THE SOLAR COOKING COMPETITION

By: Elizabeth Simon, Kevin Yok and Liew Jien Jie

ABSTRACT
Mankind will continue to use energy, even if we all make a concerted to cut
down on our consumption.
Another important step to take if we want to save the environment is to find
alternative ways to produce and use sustainable, clean energy.
The main purpose of our project is to replace old wood fuel stoves with an
eco-friendly solar cooker that uses "green" energy.
A solar cooker is a device which uses the energy of sunlight to heat food or
drink or to sterilize it.
Solar cooking is a form of outdoor cooking and is often used in situations
where minimal fuel consumption is important, or the danger of accidental
fires is high.
The vast variety of the solar cookers presently in use are cheap, low tech
devices because they use no fuel, no electricity required to operate, they
reduce air pollution and slow deforestation and desertification.

OBJECTIVE / AIM
To cook food in the process of using solar energy instead of electricity or fuel
To find an alternative way to cook without using fuel.
To conceive an innovative idea to save resources.

INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENTS

We would continue to waste earth's resources without proper management
and efficiency.
In order to solve this problem, we need an alternative way to overcome our
needs for energy. This leads us to the use of green energy, a brilliant and
effective way to overcome the problem.

ADVANTAGES
To conserve the usage of fuel.
To save our cost by purchasing low cost of products instead of high cost of
fuel.
Prevent of air pollution.
Prevent of global warming.
There is no danger of burning food and flavours remain intact.

DISADVANTAGES
Only functions during day time when weather is hot and sunny.
Takes quite long to cook.
Takes long time to build the solar cooker.
Solar cookers are not as efficient at retaining heat as compared to
conventional cooking devices.
There is a risk of accidental injury or burns if the appliance is not used
properly

MATERIALS
Gravels
D Arte black mat boards
Foil paper
Magnifying glass
A4 Paper
Plastic book wrapper
Spray paint : Black Number 30
Poly foam

APPARATUS
500ml water container that absorbs heat
Black binding tape
Scissors
PVA glue
Board cutter
Eraser
Ruler
Blue, black and red pens
Pencil
Big NT cutter blade
Measuring cylinder

PICTORIAL DESCRIPTION AND STEPS

1. Prepare the materials and apparatus.
2. Cut 5 mat boards for each size according to sizes 30.5 cm x 30.5 cm and 38
cm x 38 cm with a board cutter.
3. Line the inside of the small box and large box with foil paper using
polystyrene glue.
4. Join the cut 30.5 cm x 30.5 cm and 38 cm x 38 cm mat boards to make a box
by taping the sides using a binding tape.
5. Cut up some poly foam with scissors and stuff them into the space between
the side walls of the small box and large box.
6. Prepare another 4 mat boards and cut them according to the size shown with
scissors.
7. Fold all the flaps according to the dotted lines.
8. Line the inner surface of the collectors exclude all the flaps with foil paper.

9. Join the side flaps of all mat boards with binding tape.
10.Tape the bottom flaps to the inner part of the small box with binding tape.
11.Spray the water container with black spray paint.
12.Measure 500 ml of water with a measuring cylinder.
13.Pour the water into the water container.
14.Put some gravels and the water container into the plastic book wrapper.
15.Put a magnifying glass on top of the wrapped water container.
16.Wrap the whole solar cooker with another bigger plastic book wrapper.
17.Measure the initial temperature.
18.After several hours, measure the final temperature.

SCIENTIFIC THEORY ACCUMULATION OF HEAT

Foil paper helps to reflect the sunlight.
Magnifying glass helps to enhance the amount of sunlight and heat.
Gravels can provide some heat.
A plastic book wrapper can trap the heat.
The poly foam helps to insulate the heat so that the heat will not loss easily.
A dark water container used can get very hot in sunlight compared to light
surfaces.

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT APPLICATION

Reflection - Aluminium foil helps to reflect the sunlight to the water container.
Greenhouse effect - The plastic book wrapper helps to act as a green house
effect.
Refraction - Sunlight is focused directly to the side of the water container.
When sunlight travel through a denser magnifying glass medium light gets
refracted and is focused more towards the normal.

REASONS OF COLOUR CHOSEN

Black is
Dark
Dull
Good absorber of heat
Good conductor
Opposed to white, which is
Bright
Shiny
Poor absorber of heat
Poor conductor

TRIAL AND ERROR

MONDAY
THURSDAY
Initial temperature : 30C
Initial temperature : 30C
Temperature after 2 hours : 50C
Temperature after 1 hour : 50.5C
Solar energy absorption: The result seems to be better on Thursday compared to
Monday as they are some changes made to the solar cooker.
Example:
a) More gravels are put to absorb and remain the heat.
b) The gravels had been spray to a darker colour.
c) A large plastic book wrapper is used to trap the heat.

CONCLUSION
A solar cooker helps to conserve fuel.
A solar cooker only needs less cost compared to the cost of fuel.
Mankind should use solar cooker in order to conserve fuel for the sake of the
next generation.