Nyahoro, Peter KariukiJohnson, R. R.Edwards, J.2014-09-032014-09-031997Solar Energy Volume 59, Issues 1–3, January–March 1997, Pages 11–170038-092Xhttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/11127DOI: 10.1016/S0038-092X(96)00133-8An explicit finite-difference method is used to simulate the thermal performance of short-term thermal storage for a focusing, indoor, institutional, solar cooker. The cooker storage unit consists of a cylindrical solid block. The block is enclosed in a uniform layer of insulation except where there are cavities on the top and bottom surfaces to alllow heating of a pot from storage and heating of the storage by solar radiation. A paraboloidal concentrator focuses solar radiation through a secondary reflector onto a central circular zone of the storage block through the cavity in the insulation. The storage is charged for a set period of time and heat is subsequently discharged to a pot of water. In these simulations a pot of cold water is placed on the hot storage block and the time then estimated until the water either boils or the temprature of the water reaches a maximum value. Simulations are made for a given pot capacity with the storage block made from either cast iron or granite (rock). The effects on cooker performance are compared for a variety of height to diameter ratios of the storage block and size of the area of solar input zone.enArticle