Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

Solar cooking development in Algerian Sahara: Towards a socially

suitable solar cooker
A. Harmim a,n, M. Merzouk b, M. Boukar a, M. Amar a
a
Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables, Unité de Recherche en Energies Renouvelables, en Milieu Saharien, PO Box 478, Adrar, Algeria
b
Département de Mécanique, Université Saad Dahlab, Blida, Algeria

art ic l e i nf o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This paper presents a review of research works and studies carried out in the development of solar cooking in
Received 19 November 2013 Algerian Sahara. The review is performed in such way to focus on diverse box type solar cookers that have
Received in revised form been realized by the solar heating research team at the Research Unit in Renewable Energies in Sahara
7 April 2014
Medium (URER/MS-Adrar, Algerian Sahara). Research started with the realization of a simple solar box cooker
Accepted 11 May 2014
with a tilted absorber-plate, then the construction of a double exposure solar cooker and then the development
Available online 29 May 2014
of a novel non-tracking solar box cooker, which is equipped with a fixed asymmetric compound parabolic
Keywords: concentrator (CPC) as booster-reflector and its absorber-plate, is in a form of a step. The last cooker can be fixed
Solar box cooker at a south building wall with its rear opening in kitchen; it can be more user friendly. This will allow a freedom
Double exposure
of interactive cooking and it does not require the user to go out in the sun during its use. These qualities
Finned cooking vessel
promote its uptake and made it a socially acceptable device.
Non-tracking
Building-integrated & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
2. Principle of solar cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
3. Solar cookers classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
4. Solar cooking in Algerian Sahara: A review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
4.1. Development of a box type solar cooker with a tilted absorber plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
4.2. Development of a double exposure box type solar cooker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
4.3. Contribution to the improvement of heat transfer into the pot in solar cookers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
4.4. Development of a stationary building-integrated box type solar cooker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
5. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

1. Introduction caused by the exploitation of firewood to provide domestic energy

needs and to minimize the abusive use of energy derived from the
In Algeria, almost the whole country is supplied with electricity, fossil sources. Algerian Sahara lies in the sunny belt of the world. This
natural gas and butane gas. These are all used for supply domestic area receives abundant daily sunshine and an average solar insolation
needs. However, the problem of energy cost and the increasing energy of about 2650 kWh/m²/year [1].
consummation constitute an important ecological and economic Under these conditions, all solar energy applications could be
constraint on the environment preservation and the sustainable developed and the solar cooking constitutes an attractive one. Cooking
development. Solar energy is a suitable solution to limit deforestation is an important part of daily food preparation in commercial and
residential settings. The application of heat alters the composition of
food products to enhance taste, texture, digestibility and shelf-life [2].
n
Corresponding author. Tel.: þ 213 49 96 51 68; fax: þ 213 49 96 04 92. In the isolated Saharan areas; the use of heat for food cooking is very
E-mail address: arezki.harmim@yahoo.fr (A. Harmim). expensive when the conventional energy sources are used and induces

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.05.028
1364-0321/& 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
208 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214

disastrous consequences on the ecosystem by exploiting wood of the food and the lid. The lid which becomes hot will generate, by
remaining trees in these areas. natural convection, a current of hot air which circulates inside
In order to develop and popularize the use of solar cookers in the box.
Algerian Sahara, a research project was launched in 2004 by the  The side surface of the cooking pot is partially irradiated and
Research Unit in Renewable Energies in Saharan Medium at Adrar, the heat carried by the air circulation inside the box, reaches
which is located at 271530 N latitude and 01170 W longitude. The Adrar the food via the side walls of the pot.
area has a surface of 424,948 km²; it enjoys an average of about 3500
sunshine hours per year [1] and an annual average daily total solar
irradiation on a horizontal surface of about 22.8 MJ/m² [3]. In addition,
the sky is usually clear and it rarely rains. Under these conditions; solar
cooking has a high potential of diffusion and constitutes a real 3. Solar cookers classification
opportunity in the domestic sector in this area.
This paper is a compilation of the research studies which were In this study, available solar cookers are classified under two
carried out to develop a socially acceptable solar cooker for the groups:
remote areas of Algerian Sahara and in particular Adrar region.
 Direct ones with integrated solar reflector–collector;
 Indirect ones with separate solar reflector–collector (split).
2. Principle of solar cooking

