Solar-Assisted Smart Cookstove: A Comprehensive Review

A solar-assisted cookstove is an energy-efficient cooking system that utilizes solar energy as a primary or supplementary heat source to reduce dependence on conventional fuels. Conventional cooking systems, particularly those using firewood and other biomass fuels, can result in high fuel consumption, heat losses, smoke generation, and environmental pollution. Solar energy provides a clean, renewable, and freely available source of thermal energy that can help address these challenges. The solar-assisted cookstove collects solar radiation using a suitable solar thermal collector or concentrating system and converts it into useful heat for cooking. Since solar energy availability varies with weather conditions, time of day, and season, an auxiliary heating source can be incorporated to maintain reliable cooking performance when solar radiation is insufficient. This combination provides greater flexibility and continuous cooking capability compared with a solar-only cooking system. The system can be designed with thermal insulation, temperature sensors, a heat-transfer mechanism, and a control system to improve efficiency and maintain the required cooking temperature. A smart control mechanism can monitor temperature and regulate the auxiliary heating source according to cooking requirements. This can help minimize unnecessary energy consumption and improve the overall performance of the cookstove. The main objectives of a solar-assisted cookstove are to reduce conventional fuel consumption, improve thermal efficiency, reduce cooking-related emissions, lower operating costs, and promote the utilization of renewable energy. The performance of the system can be evaluated using parameters such as cooking time, temperature, thermal efficiency, solar energy contribution, auxiliary energy consumption, and fuel savings. Solar-assisted cookstoves have potential applications in households, community kitchens, rural areas, outdoor cooking, and other locations where reducing conventional fuel consumption is desirable. The integration of solar thermal technology with efficient heat transfer and smart control can contribute to the development of a cleaner, more economical, and sustainable cooking system. Keywords— Solar cookstove, Induction heating, Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Renewable Energy, Portable Cooking System.