Modeling of Energy Savings Performed by a Barbecue Oven Isolated with Terracotta Bricks

This work is devoted to a numerical study of the energy savings achieved by an oven insulated with terracotta bricks compared to an uninsulated oven. The numerical methodology is based on the nodal method and the transfer equations were obtained by making an energy balance on each node. The equations were then discretized using an implicit scheme with finite differences and solved by the Gauss algorithm. Numerical results validated by the experiment show that the insulation of the oven with terracotta bricks considerably reduces the energy losses through the walls, but the reduction level varies according to the thickness of the bricks. The optimal thicknesses of the bricks are between 3 and 4 cm, which corresponds to energy savings of between 60 to 70% compared to the uninsulated oven. The energy saved increases the energy efficiency of the oven from 15-17% to 25-29%.