the Great Solar "Cookoff" Challenge :))

[YT2095]

here`s my next Challenge to all you Experimenteers out there, Summer time is comming up shortly and so I give you all fair notice!

 

your challenge is to make a solar cooker, it`s to be made from scrap material or regular household materials.

your job is to cook AND EAT! a hotdog sausage using only the power of direct sunlight.

vegetarians may ellect a meat eating friend or use the Veggy equivalent (Quorn or Soya based hot dogs).

 

the winner will be the one with the most original and functional design that works the best.

IF! you wish to go further or better you need not limit this to a hotdog sausage, by all means, if you can do a Pizza, then do a Pizza )

 

Pictures appreciated! and GOOD LUCK! ))

[Sayonara]

Hmmmm.

 

In order to show that any 1 solar cooker is better than the others, you need (at bare minimum) to have everyone using the same kind of sausages. They need to be cooked for the same period in sunlight of the same intensity and the one that is most 'ready' wins, or cooked until 'ready' and the one with the shortest time wins. Which of course means you need a standard way of testing if it's 'ready'.

 

If you eat it and don't die, it was probably cooked.

[Radical Edward]

how about using it to boil a set quantity of water i.e. 1 litre. otoh, if the judging criteria are pretty subjective though, it shouldn't matter too much, I am more interested in seeing peoples' designs than how rapidly they cook, especially given that people from hotter countries already have a significant advantage over people from cooler climates

[YT2095]

well the idea was largely based around FUN and getting people thinking, but sure, we could make a "Must boil 100ml of water starting from Ice" if that would appease the masses

either way I`m with Rad Ed, I wish to see original designs, the max possible use made from general junk and a working a cooker at the end of it!

as well as different stories about other things cooked or attemped, even the ones that failed!

this is an excersize in THOUGHT not Hard Science, so don`t be put off by the mean old Sayo (we call him Grinch around Christmass time) ))))

 

 

get working and have Fun!!!!

[Sayonara]

You're saying science isn't fun?

 

I'm shocked YT. Shocked and appalled!

[YT2095]

LOL )

 

serious here, why don`t you have a go at it too? I`m sure ya get some hollidays in the summer, and I seriosly can`t think of anything better to do than sit in the garden and experiment with stuff

give it a shot! ))

 

 

at the end of the day, there`s no real winners for this (unless it`s mega cool!), we ALL win! the point is actualy HAVING A GO, the losers are the ones that don`t bother or consider it beneath them, for them I hand a "Sense of Fun and Adventure Token" redeemable at any participating outlet in Life

[Sayonara]

Might see if I can make the simplest possible solar water heater... have an idea

[atinymonkey]

I'm off to steal pretty shiny things.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Where can I get something reflective that's cheap?... (Shh! I'm thinking!)

 

How's aluminum foil?

[Crash]

oh, i would attempt but i havent got summer days for another 6 or so months

[Radical Edward]

then you just need a bigger reflector to catch all those winter rays

[YT2095]

yes, it CAN be done in winter! this I know!

 

fire from ice is perfectly acheivable!, a lens can be fashioned out of Ice and made to set fire to paper/straw using only winter sun, I`ve seen it done and have done it myself!! )

[BPHgravity]

This is too easy! Here in SouthWest Florida, the sweat boils off my forehead just going from the house to my vehicle.

 

I'm going to use on of those huge metallic-foil sun blockers for car windshields. Not only am I going to catch the hotdog on fire, but Im pretty sure it will burn a hole in the upper atmosphere!

[YT2095]

Most Splendid!!! )

 

I/we wish also to see pictures of this where possible though, and also if I didn`t mention it befoere (and I should have) WEAR SHADES AND SUNSCREEN!!!!!! all of you!!!

sitting there in the sun waiting for Mr.Hotdog to cook seems like less time than it really is on occasion, and you`ll be exposed to direct UV light and MAY have the odd accident and get the full beam from the cooker in your eyes (

wearing shades will help, not looking directly at the focal point for too long will also help and sunscreen certainly can`t hurt

 

be safe and cook hot dogs excellently )

[Lance]

It would be funny to buy this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20580&item=4301222897&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

And go to the nearest elementary school and have them help you make a death star.

[solarcooker]

I went a little crazy with solar cooking. I tried to make a solar cooker that

was big enough and fast enough to cook a pizza. It collects just over 4 square meters of sunlight. It will cook about anything for six months out of a year. For winter months, I just cook in the house. The waste heat from the natural gas burners help to heat the house anyway. I have a picture and

story, if you are interested at:

solarcooker.livejournal.com

I have 3 other smaller oven style cookers that I made and tend to work better

in the winter. One really small solar oven will only cook about a half a cup at a time. I like to heat up some frozen corn kernels in it. I put a couple of slices of butter on top of the corn. Adding about 15 minutes to the heating time after the butter melts into the corn is about right. I will try to take some more pictures later. I would be interested in hearing about others who have made solar cookers.

[GutZ]

lol what are the limitatons here????

 

does it have to be done by solar directly? or can use solar as an ignition source?

[hypertilly]

I know it was a long time ago, but are there any pictures of the designs?

[YT2095]

Direct Heating only, you can`t set fire to a pile of wood and use that!

 

HT, I don`t think there`s any pics here yet.

[hypertilly]

[grifter]

I'm gunna go for a parabolic cooker design, so I'd better find a hell of a big satellite dish, I'm gunna ring S.E.T.I. see if they've got any spares.......

[Sisyphus]

You better hurry. This "contest" started almost three years ago!

 

It would be something, though. Sneaking into Arecibo with thousands of rolls of aluminum foil...

[grifter]

yea it certainly would be!!!

 

and this challenge should be repeated for this year I'm bored and it will be a good way to cook food without having to turn on the oven. Did anyone bother to take part three years ago???

[alan2here]

This is the solution btw to the challenge.

 

<Spoiler>

Fill your garden with mirrors (idearly slightly concave) all pointing at the same place. That place will get verry hot.

</Spoiler>

[BlondeEngineer]

 

No brainer for me... Dutch Oven on sidewalk... We already do it... Some actually just put aluminum foil on asphalt...

 

At construction sites I have actually seen workers put a honking huge burrito in foil on dashboard and had a piping hot lunch...

 

 

Man I need to get my Evaporative Cooler going soon...

 

~It ain't hot until it reaches 100~

 

Right now we are in the warm 90's...