I am supervising an MSc student in his project to develop a novel solar-heated cooker that uses a heat pump to boost the output temperature from less than 100 degrees C to over 100 degrees C for cooking purposes. This heat pump will probably consist of a water vapour compressor. This enables solar heat to be gathered during the day using a non-concentrating, non-tracking solar collector and stored in a hot water cylinder. The solar heat can be used later in the day or after dark by means of the heat pump. The heat pump will use a smaller amount of mechanical or electrical energy.
Feedback is sought on practical and cost aspects of the design from an external mentor with experience of cookstoves or solar cookers. We would like the mentor to meet with us and attend the project presentations in mid-September. The ablity to travel to Loughborough in the UK would be preferred but remote or web based meetings would also be possible.
Duration
Summer 2008 for theoretical design phase. Later for prototype manufacture and implementation.
Cost and financing
Current phase financed by Loughborough University. Funding sought for prototype manufacture.
