The thermal analysis of paraffin wax in a box-type solar cooker

Abstract

In this study, the potential use and effectiveness of paraffin wax in solar cooker during the daylight and/or late evening hours is experimentally investigated. For these experiments, a box-type solar cooker was constructed by filling paraffin wax with metal shavings. The side- and sub-surface temperatures of the paraffin wax in the cooker are continuously measured during June and July 2011. The effect of the reflector angle on the thermal efficiency of the cooker is tested with different isolation conditions on different days. In conclusion, the designed cooker can be effectively used at an angle of 30°. The thermal efficiency is increased to around 18.35% with the reflector. The maximum temperature of the paraffin achieved during the experiments is in the range of 75.1 °C to 80.5 °C. The reflected radiation makes a maximum contribution of 13.29% to the temperature of the paraffin wax. In addition, the heating time is decreased to approximately 1 h. So, the paraffin wax could be used as a phase change material integrated with the solar system. The rectangular solar cooker filled with the paraffin wax has a high thermal performance, which is indicated by high temperatures and decreased cooking times, for the given design conditions.

A novel forced separation method for the preparation of paraffin with excellent phase changes

“…3.1.3 Analysis of the properties of the forced separation products 3.1.3.1 Infrared spectral analysis of the products. The absence of absorption peaks above 3000 cm À1 and within the range of 1500-2800 cm À1 in the infrared spectra of the raw materials (2) and forced separation fractions indicated that they were hydrocarbon substances without unsaturated bonds and carbon heterocyclic bonds, which also proved that there were no chemical reactions occurring during the forced separation process. The absorption peaks at 2916 cm À1 and 2848 cm À1 were ascribed to the alkyl stretching vibrations of -CH 2 and -CH 3 , respectively.…”

“…2.1.2 Raw material (2). Paraffin wax (melting point 64.3 C) was fabricated by PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical Company.…”

“…Paraffin wax is one of most widely used phase-change materials (PCMs) with the advantages of stable chemical properties, consistent properties, nontoxicity, corrosion resistance, high heat of fusion, negligible super cooling, self-nucleation, absence of phase segregation, and a tunable phase change temperature. 1,2 Therefore, it is widely used in solar thermal utilization, industrial waste heating, clothing, and construction. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Seitz et al, 10 for example, recently reported a novel PCM with the use of PAA and PAH as electrostatically interacting shell materials for energy storage applications, which could be expanded for use with various paraffin-type PCMs.…”

Box-Type Solar Cookers: An Overview of Technological Advancement, Energy, Environmental, and Economic Benefits

“…Yuksel et al [55] used paraffin wax in a double-glazed box-type SC (Figure 18). In that experiment, 3.5 kg of paraffin wax was filled in the space clawed between aluminum plates and metal shavings.…”

Solar Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Cookers

“…) the PCM was filled below the absorbing plate. Yuksel et al (2012) experimentally investigated the potential use and effectiveness of paraffin wax in a solar hot-box cooker during daylight and late evening hours. In this design, the rate of heat transfer from the PCM to the cooking pot during the discharging mode of the PCM was slow, and more time was required for cooking food in the evening.…”