Solar cooking consists to use solar energy to cook food and prepare In the first group, we find the cookers whose collector and the
it for human consumption. To carry out this; it is necessary to: place where the cooking pot is deposited, form one same unit.
There are two types: The box type solar cookers which can be
 Collect the solar radiation; simple or provided with plane reflectors, and the concentrating
 Convert it to heat; ones. In box type solar cookers, the cooking pot is deposited in a
 Retain the heat and transmit it to food through cooking pot well-insulated box and in the concentrating ones; the cooking pot
walls. is placed at the focus of a concentrating mirror.
In the second group, we find the cookers which are made in
This can be carried out by using a hot box type which depends two distinct parts: A solar collector to collect and convert solar
on the green house effect. It consists of a well-insulated box with a radiation into heat and an insulated cooking chamber for the
black interior. Food is placed in cooking pots deposited on an installation of the cooking pot. These two parts are connected by
absorber plate installed in the hot-box. The cover of the box ducts to allow the circulation of the heat transfer fluid and bring
usually comprises two glasses that lets solar radiation enter the the heat to the cooking chamber. According to their collectors, we
box but keeps the re-radiation heat in the infrared region escap- distinguish two types: Those with flat-plate collectors and those
ing. When a cooking pot is deposited on the absorber plate of a with concentrators.
box-type solar cooker well-directed towards the sun; the heat Compared to those of the first group, the indirect solar cookers
transfer towards the food inside the cooking pot is carried out have the advantage of laying out the cooking chamber inside the
under the following conditions (Fig. 1) kitchen. These cookers are complex and expensive; for more effec-
tiveness their collectors are equipped with heat pipes. They must be
 The absorber plate is irradiated on its upper surface; by natural the subject of a meticulous study when designing the home.
convection, it transmits most of the absorbed radiation which is The parabolic solar cooker concentrates the direct solar radiation
converted into heat towards the internal air. By conduction; it on the cooking pot which is installed in the focus of the parabolic
transmits a fraction of its heat towards the base of the cooking concentrator. This type of cooker does not require a cooking chamber
pot which is in direct contact with the absorber plate. Through for the installation of the cooking pot. Indeed, the cooking chamber
the thermal wall resistance of the cooking pot; this fraction of generates more obstruction which gene the reception of solar radia-
heat is transferred to the food kept inside. tion, but the thermal losses become important under a strong wind.
 The lid of the cooking pot absorbs a maximum of solar radiation The use of this cooker requires a great attention for the concentrator
but this surface remains not effective in the mechanism of heat orientation and to avoid the burns dangers. Since this type of cooker
flow to the food. Indeed; food is not in direct contact with the lid exploits the direct radiation, its operation under partially covered sky
and it always remains an air gap between the upper surface of the becomes practically impossible.
The box type solar cooker is simplest; it is about a hot-box directly
exposed to the direct and the diffuse solar radiation. In order to
improve the collected radiation, plane reflectors can be fixed on the
box and oriented to reflect solar radiation towards the absorber plate.
Box type solar cookers can be fabricated with locally available
materials and they are easy to operate; they require only few
Air interventions of the user for their orientations towards the sun, but
Lid gap reached temperatures are moderate and cooking times remain long.
Several models of solar cookers were built and distributed in
Heat the rural world through planet. In Africa and in the sub-Saharan
losses
Food
area; popularization of solar cooking is supported by several
Cooking organizations to fight against deforestation and meet populations
pot needs in remote areas deprived of conventional energy resources
like Tchad, Mali, Niger, Burkina-Faso and others…
Absorber
plate With the actual ecological and economic current constraints, it
is more than ever necessary to develop solar cooking in Algeria
Fig. 1. A schematic diagram illustrating heat exchanges in a solar box cooker. and particularly in its south regions.
 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214 209

