GREEN COOKER CHALLENGE (GCC)

Penang Free School (PFS)

TEAM CODE

TEAM MEMBERS’ FULL NAME

SENTOASH NAIDU A/L BALACHANDER NAIDU

HEAVENDRAN A/L THAMIL SELVAN

AARON A/L SANTHANASAMY

SECTOR

ENERGY

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ABSTRACT

Aim of the project

Thesedays, we rely on fossil fuels way too much. Even when it comes to cooking

food, more than 80% of food is cooked with some kind of fossil fuel. This causes an

overdependancy on fossil fuels and as the availability of fossil fuels is on a steady

decrease, alternatives like our, solar cooker, should be more widely used. The solar

cooker was invented to be not only environmental friendsly but also economical

because it uses solar energy. Solar energy is a free and unlimited renewable resource.

The aim of our project is to create a portable, efficient, 3R based Solar Cooker.

Hypothesis

 If the surface area of the solar reflector increases, then the 500ml of water boils

faster.
 The larger the surface area of the pan used to keep the water, the faster the 500ml

of water heats up.

Methodology

• Scientific Theory application. The accumulation of heat. To prevent heat loss. For

example, polystyrene which is a heat insulator while the aluminum sheet is placed at

the bottom of the box as a conductor of heat to the pot.

• The using of aluminum foil to conduct heat.

• The triangular shape which is perfect for focusing the sunlight.

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• Reflector cookers use various concentrating geometries [dish, trough and Fresnel

mirrors] to focus light on a cooking container.

Results

Based on several attempts,

When only the top aluminium reflector is used, the maximum temperature the water

can reach after 60 minutes is 42oc. However, when al the side and top aluminium reflectors

are open and angled towards the water the water reached a maximum temperature of 50 oc

after 60 minutes.

When the deeper bowl with smaller surface area is used, the water reaches a peak

temperature of 35oc. However, when a shallow pan with a wider surface area is used, the

water reaches a peak temperature of 48oc.

Analysis

Based on several attempts,

The more the aluminum reflectors open and angled at the water, the water is able to

reach a higher maximum temperature.

The pan which is shallow and has a larger surface area, is able to heat the water

with a higher peak temperature of 48oc when compared to the deep bowl, with smaller

surface area.

Conclusion about the project

The project worked fairly well as it was able to heat the water beyond its room

temperature of 29oc to 50oc when the weather was not optimal. Moreover, this project is

also portable, made out of 3R materials to prevent wastage of natural resources.

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INTRODUCTION

Project Background

People in under-developed countries, mostly in Africa, do not have access to basic

stoves to boil water, for safe consumption. However, there is an abundance of sun light in

the world. The question we had now is how to use the sunlight (solar energy) to make a

cooker that is easily accesible to them?

Problem Statement

 How to create a durable and efficient solar cooker?

 How to maximize the gaining of the sunlight to heat the water inside the solar box

cooker?

 How to prevent the heat inside the solar box cooker from being loss to the

surroundings?

 How to keep the heat that has been absorbed into the box for a longer time?

Objective

 Make a portable solar cooker.

 Make a solar cooker out of mostly 90% 3R materials.
 Make an efficient solar cooker that utilises all available solar energy.
 To minimize fuel consumption because the supply is limited but widely used all over

the world.
 To reduce air pollution caused by combustion of fuel.
 To slow down the deforestation and desertification caused by gathering firewood for

cooking.
 To reduce fuel costs especially for people in low-income groups.

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SCIENCE CONCEPTS APPLIED

CONVERTING SUNLIGHT INTO HEAT ENERGY

 Dark surfaces get very hot in sunlight, whereas light surfaces don’t.
 Water boils best in dark, shallow, thin metal pots with dark, tight-fitting lids to hold in

heat and moisture.

 For example, solar cookers concentrate sunlight onto a receiver such as a cooking

pan. The interaction between the light energy and the receiver material converts light

to heat. This conversion is maximized by using materials that conduct and retain

heat. Pots and pans used on solar cookers should be matte black in color to

maximize the absorption. Thus, heat energy is formed from sunlight.

HEAT

Heat Gain

Greenhouse effect

The heating of enclosed spaces into which the sun shines through a transparent

material such as glass or plastic. Visible light easily passes through the glass and is

absorbed and reflected by materials within the enclosed space. The black box absorbs the

light and converts it into a larger wavelength, producing heat energy.

Reflectors

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One or more reflectors made of shiny surfaces are employed to bounce additional

light into the box in order to increase cooking temperature. So, we use shiny surface on the

reflectors which are provided at 3 sides of the box to maximize the reflection of sunlight.

