Florida Solar Energy Center

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Last edited: 16 August 2014

Teaching community members how to use solar cookers

The Florida Solar Energy Center conducted a research project on low-cost panel type solar ovens for the Dorothy Ann Foundation on behalf of Solar Household Energy, Inc. The overall purpose of the research project was to attempt to improve the performance, reliability and cost-effectiveness of low-cost solar cookers for use in developing nations. Many of the activities and documented results conducted under this project are presented below.

Various reports that have been developed for this project

• Solar Cooker Reflector Optical Evaluation and Design Evolution (PDF Document - 625KB. This report pertains to an optical ray trace analysis of a panel type solar cooker reflector.)

• FSEC Solar Cooker Design: Optical Ray Trace Analysis (PDF Document - 670KB. This report pertains to an optical ray trace analysis of a parabolic type solar cooker reflector.)

• An Analysis of Greenhouse Cookpot Design Considerations For Low-Cost Solar Cookers (Web site)

• Investigation of Reflective Materials for the Solar Cooker (PDF document - 99KB)

• Investigation of Polycarbonate as a Suitable "Greenhouse" Material for the Solar Cooker (PDF document - 671KB)

• Final Report: Solar Oven Development and Testing (PDF document - 313KB)

• From the Final Report: Test Results Only (PDF document - 150KB)

• From the Final Report: Test Plots Only (PDF Document - 137KB)

Recent news and developments

• January 2014: No recent updates/contact from the Florida Solar Energy Center - Links to above documents are still active.

Testing

FSEC staff have conducted tests to determine the performance and feasibility of using cooking pots that incorporate a selective solar coating material. The selective coated pots were tested side by side with pots coated with standard flat black paint.

Why selective solar coating? In order to reduce losses due to heat emission, selective coatings reduce radiation heat losses. This makes it possible to absorb and transform a large part of the short-wave solar radiation into heat, and, simultaneously, the emission of the long-wave heat radiation from the absorber (coated black pot) itself is significantly reduced.

Cookpot Drawings

Listed below are a set of draft drawings for the solar cooker's Greenhouse/Cookpot (also referred to as the HotPot).

• Section through greenhouse and cookpot

• Greenhouse pot cover and greenhouse pot (without top)

• Alternate Lid Design

Solar cooker panel manufacturing information

Listed below are drawings and a manufacturing information document for the construction of the solar cooker panel prototype. Drawings and instruction documents are in PDF format.

• Manufacturing Information

• Drawing A

• Drawing B

External links

• Direct link to Solar Cooker Development and Testing Program

Contact

Web: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu
Email: info@fsec.ucf.edu