4. Solar cooking in Algerian Sahara: A review

4.1. Development of a box type solar cooker with

a tilted absorber plate

A first box type solar cooker prototype was constructed and

tested in the Research Unit in Renewable Energies in Saharan
Medium (URER/MS) in Adrar in 2004. This first prototype was
constructed for a purely experimental aim [4]. It is built with
locally available materials: plywood, glass mirrors and a black steel
sheet as an absorber plate. The door, fixed on the top, consists of a
movable double-glass cover. Three glass mirrors are hinged to the
framework of the upper edges of the box. The photograph of the
box type solar cooker prototype is shown in Fig. 2; it is fixed over
an angle iron stand facing south. The reflectors tilt angles and the
cooker azimuth are adjusted at regular intervals of 20 min to
ensure that the reflected and the direct solar radiations fall on the
cooker aperture.
Experimental tests were carried out under the actual climatic Fig. 3. Photograph of the double exposure solar cooker prototype realized at the
conditions of Adrar in absence of wind and under clear sky URER/MS.
condition. The effectiveness of cooker was demonstrated by the
cooking tests of different food items: chicken, meat, rice, coffee The photograph of the double exposure solar cooker prototype is
and tea. Various stagnation tests were carried out in January 2005 shown in Fig. 3.
for winter season and in June 2005 for summer season. At winter An experimental study was carried out under the actual
season and under stagnation test conditions; the maximum climatic conditions of Adrar from September 2005 to September
absorber plate temperature achieved at 14:50 was 148 1C. 2006. During tests, the cooker was manually oriented according to
Water heating tests were conducted according to the Interna- azimuth at an interval of 15 min in order to collect a maximum of
tional Standard procedure for testing solar cookers developed by solar radiation. Under stagnation test conditions; the maximum
Funk [5]. Under hot season climatic conditions, it took about 2 h to absorber plate temperature achieved at 10:00 h was 173 1C,
boil 1.25 kg of water. measured at a horizontal solar radiation value of 677.3 W/m² and
an ambient temperature equal to 38 1C. Several water heating tests
were carried out in winter and in summer with different water
4.2. Development of a double exposure box type solar cooker
loads. Under winter season climatic conditions, it took about
78 min to boil 1 kg of water.
On the basis of the obtained results in the precedent study; our
Compared with the first box type solar cooker prototype, the
work was directed towards the development of a box type solar
reached temperatures are higher and boiling time of 1 kg of water
cooker equipped with a linear parabolic concentrator allowing a
is reduced.
double exposure of the absorber plate [6,7]. It consists of a box
type solar cooker with a double glazed bottom which allows the
4.3. Contribution to the improvement of heat transfer into the pot in
absorber plate to receive solar radiation on its lower side with the
solar cookers
help of a parabolic reflector disposed under the cooker. The cooker
box is equipped with three glass mirrors hinged to the framework
The heat transfer into the pot in solar cookers of different types
of upper side of the cooker. In this manner, the absorber plate is
was the subject of a number of experimental and theoretical
exposed to solar radiation from two sides. A door is provided on a
studies [8–15]. It was observed that typical cooking times are
lateral side of the box to access the cooking vessel. The parabolic
about 2 h to 3 h for box types and 1 h to 2 h for concentrating
reflector is a section of a linear parabolic concentrator.
types. For a given type of solar cooker it is possible to reduce the
cooking time by carrying out modifications on the shape of the
cooking vessel. These modifications can improve heat transfer to
the food through the pot walls. In this objective Harmim et al. [16]
investigated a finned cooking vessel in order to increase efficiency
of solar cookers and to reduce cooking time. The tested pot is an
ordinary cylindrical cooking vessel whose lateral external surface
is provided with fins distributed around the circumference. This
configuration increases the surface of heat transfer towards the
interior of the vessel and keeps an adequate volume to contain the
food to be cooked.
A comparative experimental study of a box-type solar cooker
with two different cooking vessels was conducted in Adrar,
Algeria. The two cooking vessels are made of aluminium painted
black, are cylindrical in shape and have flat base. The lateral
external surface of one of the cooking vessels is provided with fins
made of aluminium painted black. Fins are of rectangular constant
cross section. The solar cooker used in the experimental investiga-
tion is of the double exposure type (Fig. 3). During each test, both
cooking vessels were placed side by side on the absorber plate and
Fig. 2. Photograph of the box type solar cooker prototype realized at the URER/MS. loaded with the same quantity of water at the same temperature.
210 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214

