Solar Oven Project

Solar Oven Project

Objective:

Teach students about renewable energy and solar energy.

What's will be happening?

Background information:

The sun is an excellent renewable energy source because no matter how much we use it, we will never deplete its energy. The sun’s energy can be used to do work, which means that it can transfer its energy to other things and make them change. Plants use solar energy to grow. We can use solar energy to cook our food!

Other forms of energy are not renewable. Natural gas, coal or oil (which is often used to provide the electricity to power ovens and stoves) are not renewable because there is only a limited amount on earth. We can use these resources up much faster than they are made, a process that takes millions of years. Plus, using natural gas, coal or oil contributes to global climate change.

The heat from the sun is trapped inside your solar oven, and it starts getting very hot. Ovens like this are called collector boxes, because they collect the sunlight’s energy inside. As it sits out in the sun, your oven eventually heats up enough to melt cheese, make a s’more or cook a hot dog! How does it happen? Rays of light are coming to the earth at an angle. The foil reflects the ray, and bounces it directly into the opening of the box. Once it has gone through the plastic wrap, it heats up the air that is trapped inside. The black paper absorbs the heat at the bottom of the oven, and the insulation (newspaper, foam, etc.) makes sure that the heat stays where it is, instead of escaping out the sides of the oven.

Your solar oven will reach about 93° C (200° F) on a sunny day, and will take longer to heat things than a conventional oven. Although this method will take longer, it is very easy to use, and it is safe to leave alone while the energy from the sun cooks your food. If you do not want to wait long to have a solar-cooked dish, re-heating pre-cooked, like leftovers, or a can of soup can speed up the results. You can also put solid foods in a glass dish and liquids in a heavy plastic zip lock bag works well. You can also pre-heat your oven by setting it in direct sun for up to an hour.
Other recipes you may want to try to make: baked potatoes, rice with vegetables, chocolate fondue, and roasted apples with cinnamon and sugar. Even on partly cloudy days there may be enough heat and light from the sun to slow cook a special dish. Here are a few tips for having success with your solar oven:

·  Stir liquids (if you're cooking something like fondue, rice, or soup) every 10 minutes. You can rotate solid food every 10-15 minutes as well, so it cooks evenly.

·  Reposition your solar oven when needed, so that it faces direct sunlight. You should be checking periodically on your oven, to make sure it is in the sun.

·  Make sure that the foil-covered flap is reflecting light into the pizza box, through the plastic-covered window.

Adapted from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/build-a-solar-oven-project/a/1237/ and https://srtrust.worldsecuresystems.com/_literature_101372/Solar_Cooking_1st_Grade

Further Research Phase:

You must discuss your solar energy project with one person, research more about solar energy in a book and find an internet site that provides construction information.

Personal Interview

Questions asked: ______

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Response to Interview Question:______

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Book Used for Research:

Title: ______

Author: ______

Information found regarding solar energy- What is solar energy?

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Website Used for Research:

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Information found regarding solar ovens-What principles are used in solar cooking? Do solar ovens have an impact on the environment? Explain.

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Your oven may not be any larger than 12 x 6 x 6 space. (Think about the size of a Kleenex box) The oven must have insulation, space to fit two cupcake papers and a snack ziplock, a mechanism to establish a slant towards the sun, and reflection and absorption material. Drawing of your planned solar oven:

Materials used to make solar oven:

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Take a picture of your completed solar oven and paste it on the back of the packet. Picture width must be no more than 5 inches.

Data Collection:

Record Observations Date: ______
Outside
Temperature: ______/ Wind
Velocity:
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Cover:
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Food Item / Begin Temp and Observations / End Temp and Observations
Nachos
S’Mores

Conclusion

Review your results for your solar oven science project experiment.

Did the air temperature have an affect on the cooking efficiency of your oven?

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Make a bar graph for each item using a blue color for beginning temperature and red for final temperature. On the graph please include a title, key, and axis labeling.

Summarize what happened in your project experiment based on your results. Explain patterns in your data.

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What effects do you think weather conditions (temperature, cloud cover, wind, etc.) have on the efficiency of solar oven cooking?

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Design an experiment that could be done to test the concerns listed in the previous question:

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How can you improve the cooking efficiency?

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Which student had a more success than you did? Why?

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Take a picture of your food products prior to cooking and after cooking. Place both pictures on the back of this paper. (Remember picture width may not be more than 5 inches).