ABSTRACT

The use of parabolic solar cooker in regions with high

solar radiation like Malaysia promises an alternative for
cooking other than the fossil fuels and wood. This project
presents the development of an umbrella solar cooker
using sunlight as its energy source for cooking. This
cooker utilizes the parabola shape, one of the most
effective shapes for solar reflector and uses Aluminium
foil to reflect the radiation from the sun to a focus point.
The heat from this focal point then can be utilised to heat
a container with food in it for the purpose of cooking.
This cooker also coorporate a greenhouse solar box to
provide a greenhouse effect that improves heat retention
and minimizes convection loss. Results obtained from the
experiments shows that the parabolic solar cooker
developed can be used to boil water at 100C.
 INTRODUCTION
Half the worlds people must burn wood or
dried dung to cook their food.
Nearly 1.2 billion people, a fifth of the worlds
population, do not have access to clean
drinking water.
Over 1 million children die yearly because of
un-boiled drinking water.
Wood cut for cooking purposes contributes to
the 16 million hectares of forest destroyed
annually.
Half the worlds population is exposed to
indoor air pollution, mainly the result of
burning solid fuels for cooking and heating.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
 The 3 components in 2in1
Sunbrella
1) The Parabolic Reflector -1.5m diameter
Umbrella with Reflective surface
materials: aluminum

2) The greenhouse box Collapsible box

with Glass Top

3) The Black metal cooking pot with glass

lid
 MATERIALS
Umbrella
Aluminium foil (heavy duty)
Tripod stand
Cardboard (recycle)
Glass(Glazing)
Black cooking pot with with glass
lid.
 The 4 principles in
2in1 Sunbrella Design
There are 4 principles incorporated by
2in1 Sunbrella to reach temperatures
high enough to cook food. They are:

The Greenhouse Effect

Concentration of Sunlight
Heat absorption
Insulation
Gambar dan label parts
of the 2in1 sunbrella
 The Greenhouse Effect
In 2in1 Sunbrella, ultraviolet light energy
enters the box and then gets soaked up (by a
black pot) and converted to infrared energy,
which is a longer wavelength.
The glazing (glass) traps the solar energy
and increases the cooking efficiency because
the
UV light comes in and gets converted but it
doesnt allow the infrared out from the
greenhouse box, so it gets hotter and hotter.
The glazing (glass top and glass
lid) creates a double insulation
and provides a greenhouse effect.
 Concentration of
Sunlight
This cooker utilizes the parabola shape.
The umbrella (bowl shape) takes
different streams of sunlight and directs
them onto one point (focal point)
 Parabolic Cooker

Highly focused light and high temperatures

Cooks nearly as fast as a conventional oven
Costly and complicated to make and use
have to turn frequently to follow the sun
 Concentration of
Sunlight

In our design,
the focus point
of the suns
rays comes
together at
about thirty
centimeter
above the
middle , or
bottom, of the
parabola.
 Heat Absorption
Black and thin
metal cooking pot.
Dark colors (Black)
absorb heat well.
Thin metal pot
Can transfer the
heat more quickly
and evenly to the
food.
 Insulation
The sides and bottom of 2in1
Sunbrella greenhouse box are
insulated by using Aluminium foil to
retain cooking heat. Silver colors can
reflect the suns energy away.
Most of the radiant heat given off by
the warm pots within the solar box is
reflected from the foil and glass back
 The basic principles -
C.A.R.E.S.
Collect the light
Absorb the light
Retain the heat
Ease and Efficiency
Safety
 C: Collect the Light
Collect the sunlight using reflectors with
an approximately 400 square inch opening
(20x20)
Easy way to measure: the minimum
opening of the cooker needs to be the
diameter of an adults arm
Reflective surface materials include:
aluminum, Mylar, aluminized Mylar of any
thickness, aluminum or chromium paint
(Note: mirror like reflectors can lead to
eye damage)
 A: Absorb the light
Absorb the light paint the pot
matte black or another dark color to
absorb the heat
Pots can also be elevated by a wire
base or posts, allowing the bottom of
the pots to collect sunlight
 R: Retain the Heat
Retain the heat hot vessels lose
their heat to the air quickly so they
need to be covered
Cover with plastic, glass, Plexiglas,
or tempered glass
A tight lid will trap steam and speed
up cooking Ex: Canning jars work
like inexpensive pressure cookers
 E: Ease and Efficiency

Ease simplicity of everyday use

Funnel and box cookers are the easiest to use
they dont have to be turned to follow the sun
Efficiency - how fast the cooker heats food
Parabolic cookers focus light to a point (most
efficient) causing dangerous conditions
Funnel cookers focus light across a broader
area down the center of the cooker (efficient
but not dangerous)
 S: Safety
Safety Avoid highly focused light
such as that in the parabolic cooker.
It can damage eyes and start fires
Always exercise caution with
cookers. Sunglasses are useful when
looking into a cooker
Cooking pots are hot and should be
treated as though they were on a
stove-top
Remember - C.A.R.E.S.
Collect the light
Absorb the light
Retain the heat
Ease and
Efficiency
Safety
 Retained Heat Cooking
If sunlight is lost or multiple items need
to be cooked, there is a solution
Once the food is heated, quickly transfer
to either:
- an insulated box or set of towels,
- or an insulated hole in the ground
covered
with more insulation
The food will continue to cook for hours
 Temperatures
Sunny Day: heats from 130-145C (265-
300F)
Cloudy Day: heats from 95-105C (200-
220F)
Hot enough to pasteurize water (at least
65-70C for 20 minutes)
Hot enough to fully cook meats, breads,
grains, vegetables, etc.
Kills disease-causing bacteria
 Impact
Expect solar ovens to replace 60% of
fuel needs in most places
The other 40% of the time, due to
inclement weather or special types
of food, traditional methods can still
be used
Doesnt replace fire as a way to heat
homes
 Approximate Cooking
Times
Vegetables: 1.5 hrs
Rice/wheat: 1.5-2 hrs
Beans: 2-3 hrs
Meats: 1-3 hrs
Bread: 1-1.5 hrs

See Recipe File for

more details and
cooking ideas
 Costs and benefits
Cost: approximately $2/cooker depending
on location and availability of materials
Materials include cardboard, aluminum
foil, plastic bag, etc. See Building
Instructions for more details and be
creative
Benefits
Saves cost of fuel or time spent gathering wood
Prevents diseases from impure water
Ecologically friendly
 Real World Examples
Summer 2003
Fernando
successfully taught
solar cooking classes
in northeast Brazil
with Help
International
Four solar ovens
transform a Chilean
village (see packet)
Microenterprise case
study in packet
 BE CREATIVE and
HAVE FUN!
You can improvise with most of the
techniques and materials
Remember the basic principles
(CARES) and you can adjust for the
skills and resources of those who
will make and use the ovens
 Step-by-Step
Instructions
Funnel Cooker Instructions included on
this CD
Box Cooker are at
http://solarcooking.org/ in both the box
cooker section and with pictures in the
slide show
For more construction ideas see
Alternative Cookers PowerPoint also on
this CD