It was found that water temperature in the finned cooking vessel – The stagnation temperature for box-type solar cooker equipped
was always higher than water temperature in the conventional with a finned absorber was about 7% more than box-type solar
cooking vessel. It was experimentally demonstrated that cooking cooker equipped with an ordinary absorber.
time can be reduced by using a finned cooking vessel. This
reduction is consistent with the increase of the heat transfer The attached fins on the absorber plate increase its tempera-
surface area by fins attached to the external surface of the cooking ture by radiative absorptance due to different multiple reflections.
vessel. The temperature improvement of the interior hot air is obtained
It is clear that increase in temperature of the internal air, in by the increase in the convective heat transfer plate-air surface.
contact with side walls of the cooking vessel, can improve heat The finned absorber plate is recommended for use in box-type
transfer into the pot in solar cookers and then improve perfor- solar cookers.
mances of the cookers. The effect of box geometry, such as
cylindrical and rectangular, on the performance of solar cookers
has been investigated by Kurt et al. [17]. It was observed that 4.4. Development of a stationary building-integrated box type solar
cylindrical model has higher temperature than the rectangular one cooker
under the same operating conditions. Harmim et al. [18] have
investigated the effect of a finned absorber plate on the box-type An original application of the Mallick's asymmetric Compound
solar cooker performance. The finned absorber plate enhances the Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) [19], which is used as booster-
rate of heat transfer to the air inside the cooker. A comparative reflector for a box-type solar cooker, was presented by Harmim
experimental study was carried out to compare the thermal et al. [20]. A schematic diagram of the proposed system is
performance of two box-type solar cookers prototypes under presented in Fig. 5. A solar cooker equipped with an asymmetric
same operating conditions. Two identical prototypes of box-type CPC consists of an insulated box with a vertical double glazing
solar cookers have been designed and fabricated; the first one cover on a side and two linear parabolic reflectors (upper and
equipped with an ordinary absorber plate and the second one lower parabola) fixed on the glazed side of the box. The geome-
equipped with a finned absorber plate. Each prototype consists of trical properties of the booster-reflector in form of an asymmetric
a wooden case from which sides and bottom were thermally CPC were calculated for a box-type solar cooker, to operate in
insulated. The case is provided with an inclined movable double Adrar, Algeria.
glass cover hinged to one side of the case at the top. The mathematical model of heat transfer processes involved with
For the first prototype; the absorber plate consists of an this cooker, containing a cooking pot loaded with water, was devel-
aluminium sheet painted black. For the second one; the absorber oped and the effects of various parameters, such as solar radiation,
plate is similar to that of the first one but its upper surface is clouds and water load on the dynamic behaviour of the cooker were
provided with fins made of aluminium painted black. Fins are of studied [20]. The results demonstrate competitiveness and promising
rectangular constant cross section. The photograph of the two performance of this cooker; thus a prototype was constructed and
prototypes, used in the comparative study, placed side by side on tested. The experimental study was conducted in the winter and
the experimental platform is shown in Fig. 4. A series of experi- summer seasons. The cooker performance was rated by using the first
ments have been performed under Adrar prevailing weather figure of merit (F1 ¼0.1681 1C m²/W) and the second figure of merit
conditions in July 2008 and the following conclusions have been
drawn: Lower parabola
Upper parabola
– Finned absorber plate improves the performances of the box-
type solar cooker by reduction of the cooking time by 12% Absorber-plate
compared to an ordinary absorber plate; this was obtained by
the improvement of the heat exchange between absorber plate
and internal air. Door

Double glazing
Fig. 5. Schematic sketch of the box-type solar cooker employing an asymmetric
CPC as booster-reflector.

