A State of Art Review of Performance Evaluation of Solar Cooker with Thermal Energy Storage Materials
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Solar cookers are an alternative to the traditional cooking systems; they are clean and sustainable; however, the practical use of solar cookers is still limited by the intermittency of the sun and the lack of sufficient amount of heat during the sunset. The lack of successful thermal energy storage (TES) implementation ends up in the lack of consistent cooking performance and lower reliability in domestic application. In dealing with this challenge, the current review critically reviews solar cookers that have sensible and latent heat storage materials to improve effectiveness, reliability, and off-sunshine cooking abilities. The aims of this review are to: (i) determine the performance of solar cookers that use sensible, latent and hybrid TES systems; (ii) analyse thermo-physical characteristics and applicability of widely used phase change material (PCM), e.g. acetanilide and stearic acid and binary salt mixtures; (iii) determine the effectiveness of sensible heat storage materials such as granite, sand and thermal oils; and (iv) determine critical advancements in technology, limitations and gaps in research associated with heat transfer enhancement, system integration and long-term stability. Research literature shows that the latent heat storage with the help of PCMs significantly increases the thermal retention that allows cooking several hours after dark and increases the efficiency of the entire cooker by about 20-40% in comparison with traditional solar cookers. Sensible storage of heat utilizes reliable short term heat availability of three to five hours, as compared to hybrid storage systems that combine high heat storage capabilities and predictable heat output. Overall, the combination of sensible and latent TES resources improves the work of the solar cookers and encourages the use of energy resources in the households in a more sustainable way. The research in the future ought to concentrate on high-end storage materials, cost-efficient designs, and scalable systems to enhance efficiency and acceptance by the users.
Source: Jurnal Kejuruteraan
Institution: Ganpat University
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204690013