Thermal analysis of a smart solar cooker

Abstract. A small-scale box-type solar cooker is built along with an Arduino module for temperature sensing and monitoring, making it a smart solar cooker. Experiments are conducted to evaluate this box-type solar cooker. Thermal tests have been carried out, and the required parameters have been determined, namely, thermal efficiency (55%), cooking power (10.6 W), and the two figures of merit (F1 and F2). A baseline box-type solar cooker is adopted as a benchmark for comparing the experimental validation of the cooker, including its cost and performance. The calculated figures of merit, F1 and F2 are 0.12 and 0.31, respectively, and the tested solar cooker can be considered as grade A but is not eligible for ISI certification. Also attempted to use an Arduino module to find a solution to the issue of overcooking in this box-style solar cooker.