Context :

Researchers at NIT Calicut develop solar cooking stove

{ ETVbharat / 09 April 2022 }

Extract :

In a significant development, researchers at the National Institute of Technology Calicut have developed a solar stove in a bid to provide an alternative to LPG gas stoves amid soaring gas prices.

Besides the running cost of the solar stove being low compared to the LPG stove, it is also easy to use, say the researchers of the electrical engineering department of NIT Calicut( NITC ) who developed it.

The project to develop a solar stove was headed by Prof. S. Ashok [ ashoks@nitc.ac.in ],

who is the chairman of the center of innovation and entrepreneurship of NITC. The 'smart solar stove' has been tested in the industrial power research laboratories of the institution, they said.

To test the equipment in real settings, the solar stoves had been given for use to some houses and street vendors. The results show that it works efficiently in both settings, say the developers. They are confident that the 'smart solar stove' can be made available at affordable prices in the market.

The stove is suited for household use:

The stove has been introduced in two models.

First model,

- the single and double stove products can be used directly under the sun without any electric supply. It is well suited for domestic cooking. This model is well suited for those who are running roadside eateries as well.

Because the solar panels of this stove can be installed on the roof of the roadside establishments. The stove also has a built-in LED light, which can be very helpful to tourists who may go to places where electricity is not available. The overall cost for the single stove with the solar panel is around Rs 10,000 and for the double stove, the cost is around Rs 15,000.

In the second model,

a battery can also be included with the control unit for extending the cooking time during non-sunlight hours.

During the non-sunlight hours, even if the battery becomes empty, the product automatically switches over to a conventional power supply.

The second model will cost a maximum of Rs 15,000 more based on the type of battery it is using.

No radiation:

This stove causes less pollution, say the developers. It is smoke-free and does not emit Carbon Monoxide which is harmful to human health.

By using this smart solar stove, an average size house can save Rs 12000 per annum.

The touchpad of this stove is akin to an induction cooker. But unlike an induction cooker, there is no radiation. Hence it is safe for the elderly, pregnant women, and children.

There are multiple safety arrangements in the design of this smart solar stove:

fire safety, waterproof, and safety against electrical shock.

The research for developing this solar stove has been funded by the Biotechnology Department of the central government.

A lot of companies have approached the NITC for the technology used in the solar stove for producing the product on a commercial scale, say the developers.

12 April 2022

Extract :

According to Karthikeyan V, Assistant Professor in the EE Department, [ karthikeyan@nitc.ac.in ]

who designed and developed the solar stove, the product has been validated. He says, “It has been tested in domestic houses and roadside eateries to check its practical feasibility. It is working fine and now we are ready to launch it in the market. We had tested it for two months in two houses and the result was overwhelming”.

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Congratulations, Prof. Ashok – Prof. Karthikeyan :

Your innovation has the potential to :

# Save millions of rural housewives from lung diseases / premature deaths

# Reduce carbon emission by millions of tons (if all of our 290 million households start using your innovation )

# Save foreign exchange of Rs 70,000 Crore / year, currently spent on importing LPG for gas stoves

For your innovation to achieve the above-mentioned “ Goals – Targets – Objectives “, it is essential to educate those 290 million households with the following information / data :

# Names and Contact Details of parties licenced to manufacture your Electric Cooker

# Model wise “ Sale Prices “ ( Rs 10k-15k mentioned in the news report could be “ Estimated Mfg Costs “ ! )

# Model-wise “ Technical Specifications “ of Stove / Battery / Solar Panel etc ( Do these meet specs – if

any – laid down by Bureau Of Energy Efficiency – BEE ? )

# Assuming one family meal requires continuous 2 HOURS of cooker usage, cooking of how many meals

would the battery support before needing “ re-charging “ ?

# Such a “ recharge “ using current electric supply ( from DISCOM ), would consume how many “ Units (

Kwh ) “ and cost how much ?

# How long would the Solar Panel take to charge the battery ? Is that a Lead-Acid or Lithium-Ion battery ?

# What is the weight of the battery ? I am envisaging a “ Battery Swapping “ scenario , where just like

today’s home delivery of a 16 Kg LPG cylinder, the Battery Dealer delivers a charged battery and collects a

discharged battery. This will dramatically reduce the “ Selling Price “ of your Cooker since Battery

becomes a SERVICE instead of a PRODUCT which you OWN

UNLESS A MASSIVE EDUCATING CAMPAIGN IS LAUNCHED BY THE CENTRAL GOVT ( and your electric cooker is adequately subsidized by the Central Govt .,), I AM AFRAID YOUR INNOVATION TOO WOULD MEET THE SAME IGNOMINOUS FATE SUFFERED BY SOLAR COOKER OF IIT-B, WHICH WON THE FIRST PRIZE 4 YEARS AGO

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 11 June 2022

PS :

For past few years, I have been advocating use of Electric Cookers ( using a Solar powered battery or domestic power outlet )

In this context, I have sent following E Mails to our Cabinet Ministers / State Chief Minister / NITI Aayog etc :