Heat storage
From Solar Cooking
(Redirected from Thermal storage)
Heat storage is fairly self-descriptive. It is used:
- So that cooking may be done at night
- So that cooking may continue if the sun goes behind clouds
- So that the cooker's temperature does not drop too much when cold food is added
- So that one doesn't have to "worry" about the above
It can be done by means of:
- Sensible heat storage. This means holding heat in a material without changing its phase when heat is added or removed. Rocks and bricks may become hot, but remain solid. Oil may become hot, but remains liquid.
- Latent heat storage. This is usually accomplished by using solar heat to melt a special material, and then when the heat is needed it is drawn from said material. As it re-solidifies, it releases this heat. A very large amount of heat is stored this way, and the temperature during melting or solidification remains constant. The material must melt at a "reasonable" temperature, hot enough to begin and complete the cooking of food, but also low enough to be attainable using solar energy. It must also be reasonably non-toxic, stable, easy to work with, and of course affordable. Erythritol and citric acid may be candidates.
[edit] See also
- July 2006: Solar Cooker for Evening / Night Cooking Using Solar Heat Storage Materials - Someshwer Dutt Sharma
- Wolfgang Scheffler has designed a heat storage system.
[edit] External links
- June 2008: Storing the Sun: Molten Salt Provides Highly Efficient Thermal Storage - Renewable Energy World
- April 2008: A new solar cooker that can even cook dinner - Business Standard
