CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the below mentioned students have submitted a satisfactorily

completed project work entitled as "STUDY OF PARABOLOID SOLAR

COOKER USING PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS" along with this
report to the department of Mechanical Engineering as a part of their degree program,
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki
Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal.

Aayush Khandelwal 0832ME141002

Anshul Pandey 0832ME141032
Chetan Kumawat 0832ME141050
Ashish Gour 0832ME141040

Project Guide - Prof. Bhupendra Verma

Project Coordinator- Srinidhi Rao

Head of Department - Prof. Deepak R Phalke

1
 DECLARATION

We, the following students, declare that the project "STUDY OF

PARABOLOID SOLAR COOKER USING PHASE CHANGE
MATERIALS " is our own work carried out under the supervision of Prof.
Bhupendra Verma M.E. Dept. at C.D.G.I , Indore (M.P).

We further declare that the work submitted is our contribution and to the best of our
knowledge, this report does not contain any part of work done by any other team
without acknowledgement.

Date: 23 oct 2017 Aayush Khandelwal

Anshul Pandey
Ashish Gour
Chetan Kumawat

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are thankful to our institute C.D.G.I. , Indore for providing us the opportunity to
apply and convert our theoretical knowledge into practical skills through this project
work.

Such work requires inputs, efforts and encouragement from all walks of life. We are
indeed fortunate to get active and kind co-operation from many corners without which
this endeavour wouldn’t have been a success.

We express our immense gratitude to our project supervisor Prof. Bupendra Verma
for his valuable guidance and support and his constant coordination with us that
enabled us to complete this project and meet our objectives.

We also acknowledge the kind support rendered by Teachers Asst Prof. Srinidhi Rao
towards conducting the experimental studies and compilation of the project work.

A special vote of thanks to our Head of the Department Prof. Deepak R Phalke for his
constant vigilance, support and follow up on this project which made us to work on our
toes during the course of this project.

Our deep sense of gratitude to each and every person involved directly or indirectly in
this project work with special thanks to our classmates.

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 1. SYNOPSIS :

Solar energy is one of the most promising heat sources for meeting the energy
demands without putting adverse impact on the environment. Solar Energy plays a key
role in sustainable development. Solar energy is intermittent in nature and time
dependent energy source and owing to this nature PCM (Phase change materials)
based energy storage system is used in our project.

A solar cooker is a simple, zero emission device that cooks food and boils water using
only the light of the sun, it turns sunlight directly into heat for cooking unlike
photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity. Besides the economic
savings, solar cooking helps in the fight against global warming and deforestation. By
using the sun’s rays to cook meals, firewood is saved and in many remote areas time is
used more usefully than for gathering the necessary firewood needed for wood burning
stoves

PCM is a substance with a high heat of fusion which on melting and solidifying is
capable of storing and releasing large amount of energy. Heat absorbed or released
when the material changes from solid to liquid or vici-versa. Thus PCM are classified
as Latent Heat Storage (LHS) units. Latent heat storage is more efficient than the
Sensible heat storage. Latent heat storage in a phase change material (PCM) is very
attractive because of its high storage density with small temperature swing. The aim of
using this method is to test the feasibility of a Parabolic Solar Cooker for the
application of Cooking or warming food in the evening hours by storing the solar
energy from the sun with the help of Phase Change Materials (PCM) & this storage

4
will increase the effectiveness and reliability of the solar cookers. This is the idea
behind our entire project.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certificate ……………………………………………………………………..................................1
Declaration ……………………………………………………………………...............................2
Acknowledgement …………………………………………………………………….....................3
Table of Content ……………………………………………………………………...................…5
List of notations ……………………………………………………………………...….................6
List of abbreviations ….……………………………………………………………...….................7
List of figures ………………………………………………………………………..…..................8
List of tables ……………………………………………………………………………..................9

1 OBJECTIVES
2 PROJECT OVERVIEW
3 INTRODUCTION
4 EXPECTED OUTCOME
5 PROCEDURE
6 PARAMETERS TO STUDY
7 FLOW DIAGRAM
8 SCHEMATIC
9 COMPONENTS USED
10 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROCESS STUDIED
11 CONCLUSION
12 FUTURE SCOPE SUGGESTIONS
13 REFERENCES

5
LIST OF NOTATIONS -

T - Temperature

t - Time

K - Thermal conductivity (W/m k)

C - Specific heat Capacity (KJ/Kg K)

Q - Quantity of heat stored (W)

qr - Heat absorbed by radiation (W)

qc - Heat released by conduction (W)

H - Solar Radiation

ε - Emissivity of the system σ - Stephen Boltzmann constant

6
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -

PCM - Phase change Materials

TES - Thermal energy storage

LHS - Latent heat storage

SHS - Sensible heat storage

PSC - Parabolic solar cooker

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1. OBJECTIVE -

 To construct a Paraboloid Solar Cooker.

