Enabled by an optimized silica aerogel layer, the device uses an off-the-shelf tube-fin solar absorber to reach the required temperature and heat flux via thermal concentration. In this work, we present a passive solar thermal device that can generate saturated steam at the required sterilization conditions even under partly cloudy and hazy skies without any moving parts. This result is consistent with recent studies that demonstrate saturated steam generation at 100вЊ using >1,000Г— thermal concertation but achieve energy efficiency of в‰€ 20%. When h approaches 10В W m в€’2 K в€’1 (typical for open systems in the air), the energy efficiency quickly drops to below 20% for T bВ = 100вЊ, especially when the input solar flux is lower than 1В kW/m 2 due to atmospheric conditions and cosine loss (see Note S1 for detailed thermal analysis). The efficiency of thermal concentration, i.e., the ratio of the concentrated thermal energy to the total incoming solar energy О· t h = Q h e a t / Q s o l a r, strongly depends on the base temperature of the absorber fin T b and the heat loss coefficient h as shown in FigureВ 1C. However, when compared with the optical approach, the additional heat loss due to (1) the larger absorber surface area and (2) the temperature gradient along with the absorber ( FigureВ 1A, middle panel) severely deteriorates the thermal concentration performance at elevated temperatures. In addition to enabling passive sterilization, this work promises the development of solar thermal energy systems for saturated steam generation in energy conversion, storage, and transport applications.

With almost 2Г— higher energy efficiency (47%) than those previously reported at 100вЊ, the device demonstrated successful sterilization in a field test performed in Mumbai, India. Enabled by an optimized ultra-transparent silica aerogel, the device utilizes an efficient thermal concentration strategy to locally increase the heat flux and temperature obviating the need for active optical concentrators. We demonstrate a passive solar thermal device mostly built from low-cost off-the-shelf components capable of delivering saturated and pressurized steam to drive sterilization cycles even under hazy and partly cloudy weather. However, solar-driven steam generation at such high temperature and pressure requires expensive optical concentrators. But incorporating steaming into the cooking process means youвЂ™re more likely to be able to get the meat off the cooking surface without fighting it.Д¬ontact us at American Griddle to learn more about our Steam Shell Griddle and other tools to make cooking meat easier.Saturated steam (>121вЊ and >205В kPa) is widely used in the medical sterilization process known as autoclaving. New griddles, inconsistently seasoned patches, and char on the meatвЂ™s surface can make the two stick together. The meat is even less likely to stick.ДЄ well-seasoned griddle surface makes it easy to lift cooked cuts of meat off of the surface. It also means that a lot of the moisture returns to the meat so your staff doesnвЂ™t have to add more oils or sauces to hide the meat. The whole cooking environment is kept moist.

Closing the cuts of meat below a steam lid means the moisture canвЂ™t be whisked away by the air. Instead of just heating up the bottom of the cut and waiting for that heat to rise through the center, you can cook all the sides simultaneously.Дry meat is hard to salvage, no matter how well itвЂ™s flavored. Trapping steam around cuts of meat as it cooks on the griddle means thereвЂ™s more heat available that can start to cook through the sides and top of the meat. HereвЂ™s how it helps your kitchen cook meat faster, safer, and tastier: 1. Steam cooking is becoming a more and more valuable part in solving all three demands. The best way to ensure success is with the right cooking tools and procedures in place so your staff has everything they need. But relying on your staff to cook quickly, safely, and with a perfect amount of attention on flavor is a tall order. Flavor matters whether you need to cook in a hurry or not.

M.e.a.t. steam