Effect of the 40-PPI copper foam layer height on the solar cooker performance

Abstract

Abstract Two box-type solar cooker (BTSC) prototypes were tested to examine thermal performance under identical conditions. The first box solar cooker used an absorber plate fabricated from copper, and the second box solar cooker used 40 pores per inch (PPI) of copper foam sheets. Many experiments on solar cookers were carried out in September 2022 in Baghdad, Iraq, where the solar cookers were directed to the south and situated at latitude 33.3°N and longitude 44.4°E. In the experimental testing, copper metal foam 40 PPI is used as a heat absorber plate at various absorber plate heights (1, 3, 5, and 7 cm). The results showed that the solar cooker with a 40 PPI copper foam absorber experienced a stagnation temperature of roughly 17° higher compared to a BTSC with a standard absorber. A copper foam 40 PPI absorber plate can reduce cooking time in a BTSC by as much as 23% compared to a standard flat absorber plate. The percentage of increase in the solar cooker’s internal temperature with an increase in absorber plate height from 1 to 7 cm for 40 PPI copper foam absorber plate is approximately 16.1%. The acceptable range for the equation of cooking power indicates that the cooker can be relied upon for consistently cooking food and boiling water.