Upper parabola

Lower parabola

Door

Absorber-plate Double glazing

Fig. 4. Photograph of the two box type solar cookers used in the present
comparative study, placed side by side on the experimental platform. “A” is Fig. 6. Schematic sketch of the non-tracking box-type solar cooker employing a
equipped with ordinary absorber plate and “B” is equipped with finned absorber line-axis asymmetric CPC as booster-reflector and an absorber-plate in a form of
plate [18]. a step.
 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214 211

(F2 ¼0.35) [21]. Experimental tests demonstrated that the cooker, performance of the solar cooker is evaluated by conducting two types
which remains in a stationary position during all test period, is of test, stagnation tests and sensible heat tests. The various tests
suitable for cooking even in winter and without having recourse to carried out under the real climatic conditions of Adrar, demonstrate its
tracking towards the sun. But by comparison with those which are effectiveness to cook two meals per day for a family of four persons.
developed elsewhere; the efficacy of this cooker remain relatively During stagnation tests of the cooker equipped with its
average. Efforts have been made to make changes to the internal reflector, the maximum absorber plate temperature reached
geometry of the cooker box and the shape of the absorber plate in 166 1C and 165 1C in summer and winter season respectively.
order to improve the effectiveness of the cooker. A schematic diagram When the reflector was removed, the maximum absorber plate
of the novel cooker prototype is presented in Fig. 6. It consists of a temperature reached 127.7 1C in winter season.
solar cooker that is equipped with a non-imaging line-axis asymmetric The cooker performance was rated by using the first figure of
CPC and an insulated parallelepipedic box with a vertical transparent merit (F1 ¼0.152 1C m2/W) and the second figure of merit
glass cover on a side and a horizontal transparent glass cover on the (F2 ¼0.470). The values of first figure of merit F1 and second figure
roof. The absorber plate is bent in right angle in a form of a step. It is of merit F2 are compared with other box type solar cookers in
laid out, so that its vertical surface is parallel to the glass cover on side Table 1.
by forming a space allowing the circulation of hot air upward the The adjusted cooking power is calculated according to the
cooker box cavity, which is delimited by the roof glass and the International Standard procedure. For that; experimental tests
horizontal surface of the absorber plate. The absorber plate has a have been conducted on five days from February 24th, 2013 to
negligible thermal capacitance (thin plate) and its exposed surface is Mars 1st, 2013. Intercept area of our cooker equipped with its
painted black to increase solar radiation absorption. Two linear reflector has been found to be 0.712 m², so the water load for
parabolic reflectors (upper and lower parabola) are fixed on the glazed cooking power test has been taken 5 kg distributed evenly
walls of the box. The two reflectors are arranged so that, incoming between three cooking pots. Using all obtained results on five
solar radiation received by the aperture is reflected towards the days and according to International Standard procedure, we
absorber plate. According to the solar altitude angle; the focal spot deduced the relation which gives the adjusted cooking power
that is formed by the upper parabola moves on the horizontal surface Pad (W) as a function of the temperature difference ΔT (1C) of
of the absorber plate and the focal spot that is formed by the lower water load and ambient temperature
parabola moves on the vertical surface of the absorber plate.
P ad ¼ 136:28  1:142ΔT ð1Þ
A prototype of a box-type solar cooker with an asymmetric CPC of
an acceptance angle of 601 was constructed by means and materials The value of the linear regression coefficient of determination
available in Adrar. The internal dimensions of the box receiving the R2 ¼ 0:936 satisfies the test standard (better than 75%) and the
cooking pots are 0.7 m per 0.28 m per 0.14 m height. Its top standardized cooking power (cooking power at 50 1C) is found to
transparent cover consists of a double glazing of 4 mm thickness, be 78.9 W [22]. The adjusted cooking power is compared with
0.7 m length and 0.3 m width and its side vertical transparent glass other box- type solar cookers in Table 2.
cover consists of a double glazing of 4 mm thickness, 0.7 m length and The experimental energy and exergy efficiencies are also
0.36 m height. So its total glazing area is 0.462 m². The absorber plate, calculated. When water is heated from 40 1C to 90 1C, then for
painted by a non-selective matte black paint, is made of stainless steel each 10 min time interval, the energy efficiency of the cooker will
sheet of 0.3 mm thickness and is bent so as to present a horizontal be calculated by [27]
surface of 0.7 m length and 0.26 m width and a vertical surface of M e C e ðT e2  T e1 Þ
0.7 m length and 0.2 m height. It is placed at 2 cm from the vertical ηen ¼ ð2Þ
I in Ain Δt
glass cover and is insulated, on its rear side, with a glass wool layer of
15 cm thickness. On the opposite side of the vertical glass cover, a door where I in is global solar radiation on intercept area of the cooker,
is provided to access the cooking pot. The two other box internal side
walls are made of stainless steel sheet of 0.3 mm thickness and
insulated with a glass wool layer of 5 cm thickness. A photograph of Table 1
the novel solar cooker prototype is presented in Fig. 7. Experimental Comparison of F1 and F2 of our novel solar cooker with other box-type solar
tests of the solar cooker were conducted in Adrar, Algeria. The thermal cookers.

