DESIGN AND STUDY OF HYBRID SOLAR COOKER, PASTEURIZER, STILL AND DRYER IN THE CLIMATE OF COSTA RICA.

Author during last 24 years has designed, constructed, studied and promoted Solar Oven, Hybrid Solar/ Electric Oven, Solar Oven cum Drier, and Solar Cooker cum Water etc. In different parts of the world, Solar Cookers have been made, studied, patented and even used since 1850, however their real uses are very limited, due to many reasons- unstable climate, economic, cultural, social aspects and single use etc. In order to overcome part of the problems mainly the last one, author has recently designed one multi-purposes device and studied various technical and practical aspects. It has been used for cooking,heating/ pasteurizing water (to inactivate Coliforms) and distillation of small quantity of water (to remove different minerals) and drying domestic products (fruits, vegetables and condiments/ herbs etc.). For more than 2 years of use author and his wife have found this to be a useful device, mainly from convenience, fuel saving, economic and also from ecological point of view.This device can be used at any time and for different uses but with the reduced consumption of conventional fuel.