LAUSR

The integration of thermal energy storage (TES) in solar systems plays a crucial role in enhancing efficiency, particularly in solar cooking applications. The novelty of this study lies in the experimental evaluation of a hybrid solar cooker integrating both sensible and latent heat storage mechanisms. Experiments to compare a hybrid solar cooker and a conventional solar cooker are presented in this paper. The evaluation comprises two configurations: one with PCM (HSC-with PCM) and one without (HSC-without PCM), compared against a conventional box solar cooker (CBSC) in Ghardaia, Algeria. Real-world testing under varying loads revealed that the HSC-with PCM notably outperformed both counterparts, exhibiting higher maximum temperatures, reduced cooking times, and enhanced thermal efficiency. The HSC-with PCM demonstrated a 59.36% improvement in thermal efficiency, a 100.16 W/m2·°C increase in heat transfer coefficient, and a 13.32 W/m2·°C reduction in overall heat loss coefficient. Economic evaluations revealed the Levelized Cost of Cooking a Meal (LCCM) to be 0.034 $ per meal, with an approximate payback period of 2.7 years, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and practical viability for solar cooking applications.