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The testing was done using the lighting system, where the insulation from the halogen lamps give approximately the same amount of energy as the sun does on a bright, clear day in Nicaragua. A pyranometer was used to measure the insulation during the five tests. During Test 1 and 2, the pyranometer was placed at the center of the lighting system, straddling the tops of the two older ovens. For Tests 3, 4, and 5, the pyranometer was moved to the back left corner of the new oven, where insulation was weaker. However, the amount of insulation recorded was similar for each position, and probably did not change between testing of the older and new ovens. Figure 2 shows the pyranometer reading for each test, though the data was interpreted by the program reading results from the thermocouples, and the units of the pyranometer output, which were converted from the pyranometer voltage output to °C, do not make sense. However, this graph shows that the insulation was relatively constant when the pyranometer was placed in the center for the first two tests, and that it was relatively constant when the pyrometer was placed in the corner of the light bed during the last three tests.

black2_potsinsolation.jpg
Figure 2. Insolation during the five tests in °C units converted from voltage output.

Images of the test set up can be seen in Figure 3 to 6.

black3_potsinterior.jpg
Figure 3. A view of the oven interior from the door opening.

black4_new_potsoven.jpg
Figure 4.   New oven during Test 4.

black5_potslight.jpg
Figure 5. New oven being tested using the light system.

black6_potscomp.jpg
Figure 6. Computer used to log temperature data with new oven being tested in the background.

Test 1 involved the two older ovens, each with approximately 2.7 kg of water in a single pot. Test 2 also involved the two older ovens, but each with approximately 4 kg of water divided into two pots. Test 3 involved the newly constructed oven with approximately 8 kg of water divided into four pots. Test 4 and 5 involved the new oven with approximately 4 kg of water divided into two and four pots, respectively. These results are illustrated in Figures 7 to 11, and a consolidated table of test details and results are in tables following the figures.

black7_old_potsovens.jpg
Figure 7. Test 1 temperature results. Note that probes T2 and T3, which read the temperature of the black plate in each oven, became detached at different points in the run.

black8_old_potsovens.jpg
Figure 8. Test 2 temperature results.

black9_new_potsoven.jpg
Figure 9. Test 3 temperature results.

black10_new_potsoven.jpg
Figure 10. Test 4 temperature results.

black11_new_potsoven.jpg
Figure 11. Test 5 temperature results

Test #

Total H20 (kg)

Oven

Pot #

Mass H2O (kg)

Time (s)

Time (min)

Min/kg

1

5.4014

Old 1

1

2.7010

4427

73.78

13.66

 

 

Old 2

2

2.7004

4065

67.75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test #

Total H20 (kg)

Oven

Pot #

Mass H2O (kg)

Time (s)

Time (min)

Min/kg

2

8.0200

Old 1

1

2.0167

4771

79.52

9.91

 

 

Old 1

3

2.0019

4695

78.25

 

 

 

Old 2

2

2.0010

4491

74.85

 

 

 

Old 2

4

2.0004

4502

75.03

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test #

Total H20 (kg)

Oven

Pot #

Mass H2O (kg)

Time (s)

Time (min)

Min/kg

3

8.0021

New

1

2.0005

4665

77.75

9.72

 

 

New

2

2.0007

4631

77.18

 

 

 

New

3

2.0003

4426

73.77

 

 

 

New

4

2.0006

4127

68.78

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test #

Total H20 (kg)

Oven

Pot #

Mass H2O (kg)

Time (s)

Time (min)

Min/kg

4

4.0088

New

4

2.0059

3289

54.82

14.26

 

 

New

3

2.0029

3431

57.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test #

Total H20 (kg)

Oven

Pot #

Mass H2O (kg)

Time (s)

Time (min)

Min/kg

5

4.0010

New

1

1.0002

3249

54.15

14.08

 

 

New

2

1.0008

3379

56.32

 

 

 

New

3

1.0001

3036

50.60

 

 

 

New

4

0.9999

2943

49.05

 

Table 1. Consolidated Table 1 in Appendix B contains a consolidated list of test details and results. In the columns listed as "Time" is the time measured for each pot of water to heat from 40°C to 95°C. In the last column labeled "Min/kg" is the maximum time from the Time (min) column divided by the total mass of water heated in each test.

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Even though the amount of time required to heat from 40°C to 95°C increases as the mass of water heated increases, the difference in time required decreases. This suggests that there is a fixed amount of energy used to heat the oven, since the relationship is not linear, as can be seen in Figure 12 below.

black12_potsboiling.jpg
Figure 12. Time required to heat water from 40°C to 95°C as a function of the total mass of water.

This is further evidenced by the decrease in per kilogram heating time as the total mass of water being heated, as illustrated in Figure 13.

black13_potsper.jpg
Figure 13. Per kilogram heating time as a function of the total mass of water.

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