Comparative Study of Optical Efficiency and Concentration Factor for Box-Type and Parabolic Solar Cookers

Solar energy is rapidly expanding across various fields worldwide. Among its applications, solar cookers represent a promising solution for harnessing this renewable and inexhaustible energy source. This article presents a study of the optical performance of a box-type solar cooker and a parabolic solar cooker, conducted over two representative days of the year, one in winter and the other in summer. The objective of this optical simulation is to analyze the amount of incident flux concentrated on the absorber for these two configurations, while also evaluating their optical efficiency and concentration factor, which are key characteristics of these systems.