Performance Evaluation of Solar Cookers Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods

Abstract

The prime objective of the present study is to select the best solar cooker among the alternatives using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods. The criteria and alternatives for the analysis are taken from the previous study on solar cookers with different geometrical designs. It is difficult to identify the optimum from different alternatives by comparing the criteria values. In the present work, the optimum solar cooker is selected with the aid of technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) methods. The criteria weights required for the optimization algorithm are found by using ENTROPY and CRITIC methods. Also, TOPSIS and EDAS methods with equal criteria-weights are carried out. The optimization algorithms are solved using MATLAB. The results show that a novel solar box cooker (NSBC) with finned absorber plate performs best compared to a sun stove unit, conventional box-type, dish and trough type parabolic solar cooker. © 2024 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.