 To test the feasibility of using Phase Change Materials such

as Paraffin wax & Stearic Acid in this cooker.

 To perform a comparative analysis of temperature variation

with time for Paraffin wax & Stearic acid.

 To calculate the Heat absorbed during radiation and also the

heat released by conduction in case of both, Stearic acid &
paraffin wax.

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 2. PROJECT OVERVIEW -

 The objective of this project is to design a Paraboloid Solar cooker. In this project
we have investigated a way of incorporating the application of PCM (phase change
material) in a paraboloid solar cooker which will enable it to be used for cooking
applications even after daylight hours.

 Initially, it was decided that a complete study on actual solar paraboloid cooker
would be possible with resources available within a time scale. A paraboloid solar
cooker is used quite differently than the solar box cooker or solar panel
cooker, mainly because it functions more as a stove top burner than an oven.

 Paraboloid solar cooker gives higher efficiency than a normal solar cooker as a
normal solar cooker operates in a temperature range of 80 to 100 degrees & takes
about 4 to 5 hours for cooking. Whereas, A paraboloid solar cooker operates at
temperature close to 160 degrees and takes only 40 – 50 minutes for cooking. The
parabolic geometry is better and sharper than other types of reflectors, but at the
same time it is very sensitive to even a slight change in the position of the sun and
hence the use of such reflectors means constant tracking.

 When a three dimensional parabola (i.e. a paraboloid) is aimed at the sun, all the
light that falls upon its mirrored surface is reflected to a point known as the focus.
If a black cooking pot is placed at the focus it will absorb the light's energy and
become very hot. A satellite dish is an example of a parabaloid that can be made
into a cooker

9
 Paraboloid Solar cookers heat up quickly and are used like a standard stovetop
range to sauté or fry foods, boil water, or even bake bread. It is easy to see in
today’s world that this shape is successful in its use. The parabolic shape can be
seen in satellite dishes, radio towers , solar cookers etc.

 The Methodology which we have adopted in this project was about utilizing the
research done on Phase Change Materials (PCM) and to integrate & implement
this knowledge in our project in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness
of the project. After in depth study of both the materials, We dedicated our time
into fabricating a design which suited our requirements. Thereafter, We analyzed
about the mode of heat transfer , heat transfer rate, thermal conductivity, latent
heat and melting point of the PCM material. This helped us to test the feasibility of
the entire procedure. The Phase Change Materials used in our project are

10
 Paraffin Wax & Stearic Acid.

3. INTRODUCTION -
 The sun sustains life on earth, it is available to everyone daily. There is no cost for
solar radiation. Solar energy is an inexhaustible resource. The sun produces vast
amounts of renewable solar energy that can be collected and converted into heat
and electricity. Solar thermal energy refers to the technologies that utilize the sun
energy for various industrial and commercial purposes such as cooking food,
heating water , space heating , power generation & agricultural drying.

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 Cooking by means of solar energy started in the 1970’s in response to the growing
shortage of firewood resulting from chronic deforestation. A solar cooker needed
solar energy which is in turn just a free fuel from the sky for operation. Having the
concept to utilize this free fuel from the sun in the mind, many of the research
institutes developed solar cookers for some different designs but with certain
limitations. Among all those different designs a simple solar box type cooker is
used commonly due to its simplicity.

 Using parabolic, box, or panel cookers means no gas or electricity costs. They are
easy to maintain and just as easy to build. With a little planning and some basic
mathematical calculations, anyone can own their own solar cooker. The
effectiveness of a solar cooker can vary depending on what materials are used, how
well they are crafted, and what type of climate you live in. Cooking time with a
parabolic cooker is similar to a conventional stove, and a box oven is similar to a
conventional oven. Cooking may take longer if is there are fog, clouds or shadow.
Using a solar oven to slow cook a meal means the food is cooked uniformly and
doesn’t burn no matter how long it is allowed to cook. Since dishes are allowed to
blend and cook in their own juices, the food retains its nutrients. No vitamins or
minerals are lost in the process. The only necessity is sunlight, even snowy climates
can enjoy the advantages of solar cooking. Parabolic cookers require closer
attention because they can reach much higher temperatures.

