Solar Cookers

Ken68

The big solar cooker has a rounded bottom with a bump in the middle, really needs a good fit with the kettle or whatever. Am thinking of metal swarth. Otherwise could line it with cooking foil to reflect the heat and paint the kettle to absorb it.
Tests off for today, raining.

Ken68

This might be the answer to storing sun heated water OVERNIGHT.

Safari 8 litres.....

beer2006

Ken68, thoughts I've come up with while looking for designs to build a cooker.

The design you've used, needs a reflective lid anyway, but even then I have read about problems with this design working in hotter places than the UK, so I think you/me need a hotter design, something like this, that I linked to above.
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/nevssolaroven.htm

I have also read a metal plate in the bottom, helps to heat up the oven, I don't know if having a bulge in the middle will make any difference or not.

I do know you need a black cooking pot or kettle, otherwise it will just be reflecting the heat away.

The other thing is, the sides of the internal pot, I have more or less the same sort of pot to make mine out of and I'm not sure whether to line the walls with foil or not, most designs seem to have this, I was going to try both ways, but getting stuck on foil off a metal pot, doesn't sound like fun. So I keep hoping to turn up the answer before I do it.

I have no idea if making it out of a black pot will be better or worse than a cardboard box......... like to know.

Oh and do you angle your cooker into the sun?
Whats the cover made from, glass?

Ken68

Neither of the designs I've made are producing good results, certainly not to cooking standards, Susan.
Warm water only at the end of the day, just about acceptable to wash the dishes.Mind you the weather !!
Have moved the lighter design into the roof of the greenhouse, where it got marginally warmer than outside.
The kettle/pot does need to be painted black, Beer, thats the next job, and think the cast iron copper is best left without reflective foil and the crock made to have a firmer fit to the base of the collector.
The top is plastic, something I had, might try glass later on. Near enough free so far.
Getting there.

Ken68

Not a very good angle to the sun, but the shelving needs modifying anyway. Thought to bring the cast iron one into the greenhouse also and do large deflectors.

Ken68

Managed 7 litres of hot water today by 4pm...opened up the collectors at 6.30am...definate cooking heat, Susan. Have stored the hot water in the insulated container shown, will see how much it cools down by the morning.
And with further improvements as you also mention, Beer, we have the makings of free hot water, at least in the summer months, tho in small quantities.
But...could repeat the system with additional collectors. Now on to Phase Two.

SusanCarter

We've finally made our colar cooker. Can't test it out today as showers are due but hopefully soon. Will need to get a decent thermometer though...

Ken68

Oh-er, Susan, picture please, or describe it. What's on the menu.!!