Glazing material

A transparent material (glazing) is needed to allow the absorption of sunlight for

heating an enclosed space (solar cooker). So, we put used textbook wrappers at the top

surface of the box to face the sunlight.

Heat retention

 Insulating materials : it should be installed so that they allow minimal conduction of

heat from the inner box structural materials to the outer box structural materials.

 So, we use aluminum foil as radiant reflector at the walls and the bottom of the box.

 Besides, we use a few black - painted aluminium balls to absorb heat and they were

placed around the box.

Heat loss

To avoid radiation of heat to the surroundings, we use shiny surfaces at the interior

of the box. Besides, we doubled the transparent glazing to trap most of the radiant heat.

SHAPE AND DESIGN

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We chose this design for our solar cooker because it uses 3R materials, which fulfills

one of our main objectives of making it out of 3R materials and making it affordable. The

zippers put against the side reflectors fulfill an aesthetical and practical use. Not only does

it make our solar cooker stand out but it also enables us to open and close the reflectors

while maintaining a small look, making it portable. The box shape of our solar cooker

enables us to trap heat more effectively.

SELECTION OF COLOURS

At the exterior of the box, we paint it black because it is a good heat absorber. At the

interior of the box, we use shiny surface to reflect the heat from being radiated to the

surroundings. We use a black-painted box to maximize the absorption of heat. We placed a

black-painted aluminum balls under the pan because they will absorb and retain the heat

best.

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

We used mainly 3R materials such as boxes, reused plastic textbook wraps, and old

zippers. These materials help with the trapping of heat, as the base of the project and as an

aesthetical decoration.

SELECTION OF SHAPE

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We used a box as our base shape because a box is a more portable. Making our

solar cooker around a box enabled us to fulfil one of our objectives, which was to make the

solar cooker portable.

USAGE OF 3R MATERIALS

90% of our solar cooker is made from 3R materials. We used an old A4 paper box

as the base of our solar cooker. We also reused aluminium foil as the reflectors. Old plastic

textbook wraps were also used as a glaze wrapping to trap heat. The magnifying glass lens

used is from a broken magnifying glass.

sRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR PROJECT AND GREEN TECHNOLOGY

ENERGY. Our solar cooker uses the readily available sunlight to get heat energy

that is used in cooking in a solar cooker. This is a form of green technology because no

pollution is made and there is no wastage when producing heat energy. This is because the

sunlight is transformed into heat energy by the plastic film that converts the wavelength of

the sunlight into heat energy. That heat energy is immediately diverged by the magnifying

glass lens to the water (or what is trying to be cooked).

HOW WE BUILT OUR SOLAR COOKER

1. Spray paint a A4 box black.

2. Attach 2 extra flaps on the top reflectors panel.
3. Cut open 3 sides from the sides of the box. Use a string system to keep it in place.
4. Wrap all the reflector panels with aluminium foil.
5. Glue a zipper to each of the cut sides.
6. Stick a textbook plastic wrapper on all the openings.
7. Roll aluminium foil balls and spray paint them.

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8. Put a used black pan in side the solar cooker and surround the pan with the black

aluminium foil balls.

COMMERCIAL VALUE

Our project has many aspects that people look for when looking at a solar cooker.

First of all, our solar cooker more than 90% made from 3R materials. Im sure when using

our product, buyers will feel good because they are not polluting the environment at all by

buying our product. Moreover, our solar cooker is 100% portable as it comes with a holding

handle and because it is black, it looks sleek when carrying it. Our solar cooker is also very

marketable because it is very efficient as it utilises all available sunlight to best use.

TEST RESULTS

Test results trial 1

Time (min) Temperature (C)

10 29

20 32

30 36

40 40

50 42

60 45

Test results trial 2

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Time (min) Temperature(C)

10 32

20 35

30 40

40 45

50 52

60 57

CONCLUSION

 Solar energy is free and unlimited.

 Solar energy produces no pollution, does not require high capital and uses recycled

materials.

 In Malaysia, we receive 5 hours of sunlight per day throughout the year. Therefore,

solar energy has a great potential to be used in Malaysia.

 The use of solar cooker can reduce the emission of carbon dioxide to the

environment.

 This project teaches us to develop the spirit of cooperation.

 We should make use of our renewable resources around us to make for a better

future.

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REFERENCES

 Solar cooking wikia

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Principles_of_Solar_Box_Cooker_Design
 Wikipedia Solar Cooker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cooker#Principles

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