Solar Cooking
Register
(Adding categories)
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Image:AMANECER1.jpg|300px|right]]
 
[[Image:AMANECER1.jpg|300px|right]]
Three years ago the Solar Oven team partnered with [[Grupo Fenix]], an organization from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeneria in Nicaragua that works in rural areas to increase awareness of sustainable lifestyles and research renewable energy. In a region suffering from deforestation, Solar Ovens eliminate the need for women to spend hours of their day gathering resources and reduce the health risks from fires. dealing specifically with a small community in Sabana Grande, the Solar Oven Team works to increase Solar Oven usage by creating a sustainable solution that is culturally acceptable and desirable.
+
Six years ago the Solar Oven team partnered with [http://www.grupofenix.org/ Grupo Fenix], an organization from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeneria in Nicaragua that works in rural areas to increase awareness of sustainable lifestyles and research renewable energy, and [http://www.mujeressolares.org/english Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa], a collective of women using solar technologies to offset te use of woody fuels in their homes. In a region suffering from deforestation, Solar Ovens eliminate the need for women to spend hours of their day gathering resources and reduce the health risks from fires. dealing specifically with a small community in Sabana Grande, the Solar Oven Team works to increase Solar Oven usage by creating a sustainable solution that is culturally acceptable and desirable.
   
 
==Amenecer's current goals==
 
==Amenecer's current goals==
   
  +
Test several alternative insulation materials for use in the solar cookers for utility and drability:
Build and characterize two larger box cookers with a 50% increase in interior volume, increasing it by creating a:
 
  +
*wood shavings from planing wood
*1-D scale up (make the oven wider)
 
  +
*rice hulls
*3-D scale up (all dimensions increase)
 
  +
*fiberglass
   
  +
Develop a better mechanism for supporting the lid/reflector:
The testing will be done by measuring the time it takes to boil 5 pounds of water in
 
  +
*the present wooden support rod is awkward to use and difficult to align
*1 big pot with 5 pounds of water
 
*5 small pots with 1 pound of water each
 
   
  +
Design a more elegant cooker:
Test paint adhesiveness using ASTM testing methods on zinc and galvanized steel sheets
 
  +
*The long sheet metal pieces used for the outside surface of the cooker are prepared and fitted by hand and screwed to the wooden frame of the cooker
*Test adhesiveness after different using different preparation methods on each material
 
   
*Try to obtain a sample of the paint used in Nicaragua
+
*The paint on the outside of the cooker could be more uniform in application
   
  +
*An regular tool, such as a cooker, should be well and elegantly designed
*Consider other paint options that may perform better when exposed to high temperatures, especially for the paint that will be on the inside of the boxes and on the black plate.
 
   
  +
For more information please visit our [https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/SolarCooker/Home+ESW+Solar+Ovens solar cooker project wiki].
''[This text was borrowed from http://eswserver.cee.cornell.edu/esw/project_pages/SolarOvens/default.htm]''
 
   
  +
==News and recent developments==
+
News and recent developments
*'''November 2008:''' The group will be hosting a Solar Oven Dinner on November, 19th at 6:30 pm. All are welcome! Tickets are $5 per person and sold at the door or can be reserved in advanced by emailing [mailto:hw282@cornell.edu hw282@cornell.edu]. With the end of another semester in sight, the solar cooker team is in the process of building two bigger box cookers so that they can perform some tests to characterize how the solar ovens scale up. The group is currently finishing the construction of the 1-D scale up and will begin testing as they build the 3-D scale up. If you're free Monday or Wednesday 8-10 pm or Sunday 1-5 pm, the group would appreciate help with the building. We are located in Thurston B02 (Winter Lab) and will be working each week until Thanksgiving break. Next spring break, our advisor will join a couple students to visit Sabana Grande. This is sure to give them many great ideas for new projects!
 
  +
*'''Spring 2011 visit:''' the student team visited Sabana Grande during spring break in March 2011 to build a new large cooker with a new metal stand for use in the soon to be completed Solar Restaurant being built by Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa at their Centro Solar.
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 13:22, 3 May 2011

AMANECER1

Six years ago the Solar Oven team partnered with Grupo Fenix, an organization from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeneria in Nicaragua that works in rural areas to increase awareness of sustainable lifestyles and research renewable energy, and Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa, a collective of women using solar technologies to offset te use of woody fuels in their homes. In a region suffering from deforestation, Solar Ovens eliminate the need for women to spend hours of their day gathering resources and reduce the health risks from fires. dealing specifically with a small community in Sabana Grande, the Solar Oven Team works to increase Solar Oven usage by creating a sustainable solution that is culturally acceptable and desirable.

Amenecer's current goals

Test several alternative insulation materials for use in the solar cookers for utility and drability:

  • wood shavings from planing wood
  • rice hulls
  • fiberglass

Develop a better mechanism for supporting the lid/reflector:

  • the present wooden support rod is awkward to use and difficult to align

Design a more elegant cooker:

  • The long sheet metal pieces used for the outside surface of the cooker are prepared and fitted by hand and screwed to the wooden frame of the cooker
  • The paint on the outside of the cooker could be more uniform in application
  • An regular tool, such as a cooker, should be well and elegantly designed

For more information please visit our solar cooker project wiki.


News and recent developments

  • Spring 2011 visit: the student team visited Sabana Grande during spring break in March 2011 to build a new large cooker with a new metal stand for use in the soon to be completed Solar Restaurant being built by Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa at their Centro Solar.

External links

Contact

Aditi Kolhekar, Team Leader

Email: ask48@cornell.edu


Tim Bond, Staff Advisor

Email: tkb2@cornell.edu