Refs. F1 (1C m²/W) F2 Amount of water load (kg)

Kumar et al. [23] 0.117 0.467 2

Negi and Purohit [14] 0.1252 0.4051 –
Purohit and Purohit [24] 0.1251 0.4805 1.844
El-Sebaii and Ibrahim [25] 0.15 0.407 4
Mahavar et al. [26] 0.116 0.466 1.2
Our novel cooker [22] 0.1522 0.478 3.5

Table 2
Adjusted cooking power expression of our novel solar cooker compared with other
box-type solar cookers.

Refs. Adjusted cooking power Standardized cooking

power (W)

Funk [5] P ad ¼ 125  1:58ΔT 46

El-Sebaii and Ibrahim [25] P ad ¼ 103:92  1:598ΔT 24.02
Mahavar et al. [26] P ad ¼ 103:5  1:474ΔT 29.8
Our novel cooker [22] P ad ¼ 136:28  1:142ΔT 78.9
Fig. 7. Stationary building-integrated solar cooker prototype [22].
212 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214

Ain is intercept area of the cooker, Δt is time interval and, T e1 and

T e2 are, respectively, initial and final water temperature for the
considered time interval. And its exergy efficiency will be calcu-
lated by [27]
T
Exo M e C e ðT e2  T e1 Þ  M e C e T amb ln T e2
ηex ¼ ¼     4 
e1
ð3Þ
Exi
I in 1  43 TTamb
s
þ 1 T amb
3 Ts Ain Δ t

where T s is surface temperature of sun (6000 K) and T amb is

ambient temperature. For the test conducted on February 26th,
2013; the variation of the instantaneous energy and exergy
efficiencies as function of time for the cooker is presented in Fig. 8.
As for any solar system, the energy efficiency of our solar
cooker prototype, decrease linearly with time (from 27% to 5%) as
the temperature rises and the thermal losses increase. The exergy
efficiency of the cooker is weaker (0.5–2.5%); it varies in step with
solar radiation and presents a peak during the test.
As proposed by Kumar [27], the quality factor, the peak exergy Fig. 10. Variations in exergy power lost with temperature difference for the novel
power gained and the heat loss coefficient also evaluated. The solar cooker on February 26th, 2013.

peak exergy power gained is the maximum exergy power output

obtained through curve fitting by plotting the graph between
expression) is also plotted versus temperature differences in
exergy power output ðExo =ΔtÞ and temperature differences of
Fig. 10. The quality factor is defined as the ratio of the peak exergy
water load and ambient temperature (Fig. 9). The exergy power
power gained to the exergy power lost at the same instant of time.
lost (the second term on the numerator of exergy efficiency
From Fig. 9, the peak exergy power gained is determinate to be
21.4 W at 49.70 1C and from Fig. 10, the exergy power lost at the
same temperature difference is determinate to be 99.05 W. The
quality factor is then equal to 0.216. The heat loss coefficient is
obtained by dividing the value of the slope of the line, obtained
through linear curve fitting of the exergy power lost variations
with temperature difference, by the value of glazing area
(0.462 m²). It is then determined to be 4.09 W/m² K. These perfor-
mance indicators are compared with those of other solar cookers
in Table 3. Our novel solar cooker prototype is characterized by a
higher quality factor.
Several cooking tests of various food items were carried out
with our prototype in winter season. They were carried out with a
rhythm of two meals per day and for four persons. Meals were
diversified: Bread and sheep or chicken stew, green and dry
vegetables, macaroni and rice [22]. This system remains in a yearly
stationary position during all cooking period; it can be integrated
into the kitchen wall of a building (Fig. 11) and could be then
exploited without having to go out at the sunshine.
Fig. 8. Variation of energy and exergy efficiencies of the novel solar cooker versus In designing the novel solar cooker, the objective is to maintain
local time on February 26th, 2013. the cost minimal. The overall cost fabrication was estimated at
$104.5. Costs estimation of the various components is given in
Table 4. It should be noted that prices of various construction
materials are given according to the Algerian market and costs
were estimated for fabrication of a prototype for research purpose.
The overall cost of fabrication would significantly decrease if the
solar cooker will be fabricated for commercial purpose.

