Fun-Panel Cooker Construction Plan

Fun-Panel Cooker Construction Plan

The Funnel solar cooker, originally introduced by Professor Steven E.

Jones, is very efficient in capturing sunlight with its 60 degree conical

reflecting surface. However, the Funnel solar cooker has an unstable

shape that makes it difficult to keep the cooker and the pot in position.

In addition, it is also not possible to fit a regular size cooking pot into a

regular size Funnel cooker because of limited space at the lower end

of the cooker. In order to retain the very efficient conical reflecting

surface, but eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages, I came up

with a hybrid Fun-Panel solar cooker.

CONSTRUCTION METHOD:

The Fun-Panel solar cooker incorporates features from the Panel

cooker into the Funnel cooker. The Fun-Panel cooker can also be

placed in two different positions to better capture sunlight at different

Sun's altitudes.

The construction materials required to make a Fun-Panel cooker are

simple and low cost. I made my Fun-Panel cooker from a used

cardboard box that measures about 50cm on all edges. One cube-

shaped cardboard box has enough cardboard material for making

two Fun-Panel cookers. Other construction materials required are

one short string, paper tape, aluminum foil and glue. If you use

cardboard box with different dimension, all you need to do is to factor

the dimensions given in this instruction to suite your box's dimension.

To construct, cut the cube-shaped cardboard box to obtain two large

rectangular panels and one small panel as shown in Figure 1 below.

Each large rectangular panel is made up of one square face of the box

together with one cover flap. Next glue aluminum foil onto one side of

the two large rectangular cardboard panels. Draw all the fold lines and

cut lines, according to Figure 1 above, onto the rectangular cardboard

panels. Next cut along the cut line and then fold along the fold lines.

Join the two large rectangular cardboard panels together, according to

Figure 2 below, to form the cooker.

Next glue the small cardboard panel to the lower edge of the square

panel, located in the middle of the cooker, according to Figure 3 below.

After the glue has dried, bring the lower edge of this square panel

forward by a distance equals to 2/5 the length of the square panel�s

edge (this ratio is critical as it defines the final shape of the cooker).

Punch two holes through both the small cardboard panel and the

adjacent rectangular panel, and tie them together with a short cord in

order to keep them in position. The construction of the Fun-Panel

cooker is now completed.

SETTING and COOKING:

For low Sun�s altitude cooking, between 35 and 50 degrees, place the

cooker down, with the rectangular panel on the floor, as shown in Figure

4 below. For very low Sun�s altitude cooking, below 35 degrees, raised

the pot by 2 to 3 inches above the base to better capture the sunlight.

With rising sun angle, between 50 and 70 degrees, flip the cooker

around such that the square panel, in the middle of the cooker, is now

horizontal, and place the cooker on top of a small box (a box with 5-

6 inches in height is now required). See Figure 5 below.

The small box serves to support both the cooker and the cooking pot

in this high sun�s altitude setting. For very high sun�s altitude cooking,

above 70 degrees, loosen the short string that holds the small cardboard

panel to the rectangular panel. Tilt the vertical, rectangular panels slightly

backward until the pot receives maximum reflected sunlight. Tie the two

ends of the string together to hold the rectangular panel in that position.

To cook, put foods inside a black metal pot, and cover it with a clear

glass lid. Enclose the pot in a clear heat-resistant plastic bag. Set the

cooker according to the Sun�s altitude, and face it towards the Sun.

Place the cooking pot in the cooker and start cooking.

The Fun-Panel cooker is also capable of cooking, without the clear

plastic bag enclosure, if you have good sunshine. A test in Singapore,

without the use of a greenhouse enclosure, have recorded a maximum

empty pot temperature of 130 degrees C. The 4-liter size pot used has

a clear glass lid. The cooker was set to the high-sun angle setting, and

the Suns's angle was at 55 degrees when the temperature was taken.

Fun-Panel cooker can be folded flat by first untying the string and then

folding the middle square panel upward so that the cooker can be

drawn together for ease of storage. I hope that you will find the Fun-

Panel cooker to be an interesting and user-friendly solar cooker.

Teong Tan

6 January 2008

Fun-Panel Cooker Construction Plan

Fun-Panel Cooker Construction Plan

The Funnel solar cooker, originally introduced by Professor Steven E.

Jones, is very efficient in capturing sunlight with its 60 degree conical

reflecting surface. However, the Funnel solar cooker has an unstable

shape that makes it difficult to keep the cooker and the pot in position.

In addition, it is also not possible to fit a regular size cooking pot into a

regular size Funnel cooker because of limited space at the lower end

of the cooker. In order to retain the very efficient conical reflecting

surface, but eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages, I came up

with a hybrid Fun-Panel solar cooker.

CONSTRUCTION METHOD:

The Fun-Panel solar cooker incorporates features from the Panel

cooker into the Funnel cooker. The Fun-Panel cooker can also be

placed in two different positions to better capture sunlight at different

Sun's altitudes.

The construction materials required to make a Fun-Panel cooker are

simple and low cost. I made my Fun-Panel cooker from a used

cardboard box that measures about 50cm on all edges. One cube-

shaped cardboard box has enough cardboard material for making

two Fun-Panel cookers. Other construction materials required are

one short string, paper tape, aluminum foil and glue. If you use

cardboard box with different dimension, all you need to do is to factor

the dimensions given in this instruction to suite your box's dimension.

To construct, cut the cube-shaped cardboard box to obtain two large

rectangular panels and one small panel as shown in Figure 1 below.

