Experimental and Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics in Traditional and Modern Cook-pot. (A Case Study on Ethiopian Cookware)
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Date
2018-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The development in the design of cooktops and cookware with an increasing energy cost needs
a research. This study was taken up to research the heat transfer characteristics of different
cookpots on electric coil and identify the most appropriate pots. Experimental analysis and
numerical simulations on different cookpots apply for determination of cookpot’s thermal
behavior. Clay and metal made cookpots have been considered for the analysis. Both
experimental and numerical study made separately for a clay pot and metal pot, those contains
water as cooking material (water boiling test).
In this paper, a methodology for evaluating the thermal efficiency of a pot on an electric stove
using experimental methods and numerical simulations in Ansys transient thermal were presented.
The numerical simulations and experimental tests corresponded well with one another.
The experimental data were collected using commercial Ethiopian cookpots (metallic and clay
made ‘shekla’). From the experimental work, the cookpot’s actual heating property and thermal
efficiency had been determined. for the case study, the experiments were done using only an
electrical stove, and all the tests were carried out at a power input level of 1500 W. The
corresponding constant heat flux is applied directly through the bottom surface of the pot.
By modeling similar cookpots with the experimental one, transient thermal simulation gives
the result, that shows the existing heat transfer properties, like; heat transfer pattern, heat flux
distribution, temperature gradient and overall efficiency of the cookpot throughout the pot
surface, graphically and numerically. The numerical results then compared with experimental
measurements to set the difference.
From this result, the convection and radiation losses are less in case of optimum height to
diameter ratio so thermal efficiency is highest among the cooking pots hence the large amount
of heat energy has to be saved during cooking process. The effects of the parameters like stove
to pot contact area, bottom flatness, body shape, filling amount, thickness, handle and ratios of
diameter vs depth also addressed. Then after, the study extended to recommend the cookpot
that have relatively good heat transfer behavior than the existing one.
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Keywords
Cookpot; Heat transfer, Thermal efficiency, Energy saving, Ansys transient thermal