A Renewable Energy Stove Using Solar Panel

ABSTRACT

Ever since early humans discovered how to make fire, people have been eager to cook with it. Over time, cooking techniques have become ever more sophisticated and efficient and more portable and compact. Today, one of the leading and most benefit-rich cooking methods is “induction.”

Induction is the fastest-growing cooking technology in Nigeria presently. Induction is a term that refers to a specific method for generating heat. Induction cooking is performed using direct induction heating of cooking vessels, rather than relying on indirect radiation, convection, or thermal conduction. Induction cooking allows high power and very rapid increases in temperature to be achieved, and changes in heat settings are instantaneous. This work is aimed at building an inductive based solar powered stove.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF STUDY

• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
• SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
• BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT
• LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF THE STUDY
• REVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOKER
• REVIEW OF INDUCTIVE COOKING
• REVIEW OF MICHAEL FARADAY’S LAW OF INDUCTION
• FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE DESIGNING INDUCTION COIL SYSTEM
• INDUCTION HEATING FORMULA
• INDUCTION HEATING COIL DESIGN
• APPLICATIONS OF INDUCTIVE COIL

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     METHODOLOGY

3.1      SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM

3.2      SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

3.3      SYSTEM CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

3.4      PARTS LIST

3.5      SYSTEM UNIT DESIGN

CHAPTER FOUR

TEST AND RESULT ANALYSIS

• CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
• CASING AND PACKAGING
• ASSEMBLING OF SECTIONS
• TESTING OF SYSTEM OPERATION
• DESIGN LIMITATION

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0      CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATION AND REFERENCES

• CONCLUSION
• RECOMMENDATION

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                                           BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

An electric stove is an electric powered cooking device for heating and cooking of food. A conventional stove is powered by electricity. Usually they have four rings on top of the hob. The proposed system is on a solar powered stove which is powered with inverter, solar panel and rechargeable battery.

The concept of this stove is through inductive heating instead of using heating element – as it is been used in conventional cooker which makes it a high current device. Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically conducting object by electromagnetic induction, through heat generated in the object by eddy currents [2]. An induction heating system consists of an electromagnet, and an electronic oscillator that passes a high-frequency alternating current (AC) through the electromagnet. The rapidly alternating magnetic field penetrates the object, generating electric currents inside the conductor called eddy currents [2]. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of the material heat it by Joule heating. In ferromagnetic materials like iron, heat may also be generated by magnetic hysteresis losses. The frequency of current used depends on the object size, material type, coupling and the penetration depth.

An important feature of the induction heating process is that the heat is generated inside the object itself, instead of by an external heat source via heat conduction (John, 2014). Thus objects can be heated very rapidly. In addition there need not be any external contact, which can be important where contamination is an issue. Induction heating is used in many industrial processes, such as heat treatment in metallurgy, Czochralski crystal growth and zone refining used in the semiconductor industry, and to melt refractory metals which require very high temperatures. It is also used in induction cooktops for heating containers of food; this is called induction cooking [3].

An induction stove is a key piece of equipment used in all forms of induction heating. Typically an induction heater operates at either medium frequency (MF) or radio frequency (RF) ranges [3].  However, this work is based on building a solar powered stove using solar panel, inverter, battery and induction heater the major components.

1.2                                                  PROBLEM STATEMENT

Traditional cooking involves using kerosine, gas, firewood and charcoals as source of energy, but the risk of using these energy sources is that they produce carbon monoxide and the cost of getting them is too high. When these challenges was discovered it led to discovery of electric powered cooker which is liable of consuming high electric unit due to the high power element used. To solve all these challenges a dc solar cooker was invented which has numerous advantage that overcome the challenges of all the conventional cooker such as –  it does not produce carbon monoxide, No more gas or kerosene is exhausted or high electricity bills, it consumes less power and no more buying kerosine, gas, firewood and charcoals.

