Solar Cooker Project

 

How to Create a Solar Box Oven

By Capri Campardo and Josh Lepine

Materials

• Cardboard box (235mm x 235mm x 140mm)
• Styrofoam
• Tinfoil
• Glue
• Black paper
• Glass (230mm x 230mm x 4mm)
• Tape

Procedure

1. Glue a sheet of black paper on to a 230mm x 230mm x 30mm piece of styrofoam then glue sheets of tinfoil on to four 200mm x 110mm x 10mm pieces of styrofoam, making sure to fold the tinfoil over the edges.
2. Glue the larger styrofoam inside on the bottom of the box black paper facing up. Then, glue the four smaller pieces around the sides tinfoil facing into the center.
3. Cut the side flaps off the box leaving an inch or two on one piece.
4. Fit the piece of glass onto the box then tape it to the small flap.
5. Glue a sheet of tinfoil on to a square piece of cardboard (235mm x 235mm). Cut of any excess tinfoil that goes over the edges.
6. Glue the flap to the cardboard side making the tinfoil facing towards the box. The use cardboard tape to keep the two pieces together.

The Science Behind Solar Cookers

Conduction: In parabolic and panel cookers the sunlight will also warm up the surfaces including the one that’s holding the pan.  Once that surface begins to heat up, the molecules will move to the bottom of the pan.  Conduction doesn’t help box ovens much since the heat is lost when it travels through the tin foil, glass, cardboard, air and insulation.

Radiation: Light move in waves and radiation is the energy that moves in waves.  The waves bounce on the reflectors after it hits them, then they are travelling to the targeted area.  Radiation is very effective in a box oven since most of the waves get trapped and bounce around the box keeping heat in which rises the temperature.

Convection:  Since the heated air rises up it escapes through cracks in the box.  This stops the cooker from reaching higher temperatures because it loses heat and the colder air goes to the bottom of the box keeping the temperature stable.

Experiment outcome

The first s’more was cooked for 10 minutes.  

• Texture: Crunchy, soft, marshmallow was no different then it                       would be taken out of the bag.
• Taste: Sweet, chocolatey  

The second s’more was cooked for 15 minutes. 

• Texture: crunchy, soft, sticky, marshmallow was puffy, squishy
• Taste: Sweet, chocolatey

The third s’more was cooked for 20 minutes. 

• Texture: Crunchy, soft, liquid, sticky. 
• Taste: Sweet, chocolatey 

How can we redesign our solar oven to improve it?

To improve our design, we decided to add side flaps that will help direct more sunlight into the oven.  We cut out a couple pieces of cardboard and covered on side in tinfoil.  Next we attached the flaps to the sides of our original reflection piece so that the rays from various angles will be pointed towards the oven.  This will improve it because there will be more sunlight which will generate more heat enabling us to cook a wider variety of foods faster.