. Internal cylindrical fins of sufficient length and thickness were used to transfer the heat collected at the lid surface directly to the food material, thereby, reducing the cooking time particularly in winter months when solar radiation collection is low. Experiments conducted at Ludhiana climate (30°N latitude) during the winter (January), spring (March) and summer (June) months in 2012 to test the cooking performance of finned vessel showed that the maximum water temperature inside the finned vessel was higher by 7°C in January, 5°C in March and 3°C in June as compared to the conventional vessel without fins. Consistently higher temperature of water in the finned vessel could reduce the cooking time by 8–15% as compared to conventional vessel during different seasons in Punjab.