5. Conclusion

This paper presents a detailed literature survey of research

works carried out in the development of solar cooking in Algerian
Sahara. This activity lies within the scope of the program of the
Research Unit in Renewable Energies in Saharan Medium (URER/
MS—Adrar, Algeria) for the development of solar systems. The
activity which started in 2004 has leads to the development of an
innovative building-integrated box type solar cooker. Apart the
thermal storage to ensure cooking in the evening, our new cooker
Fig. 9. Variations in exergy power output with temperature difference for the novel guaranteed majority of the requirements for a domestic exploita-
solar cooker on February 26th, 2013. tion. It is simple, low cost, user friendly and efficient even in
 A. Harmim et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (2014) 207–214 213

Table 3
Comparison of performance indicators of our novel solar cooker with other solar cookers.

Solar cooker type Indicator

Peak exergy Heat loss coefficient Quality factor Maximum exergy Maximum energy
Power (W) (W/m² K) efficiency (%) efficiency (%)

Truncated pyramid type solar box cooker [27] m¼ 2 kg 7.12 4.09 0.15 3.89 36.38
Domestic solar box cooker [28] m¼ 2.5 kg 6.46 5.24 0.123 – –
SK-14 (domestic) [28] m ¼5 kg 18.21 40.35 0.106 – –
Parabolic trough [28] m¼6.3 kg 6.92 54.12 0.087 – –
Scheffler (community) [28] m¼ 20 kg 55.75 47.73 0.099 – –
Our novel solar cooker m¼5 kg 21.40 4.12 0.216 2.43 27.15

Fig. 11. Schematic sketch of our novel solar cooker integrated into building wall [22]. (a) Internal and (b) External sides.

Table 4 [4] Harmim A, Boukar M, Amar M. Etude expérimentale d’un cuiseur solaire de
Cost estimation of the various components of our novel solar cooker prototype. type boite à trois réflecteurs plans et une surface d’ouverture inclinée. Revue
des Energies Renouvelables 2007;10(1):31–8.
Component Cost (US$) [5] Funk PA. Evaluating the international standard procedure for testing cookers
and reporting performance. Sol Energy 2000;68(1):1–7.
Steel sheet for the absorber plate (0.3 mm thickness) 4.5 [6] Harmim A, Boukar M, Amar M. Développement et expérimentation d’un
Glass wool for the thermal insulation 5 cuiseur solaire à double exposition. Revue des Energies Renouvelables
Plywood for the external box walls (8 mm thickness) 16 2008;11(3):371–7.
Glazing for the transparent cover (4 mm thickness) 11.5 [7] Harmim A, Boukar M, Amar M. Augmentation du gain énergétique d’un
Glass mirrors for the reflector (4 mm thickness) 22 cuiseur solaire à double exposition. In: Proceedings, Colloque International sur
Various (screws, nuts, hinge, sealant, painting) 9 les Energies Renouvelables; Université d’Oujda, Maroc 4 et 5 mai; 2007.
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Labour cost (2 workers, 2 day) 36.5 cooker. Sol Energy 1991;47:107–13.
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cooker. Energy Convers Manage 2003;44:2651–63.
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reflector augmented box-type solar-energy cooker. Renewable Energy
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