Performance Evaluation of the Tolokatsin 2020 Solar Cooker
Abstract
This paper presents the optical performance evaluation of the Tolokatsin-2020, a high-efficiency solar cooker based on nonimaging optics. The design integrates flat and circular absorber Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) profiles, optimized using Bejan's Constructual Law to minimize optical losses by reducing the average number of reflections. A detailed Monte Carlo ray-tracing analysis was performed using SolTRACE software under various conditions, including ideal scenarios and those incorporating realistic optical errors and different solar distributions. The results demonstrate a high and robust optical efficiency of approximately 81% across all tested cases, with minimal performance degradation. The analysis further reveals a homogeneous flux distribution on the receiver and characterizes the system's angular dependence through the Incidence Angle Modifier (IAM). The Tolokatsin-2020 achieves a concentration ratio of 5.8, confirming its potential as a versatile and reliable solution not only for solar cooking but also for other mediumtemperature thermal applications such as sterilization, drying, and thermoelectric generation.
Keywords
Solar Cooking, Nonimaging Optics, Constructal Law, Optical Efficiency