Solar Cooker Team Minutes – September 26, 2011

General:

  • Next Meeting: Monday October 3, 2011 at 7:30PM
  • No meeting on Monday October 10, 2011 – Fall Break
  • Every week sub teams should be prepared to discuss what they accomplished since the last meeting and what they will be working on during the next week.
  • Sub team project proposals are due next week.
  • Check the Wiki to make sure your name is under the correct sub team(s)
  • All documents from previous years are on the Wiki

Fixing Old Solar Cookers:

  • Have all the necessary materials in the lab
  • Left to do:
    • Place insulation in the walls
    • Reattach metal – using silicon on seams and screws
    • Put new glass pieces in
      • Ensure grooves are clear using sandpaper
      • Stand cooker on its end and slide glass in

Prefab Cooker:

  • Created a brainstorming document on Google Docs
  • Prof Vanek will bring in his commercially build solar oven
  • This week:
    • Write proposal
    • Begin to research an alternative material for the glass

Concentrated Cooker:

  • This week:
    • Will pick out lenses to order (inexpensive but appear to be good quality)
    • Start developing a design
  • Tried to get a lens from an old TV – will continue to look around for one
  • Design will utilize lenses, reflectors would be supplementary

Small Cooker:

  • Check Wiki for last year’s Final Report which includes the design for the small cookers
  • Already have put one more reflector sheet on
  • This week:
    • Install the rest of the reflectors
    • Develop a design/plan for the second small cooker by next week
  • Note:  the reflectors are difficult to place on the oven smoothly – the nature of mylar

Prop Rod:

  • Idea: set up a notch system on the box

Insulation Testing:

  • Have looked at last year’s report and will follow up on suggestions for Future Work
  • This week:
    • Will look into finding coffee husks
    • Learn how experimental unit works
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