Print PDF
Favorite
Email
The first picture shows the design process and I have a pdf of that pic in the next step. (Much easier to see the details on the pdf)
Design an exotic reflector for unattended solar cooking. Your design might get used worldwide.
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Solar_design_T-Square is the main page
I put in a new step 5 today (November 17th) with pictures to better explain it.
http://solardesign.ning.com/photo/albums/solar-design-tsquare (feb 9th) has pictures of models I made recently for 2 hour and one hour reflectors.
People say "why do it?" and "it cannot be done". Now companys in the western world are using carbon offsets to pay for the manafacture of parabolic solar cookers in India. They are even paying people to use them to cook their meals!
(In this way Solar energy is substituting for firewood and lets the forests regrow!)
But problems with light getting flashed in peoples eyes and having to constantly move the reflectors are being reported. These are BIG problems.
A dish for unattended cooking would alleviate the problems substantially.
It CAN be done! Check 5 minutes into this video for a (Probably patented) (and too complicated) design! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSMzKg6fwJ8 and pause it at 5min 56 seconds in for the shape.
It is the tube horns that I am interested in. I believe 2 horns, lined up with the path of the sun is likely to be pretty efficient.
Here is another link with a picture to help get the idea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmdel_Horn_Antenna When you look at that picture, do you think of solar box cookers "with ears"!?
Please note that I use image notes extensively to explain
The method I choose is similar to "claymation" in that it will produce the grand design by a series of little steps. In this case, 2 laser levels are used to simulate the suns rays. If your design is to be unattended for 2 hours, then the laser levels shine at angles 30 degrees different to each other.
Design an exotic reflector for unattended solar cooking. Your design might get used worldwide.
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Solar_design_T-Square is the main page
I put in a new step 5 today (November 17th) with pictures to better explain it.
http://solardesign.ning.com/photo/albums/solar-design-tsquare (feb 9th) has pictures of models I made recently for 2 hour and one hour reflectors.
People say "why do it?" and "it cannot be done". Now companys in the western world are using carbon offsets to pay for the manafacture of parabolic solar cookers in India. They are even paying people to use them to cook their meals!
(In this way Solar energy is substituting for firewood and lets the forests regrow!)
But problems with light getting flashed in peoples eyes and having to constantly move the reflectors are being reported. These are BIG problems.
A dish for unattended cooking would alleviate the problems substantially.
It CAN be done! Check 5 minutes into this video for a (Probably patented) (and too complicated) design! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSMzKg6fwJ8 and pause it at 5min 56 seconds in for the shape.
It is the tube horns that I am interested in. I believe 2 horns, lined up with the path of the sun is likely to be pretty efficient.
Here is another link with a picture to help get the idea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmdel_Horn_Antenna When you look at that picture, do you think of solar box cookers "with ears"!?
Please note that I use image notes extensively to explain
The method I choose is similar to "claymation" in that it will produce the grand design by a series of little steps. In this case, 2 laser levels are used to simulate the suns rays. If your design is to be unattended for 2 hours, then the laser levels shine at angles 30 degrees different to each other.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1The design process on one page
I made one of these things in February but I did not do a good job as it was my first attempt and I scaled up from a model. If you do it, probably you would be better advised to make it full sized in one go. Anyway here is the picture of the design process. I also include the picture here as a pdf because that is much easier to read.
clamshapedforuvic.pdf(612x792) 2 MB| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbiVo12kuKA
are new videos about the designer.
Brian
L
I do not believe this method will infringe any patents and this is important.
Also, it will open design to anyone with a couple of cheap laser levels or laser pointers and a few strips of reflective plastic material. I do not believe that in solar cooking, that one size fits all. Some people will want a 2 hour solar cooker with high concentration of energy, some a 3 hour cooker and some a 4 hour reflector. Some will be happy with a high concentration 1 hour reflector and use it with inaccurate (but good enough) trackers to give solar cooking all day.
L
In my case, the lasers will represent the sun at the beginning and at the end of a 2 hour period.
(Others might prefer 3 hours or 4 hours )
So (in theory) if you get that light from those 2 lasers onto the target all the light in the hours between should hit the target too.
I put up more diagrams but there is still a long way to go.
I think I may have made a mistake in my procedeure on step 6
Maybe you should start at the opposite end (the strip in line with the sun's path) and work from there in. I guess someone will just have to try it.
(My excuse is that I am recovering from pneumonia and a dvt)
Brian