Solar Cooking
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#Redirect[[Solar trough cooker designs]]
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[[File:gosun kicker-04.png|thumb|The [[GoSun]] is an example of a solar '''trough cooker''' used with an [[:Category:Evacuated tube solar cooker designs|evacuated glass tube]].]]
 
[[:Category:Solar trough cooker designs|Solar trough cookers]] use a reflector to capture light that has a curved parabolic cross-section, but continues as a straight trough in the other direction. Instead of focussing the light at one spot like a typical bowl shaped [[Parabolic|parabolic solar cooker]], the light is reflected along what is known as a focal line. This straight line of concentrated light is often directed onto an [[:Category:Evacuated tube solar cooker designs|evacuated glass tube]] chamber containing food to be cooked, or water to be boiled. The two technologies work well together, as the well-insulated tube allows for less reorientation to the sun. Several commercial solar cookers using this combined approach are available for sale. Linear arrays of reflectors are also suited for larger industrial steam generating cooking systems.
 
 
Because construction of the trough reflector requires bending only in one direction they can be easier to fabricate than a parabolic dish, but they do not offer the option of easily heating a single [[Pots|cook pot]].
 
 
The trough can be aligned on a north-south axis, and rotated to [[track the sun]] as it moves across the sky each day, or faced in a southerly direction requiring no reorientation to the sun, with slightly less efficient output.
 
 
==Advantages and disadvantages==
 
'''Advantages'''
 
*The curved trough reflector is efficient at gathering and focussing sunlight along a focal line
 
*Works well with [[:Category:Evacuated tube solar cooker designs|evacuated tube]] cooking chambers, maintaining higher temperatures with intermittent sunlight conditions in a compact package
 
 
'''Disadvantages'''
 
*The trough design does not focus sunlight onto a standard cook pot
 
*Not particularly well suited for home enthusiast construction
 
 
==What can you cook?==
 
Any food cut into pieces that will fit conveniently into a sliding tray inside of an evacuated tube chamber. Because the tube is used primarily in a horizontal position, boiling liquids, and cooking rice and beans, are usually not done with trough cookers.
 
 
==Types of solar trough cookers==
 
===Personal===
 
Compact and efficient trough cookers are available commercially, though somewhat expensive with the evacuated tube and a sturdy reflector.
 
====Examples of personal solar trough cookers====
 
*[[GoSun Grill]]
 
*[[BIOGRI]]
 
 
===Institutional===
 
Systems using the linear arrays boil water to create steam to cook large amounts of food. However, [[:Category:Parabolic solar cooker designs|parabolic arrays]] may be better suited for tracking the sun for this purpose.
 
*[[Chari Solar Trough Cooker]]
 
 
==All solar trough cookers==
 
*Solar trough cooker designs are listed below along with a photographic directory to research individual cookers.
 
 
See also [[Cylindro-parabolic solar cookers]].
 
 
[[Category:Solar cooker designs]]
 
[[Category:Solar cooker designs]]

Revision as of 21:21, 14 April 2016

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