At the South Pole I'm going to try to cook some foods with solar ovens. I'm most interested in Bagel Bites mini pizzas and cupcakes, but melting chocolate would be a success too. This week my students made solar ovens and we tested them to discover the best one. The ovens all worked well but one was the clear winner with temperatures hitting 70 C (158 F!) Congratulations to Conor and Sean for their awesome solar oven!
Congratulations to Sean and Conor on their winning solar oven. Their design reached temperatures of 70C (158F)!
All the projects were successful because we learned about the optimum solar oven design from ones that worked and from ones that failed. We think the important points are 1. That the oven is directional and can be aimed. 2. That there is a wide array of reflectors like the petals of a flower. 3. That there be absorptive material in the center to retain heat and 4. That the sample be in a chamber that is shielded from high winds with plastic or saran wrap.
This conical oven tested pretty well! Students used chocolate and thermocouples to test the success of the ovens.
I will package up the winning oven and send it to the pole. Hopefully it will get there in time. Just in case it doesn't make it there I have the guys' plans and can reconstruct it to try it down there.
Here's a pizza box solar oven cooking a pizza!
Students from 6th period tested their ovens on our parking deck at school.