Final+Group+Project

__**Solar Cooker Design- Initial**__ The premise of our design is fairly simple, which makes it all the more practical and applicable in third world nations. The cooker is a box shape; however, semi-spherical (umbrella) shapes have proven to be equally popular. The exterior of the cooker is coloured black, as black absorbs the most light, and therefore the most heat. The interior of the cooker is lined with a reflective metal coating, ideally made out of a cheap, durable and non-toxic metal, such as Aluminum. Any number of materials, ranging from corkboard, wood, sand or even air can be used as insulation within the cooker. Finally, a glass or plastic top is placed over the cooker, in order to promote a green house effect. Quite simply put, the solar cooker amplifies and utilizes the sun’s energy when it is at its peak, in order to provide a method of cooking food. While certain foods can be cooked directly in the cooker (assuming that a non-toxic coating is being used), it is instead more practical to make a larger cooker and place a separate pot or pan inside the cooker, as it will not only be easier to clean, but is also likelier to prevent damage to the cooker, which would invariably increase the lifespan of the cooker. In fact, varying solar cooker designs have already been put to use in various third world nations, including a Darfur refugee camp. In regards to previous solar cookers, there have been many previous attempts at designing a successful model. The main focus is for the box to retain heat in order to cook the food inside or heat water inside. Similar to our idea of making a solar cooker, other designers have also developed ideas about making an efficient solar cooker. Composed primarily of cardboard and foil, our solar cooker is relatively inexpensive and can be made by just about any person. The key is to successfully aim the foil panels in an optimal way to gain heat.

The solar cooker can be compared to the Kenya Ceramic Jiko. However, the Jiko used more energy and would leave the users dependant on finding parts for the design in the event something malfunctions. The solar cooker only uses the suns energy, whereas the Jiko uses charcoal. Our concept of solar cooking is easily accessible, but the Jiko is more practical. Using charcoal also allows the users to cook at any period throughout the day. The solar cooker can only be used during the hottest part of the day. Although the Jiko offers users a more convenient way to heat items, it still consumes more resources than the solar cooker.

__** Advantages of a Solar Cooker: **__ - An ideal solar cooker would be cheap (costs next to nothing), easy to use, saves electricity and saves money - It would also be easily accessible and also by keeping outside of their house it wouldn’t heat their house. - It also wouldn’t require gas or electricity or any other tools to cook - Also it is not a fire hazard since its pretty much made of cardboard or plastic - Also the solar cooker doesn’t take up much room, light weight and has a varying levels of portability Disadvantages of a Solar Cooker: - Can only prepare food during the hottest part of the day, dinner must be made during afternoons for the use of solar cooker. - Takes a long time to cook meals, you cannot put a large portion of meat on the panel at a time. You’ll have to take split it up into smaller pieces. - Wind conditions, Climate, and weather conditions must be known before hand in order to prepare the food. - If the food isn’t fully cooked, it could cause severe illness to people who don’t necessarily have immediate medical attention. From Engineers without Borders: - 2,000 million people that cook with wood which results in 20 to 25000km2 of forest lost each year (from UNEP) - Solar cooking = doesn’t require wood, and doesn’t result in smoke. Healthier way of cooking - Comes from Direct energy from the sun

__** Potential redesign of the solar cooker **__ After observing the advantages and disadvantages of our design, as well as observing competing products, we altered the design to include certain elements of the ceramic Jiko. By giving the solar cooker an alternative source of energy (such as charcoal or wood), we can ensure that the product can be used throughout the day and can cook food at a safe temperature, even when the weather is not optimal. Moreover, ceramics provide an inexpensive and efficient form of insulation and structure for the cooker. On the other hand, by retaining the use solar power, we can significantly reduce the amount of time needed to heat up the cooker, which will allow for far less fuel usage.


 * __Scenario: Solar Cooker__**

The Solar Cooker would specifically benefit people in warmer climates who are dealing with poverty and don’t have the necessary utilities to cook/heat up their food. The Solar Cooker prevents people from eating uncooked food or unsterilized water.

The design team would face problems with the size and the amount cooking time of the Solar Cooker. If the size of the Solar Cooker is small, you can only put small amount of food on the Oven. However, since the size of the Solar Cooker is small, it would be easily portable and wouldn’t take up much space. If the size of the Solar Cooker were to be large, they would be able to put larger portion of the food at a time, however it may not be as easily portable and it would be take up a lot of space.

__**Scenario 1:**__

A family in rural Africa has lost their provider (father) due to illness. This leaves the mom and two children to fend for themselves. The Mom currently has a lot of duties such as working, cleaning and trying to find a sustainable food source.

__**Scenario 2:**__

A Country has been hit by a natural disaster, its’ people being stranded with no means to cook food. There is no gas or electricity in town. There is very limited amount of resources even with aid.

__**Scenario 3:**__

Everyday conditions in Mumbai slum (India), where gas and electricity isn’t easily accessible. Many families go hungry every night. Finding a sustainable food source is a struggle. Having sanitized food and water is rare. There is a small amount of livable space.

__** References **__ Design for the Other 90% (2010). Kenya Ceramic Jiko. //Design For the Other 90% Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum//. Retrieved from http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/Design/kenya-ceramic-jiko Edwards, Doug (n.d.). [Solar Cooker Image]. Retrieved from http://www.cookwiththesun.com/solar.htm Rawlinson, Linnie (2007). Solar Lifeline Saves Darfur Women. //CNN International//. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/09/12/solar.darfur/index.html?iref=mpstoryview Solar Cooker Glazing (n.d.). Retrieved from the Solar Cooker Wiki http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/GlazingSolar Cooker Competition Stowell, Q. (2005). Solar Cooking Seminar. //Solar Cooking Seminar//. Retrieved March 21, 2011, from http://www.sunspot.org.uk/ewb/ Tan, Chao, and Sponheim, T. (n.d.). [Solar Cooker Image] Retrieved from http://solarcooking.org/plans/easylid.htm Tan, Teong H. (n.d.). [Solar Cooker Image] Retrieved from http://solarcooking.org/plans/DSPC-Cooker.htm Telkes, Maria (n.d.). Maria Telkes Solar Cooker. [Solar Cooker Image] Retrieved from http://weblife.org/capturing_heat/