 Paraboloid cookers can reach extremely high temperatures. Therefore, they are
quite capable of reaching average cooking temperatures of between 212° F (100°
C) and 350° F (177° C) for frying, boiling and baking foods. Cooking time is
affected by the size of the parabolic dish, the size of the cooking pot and outside

12
 temperatures. Paraboloid cookers can cook any type of food with a variety of
different methods and have shorter heat up times than solar ovens.

 Thermal energy storage can be classified on the basis of storage mechanism:

sensible heat storage, latent heat storage, and thermo-chemical heat storage. For
sensible heat storage, the heat storage capacity depends on the mass of the media,
its heat capacity and the temperature rise. Therefore, sensible heat storage can only
store relatively small quantities of thermal energy with larger volume requirements
of materials and larger temperature difference of heat transfer fluid (HTF) between
storing and retrieval energy process. Compared to sensible heat storage, latent heat
storage and thermo-chemical heat storage can store larger quantities of thermal
energy with smaller temperature difference. The latent heat storage can store the
latent heat in a constant phase transition temperature besides the sensible heat in
two phases. The latent heat storage has a higher storage density compared to the
sensible heat storage. Therefore, latent heat storage can greatly minimize the
volume of the materials and thus reduce the size of the storage system. Moreover,
the temperature change of the system can be smaller for the same energy
requirement, which may greatly increase thermal efficiency of the overall system.
 Thermal energy storage can be accomplished either by using sensible heat storage
or latent heat storage. The principle of the phase change material (PCM) use is
simple. As the temperature increases, the material changes phase from solid to
liquid. The reaction being endothermic, the PCM absorbs heat. Similarly, when the
temperature decreases, the material changes phase from liquid to solid. The reaction
being exothermic, the PCM desorbs heat. The integration of PCM in building walls
is a way to enhance the storage capacity of building envelop and then to rationalize
the use of renewable and non-renewable energies.

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  PCM is a substance with a high heat of fusion which on melting and solidifying is
capable of storing and releasing large amount of energy. Heat absorbed or released
when the material changes from solid to liquid or vici-versa. Thus PCM are
classified as Latent Heat Storage (LHS) units. “Latent heat storage” is more
efficient than the “Sensible heat storage”.

 The most important safety tip for cooking with the sun is not to stare into the
reflected rays. you should wear dark sunglasses with UV protection at all times.
The sun’s rays can burn your eyes and cause blindness if the proper precautions are
not taken. Special attention should be given to fire safety as well. Parabolic Solar
cookers should be covered when not in use.

4. EXPECTED OUTCOME -
 In this project we have investigated a way of adding the application of heat
storage through Phase Change Materials which will serve the purpose of heating
or cooking food even after daylight hours.

 The first aim was to calculate and analyze the temperature variation with time of
both the Phase change materials (Stearic Acid & Paraffin wax).
14
  The heat energy absorbed during the daylight hours by the means of radiation by
the phase change materials is determined.

 The heat energy released after the daylight hours by means of conduction by the
phase change materials is determined & this heat is utilized for heating food,
water, milk etc.

Differences from electrical solar system:

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 TO CONVERT ELECTRICAL ENERGY INTO THERMAL ENERGY IT REQUIRES LOTS
OF ENERGY SO IT BECOMES NON USEFUL AFTER SUN FALL.
IT REQUIRES COSTLY EQUIPMENTS
IT REQUIRES AN INVERTER A BATTERY AND A CONTROLLER BUT OUR SYSTEM
NEEDS ONLY A PCM MATERIAL FOR THIS PURPOSE.

5. PROCEDURE – ( APPROX)
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 Approximate weight of the Parabolic Solar Cooker - 17 kg

 Reflector is squared shape with the following dimensions - 1.2m x 1.2m

 Frame is made from 2 parabolic strips and 7 parabolic round bars

 Supporting stand is made of rectangular pipes having crossection - 40 mm x 20

mm

 Anodized Aluminium Reflector Sheets are used having diameter - 2.3m

 Wheels are provided on the base of the cooker to assist in easy movement of the
cooker for the purpose of tracking.

 Cooker would be assembled in 3 hours which involves tying the Reflector sheets
with the help of nut & bolts and binding wire.

 A small platform is provided for easy access to the cooking pot ( pressure
cooker). The pressure cooker has a capacity of 3 litres.

