Mathematical modelling of the performance of a solar cooker

This paper presents a transient behaviour model for a single-glazed hot box type solar cooker which enables the temperatures of various elements of the cooker to be predicted. The experimental results conform well with the theoretically predicted values. In an attempt to establish a simple steady-state model of a solar cooker, where heat capacity terms have been neglected, it has been found that the theoretically predicted values obtained via this model are much higher than the experimentally observed values. Therefore, a transient model is recommended for performance predictions of a solar cooker.