1.3                                    AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this work is to build a solar powered stove using inductive heating system. The objectives of the study are:

1. To build the system prototype
2. To reduce load on the National grid that turn to be reduce the overall energy consumption dependency on the main energy supply in the country

• To decrease customer utility bill on energy utilization because of its non-fuel consumption, low price and maintenance cost as compared to the convectional sources of power supplies within International and Local market.

1. Finally, to reduce carbon discharges and subsequently reduce global warming particularly in a period when poor climatic change has become a threat to human survival and life in general to all living creatures hence an ever increasing concern to control it.

1.4                                                   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The concept of a renewable energy (solar) powered stove involves using solar panel, inverter and rechargeable battery to power an induction heater. Induction heating is the process of heating an electrically conducting object by electromagnetic induction, through heat generated in the object by eddy currents. An induction heater consists of an electromagnet and an electronic oscillator that passes a high-frequency alternating current through the electromagnet and it is powered using a 12v solar source. The purpose of using rechargeable battery is for energy storage so that the stove can be used during sunset.

1.5                                           SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will serve as a means of studying the operation and workings of induction heater. This study will serve as a means learning how to conserve energy by reducing energy consumption of a device so that it can be powered by a dc source such as battery or solar panel. The project brings many benefits for women and the whole community in terms of reducing workload (it is fast and efficient), improving health (does not produce carbon monoxide) as well as their financial status (No more gas or kerosene is exhausted or high electricity bills, it consumes less power).

1.6                                               BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT

Benefits of using renewable energy (solar) are:

1. It has no negative side effect on health
2. No radiation.

• No electromagnetic wave radiation c.

1. Suitable for pregnant women, old people and children to use because low risk of electric shock.
2. Does not produce carbon monoxide i.e Smokeless
3. Consumers choose dc powered electric based on induction for its cleanability, safety, speed, and efficiency.

1.7                                                            LIMITATION

This device is powered with 12V solar source and the induction coil is rated 200w.

1.8      DEFINITION OF TERMS

Inverter: An apparatus which converts direct current into alternating current.

Solar energy: This is a radiant energy emitted by the sun

Assemble: To gather together solar inverter accessories for the purpose of producing electricity.

Photovoltaics: Photovoltaic or PV technology employs solar cells or solar photovoltaic arrays to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Solar cells produce direct current electricity from the sun’s rays, which can be used to power equipment or to recharge batteries. Many pocket calculators incorporate a single solar cell, but for larger applications, cells are generally grouped together to form PV modules that are in turn arranged in solar arrays.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1                                                           CONCLUSION

This research has been carried out successfully which is on a dc powered cooker. In this project, it is clear that dc powered cooker would be extremely beneficial to society if it is implemented in homes and home electronics.

This cooker has a reality Efficient, Low maintenance cost. But, high initial cost.  Better than conventional cooker.

5.2      RECOMMENDATION

The device has been designed, tested and system was able to respond to its operation. This work was built with quality wiring and contains many connections, I recommend that if failure occur, it should be troubleshoot by a qualify personnel along with the circuits diagram.

This project was built for Educational purposes. If one wants to use it for industrial or home applications, I recommend that a hook should be attached to the casing that would allow fixing the system on the wall.

Working on this topic as my project is a good idea and it comes at the right time. I am suggesting that this particular topic should also be given to other students both in higher and lower class.

A capacitor must be connected parallel to the work coil to create a resonant tank circuit. The combination of inductance and capacitance will have a specific resonant frequency at which the control circuit will automatically operate. The coil-capacitor combination used here resonated at around 200kHz.

It is important to use good quality capacitors that can withstand large currents and the heat dissipated within them otherwise they would soon fail and destroy your drive circuit. They must also be placed reasonably close to the work coil and using thick wire or pipe. Most of the current will be flowing between the coil and capacitor so this wire must be thickest. The wires linking to the circuit and power supply can be slightly thinner if desired.

This coil here was made from 2mm diameter brass pipe. It was simple to wind and easy to solder to, but it would soon start to deform due to excess heating. The turns would then touch, shorting out and making it less effective. Since the control circuit stayed relatively cool during use, it seemed that this could be made to work at higher power levels but it would be necessary to use thicker pipe or to water cool it.