 The pressure cooker is blackened from outside with a black enamel paint to
create a hotspot , where all the reflected solar radiations from the aluminium
reflector sheets will be concentrated .This will help in efficient heating of the
cooking pot.

 In this cooker 2 kg of rice can be cooked in about 40 minutes.

17
 J - type flexi thermocouple is being used for measuring temperature.

 A digital meter is connected to the J - type thermocouple which provides

accurate reading of temperature while making observations.

 The observation is made for 2 different phase change materials in paraffin wax
and stearic acid on 2 separate days. The material is kept in the cooking pot.

 The observation is made for a duration of 9 hours from 10:00 AM till 7:00 PM
and the time interval for each observation is 1 hour.

 The observation has been made under no load condition.

 The quantity of phase change materials used in both the observations is 750
grams , respectively.

 Analysis is made by plotting a temperature vs time graph for both sets of

observations.

 Result & Conclusion is discussed on the basis of the trends demonstrated by both
temperature - time plots.

Fabrication & Initial Testing of the Cooker –

Disassembled parts of the cooker
18
Fabrication of the cooker
Initial Testing of the cooker
Components used in the testing and Analysis process -

3 litre pressure cooker

Digital Temperature Recorder
Stearic Acid
Paraffin wax
J - Type Flexi Thermocouple
Bricks Insulation

19
 Assembled Solar Paraboloid Cooker

6. PARAMETERS TO STUDY -

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A) Temperature - Temperature of the cooker after each interval is to be noted while
making the observations.

B) Time - Time duration for which the cooker is kept under the influence of Sun.

C) Heat absorbed during Radiation.

D) Heat released by Conduction.

Energy requirement:
Q = cp m dT
Q = amount of heat (kJ)

cp = specific heat (kJ/kgK)

m = mass (kg)

dT = temperature difference between hot and cold side (K)

For heating 1kg of water in constant pressure

Energy needed:
Q= 1000 * 1*(70-35)
Q= 35000 cal = 35kcal
1cal= 4J
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Therefore,
Q= 35000*4
Q=140000J = 140KJ

DESIGN OF PARABOLA:

22
7. FLOW DIAGRAM -

23
FIG 7.1 - CLASSIFICATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
THERMAL HEAT STORAGE IN SOLAR COOKERS

24
FIG 7.2 - A BROAD CLASSIFICATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF PCM VARIETIES

25
8. SCHEMATIC -

26
 FIG.8.1- PHENOMENON OF REFLECTION OF SOLAR
RADIATION IN A PARABOLIC SOLAR COOKER

9. COMPONENTS USED -
(1) PCM material - A phase-change material (PCM) is a substance with a high heat
of fusion which, melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, is capable of storing
and releasing large amounts of energy. Heat is absorbed or released when the material
changes from solid to liquid and vice versa. Thus, PCMs are classified as latent
heat storage (LHS) units. The PCM materials, we have used in our project are -

(A) STEARIC ACID -

Melting temperature - 52°C

Density - 847-965 (kg/m3)

Appearance - White Powdered crystals

Storage temperature - 2–9°C

Refractive index - 1.429

Thermal conductivity - 0.29 (W/m K)

Latent heat of fusion - 169.0 (kJ/kg) Specific heat - 1.590 (kJ/kg K)

27
(B) PARAFFIN WAX -

Melting temperature - 58 - 62 °C

Density - Around 900 (kg/m3)

Appearance - White solid

Storage temperature - 4°C

Refractive index - 1.442 - 1.448

Thermal conductivity - 0.25 (W/m K)

Latent heat of fusion - 195 (kJ/kg)

Specific heat - 2.14 - 2.9 (kJ/kg K)

10. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PHENOMENON

STUDIED -

(A) Latent Heat Storage System -

Latent heat is energy released or absorbed, by a body or a thermodynamic system
during a constant-temperature process. Two common forms of latent heat are Latent
heat of fusion (melting) and latent heat of vaporization (boiling). These names describe

28
the direction of energy flow when changing from one phase to the next: from solid to
liquid, and liquid to gas. In both cases the change is endothermic, meaning that the
system absorbs energy. A latent heat storage system uses the energy absorbed or
released during the isothermal phase change of materials.

