August 25, 2009
How to Construct a Useable Solar Oven
A number of inventive solar oven designs have been developed and are cheap and easy to make as opposed to learning about how to build a solar panel. Construct a box for your cooker out of MDF. I discovered small veneer pins to be exceptionally useful because they may be pounded neatly into the end grain of thin MDF and not split the wood.
They are plenty adequate for this purpose.
Next, take the measurements of the dimensions of the cube inside your lined, polystyrene container. Cut the mirror plastic to the right size so you can use it to line the box. Duct tape is ideal for securing all your joined edges and generally making it structurally sound. The next step is to cut out the mirrored reflective material. With a bandsaw, cut an approximate two feet wide strip of mirrored plastic.
Mark from the long side of the mirror to the corner of the mirror, a line which makes an angle of 67 degrees, forming a right-angled triangle in the scrap piece of plastic. You now need to mark out a chain of trapeziums along the length of the mirror, where the shortest side equals the length of the interior of the cooker box. Use some duck tape to join together the mirrored reflectors to form the reflector that may sit on the top, be sure it is on the non-reflective side. With duct tape it is possible to create flexible joints, letting you fold up the reflector when it is not in use. Take the stove to a sunny area to use. Positioning the rods supporting the reflectors will be far easier if you have somebody to hold the reflector at the right angle while you position and glue the support rod.
To make your cooker more effective, and to get it to cook at higher temperatures, you must trap in the heat. Without a cover hot air will rise bringing in an unceasing flow of cooler air. Range cooking bags are inexpensive and straightforward to use. Using a glass pane, ideally the double-paned type, is another method. You want the pane to extend slightly past the edges of the smaller box without being so large that it's unwieldy as you lift it off. An alternative way to make the stove better is to use specular film rather than tin foil for the outside reflectors. It won't last in the heat, so you can't use it in the stove. If you don't have any other option, you could warm up pre-cooked items such as canned goods using a pair of zip lock sacks. Place your foodstuff inside a small zip-lock sack, then place that inside a bigger bag of the same type.
Whenever possible, place them on a reflective surface such as the reverse side of a bag of chips or a car sunshade. Of course solar ovens will not generate electricity, to do this you will need to learn how to build solar panels.
Would you like to be able to soak in a warm bath when you are camping or your electricity goes out? Place two liter soda bottles that are filled with water in the sun on the dashboard of your car. Close up the automobile to catch in the heat. The best time to take a bath is when the sun is at its highest. If you need the warmth for nighttime bathing, store the preheated containers in an insulated thermo box. Alternatively you can learn how do you build a solar panel to power your appliances
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