(B) Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics -

If it is specified that a system is in thermal equilibrium with itself then the Zeroth law
may be stated as follows -
" If a body A be in thermal equilibrium with two other bodies, B and C,
then B and C are in thermal equilibrium with one another. "

(C) First law of Thermodynamics - The First law of Thermodynamics

may be defined as -
" The increase in internal energy of a closed system is equal to the heat supplied to the
system minus work done by it. "

(D) Reflection -
Reflection is the change in direction of a wave front at an interface between two
different media so that the wave front returns into the medium from which it originated.
Of the incoming solar radiation, 31 percent is reflected back to space by clouds,
aerosols, the Earth’s surface and atmosphere, about 20 percent is absorbed by the
atmosphere and 49 percent is absorbed by the Earth’s surface then transformed to
infra-red radiation (heat) and re-radiated into the atmosphere.

29
(E) Conduction -
Thermal conduction is the transfer of internal energy by microscopic diffusion and
collisions of particles or quasi-particles within a body. The microscopically diffusing
and colliding objects include molecules, atoms, and electrons.

(F) Convection -
Convection is heat transfer by mass motion of a fluid such as air or water when the
heated fluid is caused to move away from the source of heat, carrying energy with
it. Convection above a hot surface occurs because hot air expands, becomes less dense,
and rises

(E) Radiation -

Radiation is the emission or transmission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as

moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles which cause ionization
through a space or medium.

 CALCULATIONS -
Let,
ε - Emissivity of the system
σ - Stephen Boltzmann constant
A = Area involved in the heat transfer by radiation
σ = 5.670373 × 10−8 W/ m2 K4
ε = 0.5
30
 l = 1.2 m & b = 1.2 m
Initial temperature = 34 °C = 307 °K
Generally Final temperature obtained = 120 °C = 393 °K
Now ,

 Heat absorbed by radiation (q) is given by -

qr = ε σ A ΔT4

qr = 0.5 × 5.670373 × 10−8 × ( 1.2 × 1.2 ) × ΔT4

 Heat released by conduction -

qc = -KA dt/dx
where ,
K - Thermal conductivity of Phase change material
(1) Stearic Acid -
K = 0.29 (W/m K)

(2) Paraffin Wax -

K = 0.25 (W/m K)

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11.CONCLUSION
 After practical study of different PCM's used in solar cooking, Stearic acid has
been found commonly good Latent Heat Storage material, and can be considered
as the best phase change material as a heat storing media for experimental
testing purposely for solar cooking. Paraboloid Solar cooker with stearic acid
will achieve a good temperature to cook every kind of eatables like rice, beans,
pulses and fish with a good possibility.

 Besides this, in the comparison with the cooker having paraffin wax as phase
change material, it was able provide a hot environment for the cooking
substance to remain hot/warm for long hours after completion of cooking. This
temperature can also be used to get hot/warmer of some of drinking substances
such as: milk, soups and water etc., in the cooker after sunshine hours because
of heat storing capacity of the Stearic acid. In case of the cooker containing
Paraffin wax as phase change material, a sudden drop in temperature was seen
after 12 pm and this temperature drop was large enough (about 32 °C) to suggest
that it is less preferable for use in this application than Stearic Acid.
12. FUTURE SCOPE SUGGESTION -
Each cooker is able to save approximately 150 kg of LPG per year . Add to that the fact
it can be used for cooking or warming of food in the evening hours by using Phase
Change materials (PCM) , its usage will become all the more efficient. The fact that the
source of energy in this type of cooking is solar energy which is present in abundance
in the nature & is a renewable source of energy , only adds to the cost efficient
working. This will in turn further the requirement of such advance solar cookers and
lead to a more sustainable type of cooking food without wasting the conventional
sources of energy.
32
13. REFERENCES
 R.S Khurmi and J.K Gupta. (2000) "Thermal Engineering", New Delhi, S.Chand.

 P.K Nag , "Heat and Mass Transfer" ,Third Edition, Tata Mcgraw Hills
Publication, Noida.

 M.F. Demirbas, “Thermal Energy Storage and Phase Change Materials: An

overview”, Energy Sources.

 Research Paper by Dr Frank Bruno , Ph.D., B.Eng.(Hons.), Sustainable Energy

Centre, University of South Australia.

 Research Paper by A. Pasupathy and R. Velraj on "Phase Change Material Based

Thermal Storage for Energy Conservation", International Energy journal, College
of Engineering, Anna University , Chennai.

 Research paper on "Energy analysis of a complex heating system with PCM

thermal storage in different climatic conditions" by Prof.Andreja, Burkeljca,
Prof. Uroš Stritih and Dr. Vincenc Butal University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

 R.M. Muthusivagami, R. Velraj and R. Sethumadhavan, “Solar cookers with and

without thermal storage—A Review”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews.

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