Each large rectangular panel is made up of one square face of the box

together with one cover flap. Next glue aluminum foil onto one side of

the two large rectangular cardboard panels. Draw all the fold lines and

cut lines, according to Figure 1 above, onto the rectangular cardboard

panels. Next cut along the cut line and then fold along the fold lines.

Join the two large rectangular cardboard panels together, according to

Figure 2 below, to form the cooker.

Next glue the small cardboard panel to the lower edge of the square

panel, located in the middle of the cooker, according to Figure 3 below.

After the glue has dried, bring the lower edge of this square panel

forward by a distance equals to 2/5 the length of the square panel�s

edge (this ratio is critical as it defines the final shape of the cooker).

Punch two holes through both the small cardboard panel and the

adjacent rectangular panel, and tie them together with a short cord in

order to keep them in position. The construction of the Fun-Panel

cooker is now completed.

SETTING and COOKING:

For low Sun�s altitude cooking, between 35 and 50 degrees, place the

cooker down, with the rectangular panel on the floor, as shown in Figure

4 below. For very low Sun�s altitude cooking, below 35 degrees, raised

the pot by 2 to 3 inches above the base to better capture the sunlight.

With rising sun angle, between 50 and 70 degrees, flip the cooker

around such that the square panel, in the middle of the cooker, is now

horizontal, and place the cooker on top of a small box (a box with 5-

6 inches in height is now required). See Figure 5 below.

The small box serves to support both the cooker and the cooking pot

in this high sun�s altitude setting. For very high sun�s altitude cooking,

above 70 degrees, loosen the short string that holds the small cardboard

panel to the rectangular panel. Tilt the vertical, rectangular panels slightly

backward until the pot receives maximum reflected sunlight. Tie the two

ends of the string together to hold the rectangular panel in that position.

To cook, put foods inside a black metal pot, and cover it with a clear

glass lid. Enclose the pot in a clear heat-resistant plastic bag. Set the

cooker according to the Sun�s altitude, and face it towards the Sun.

Place the cooking pot in the cooker and start cooking.

The Fun-Panel cooker is also capable of cooking, without the clear

plastic bag enclosure, if you have good sunshine. A test in Singapore,

without the use of a greenhouse enclosure, have recorded a maximum

empty pot temperature of 130 degrees C. The 4-liter size pot used has

a clear glass lid. The cooker was set to the high-sun angle setting, and

the Suns's angle was at 55 degrees when the temperature was taken.

Fun-Panel cooker can be folded flat by first untying the string and then

folding the middle square panel upward so that the cooker can be

drawn together for ease of storage. I hope that you will find the Fun-

Panel cooker to be an interesting and user-friendly solar cooker.

SUNNY COOKER

Simple Homemade Solar Cookers

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Suntastic Panel Cooker - Construction Plan

The 'Suntastic' panel cooker is the result of my effort in creating a simple solar cooker, which is capable of cooking without a greenhouse enclosure. Such a cooker would allow people, having no access to suitable greenhouse enclosure material, to solar cook as long as they have good continuous sunshine.

The 48cm tall 'Suntastic' panel cooker, which I have originally constructed, is capable of raising the internal temperature of an empty, 4-liter black metal pot, with a clear glass lid, to 150^o C in about 30 minutes. If a greenhouse enclosure is used, the temperature can reach about 180^oC. 2 cups of rice can be cooked, without a greenhouse enclosure, in about 100 minutes, and 3 liters of water heated from 26^o C to pasteurization point, 70^o C, in about 50 minutes.

The 'Suntastic' panel cooker is made from a used, cube-shaped, cardboard box. The width of the box should be about twice the diameter of the pot. Other materials required are one short cord, paper tape, aluminum foil and glue.

Start by cutting the cardboard box to obtain four panels as shown in Figure 1. Draw fold and cut lines, as indicated in Figure 1, and then cut and fold the four panels accordingly.

Attach, using paper tape, the two vertical reflector panels to the square base panel; see Figure 2. Glue aluminum foil onto the concave side of the cooker as shown by the shaded area in Figure 2. Join the forked tips, shown as D, E and F in Figure 2, together using paper tape on the back face. Punch two holes through the two vertical panels as shown in Figure 2.

Tie the two vertical panels together, using a short cord, according to the diagram for high sun's altitude setting in Figure 3. The high sun's altitude setting is for cooking when the sun's altitude is above 60^o, and the low sun's altitude setting is for cooking when the sun's altitude is below 60^o. To switch between high and low sun's altitude settings, simply lift the cord loop off the cooker's rear vertical edge, reconfigure the cooker, and hook the cord loop back onto the rear vertical edge, and slide it downward until tight.

For best panel shape, gently bend and release the two vertical reflector panels, according to instructions in Figure 3, whenever the cooker is reconfigured.

Install the independent front reflector panel by inserting its flap into the square base panel's slot. Whenever the independent front reflector panel is removed, the triangular front of the square base panel can be used as a reflector; but the cooker will be less efficient this way, and a greenhouse enclosure is required.

To prevent the two vertical panels from swaying in the wind, place two heavy objects up against the back face of the two vertical panels as shown in Figure 4.

To cook, put foods inside a black metal pot and cover it with a clear glass lid. Black metal lid works too, but a clear glass plate works better when the inside of the pot is dark in color. A pot with taller sidewall works better than a shallow one because of additional surface to capture sunlight. Do use a greenhouse enclosure, if it is available, for higher temperature cooking. Set cooker up according to the sun's altitude, and face it towards the sun. Place pot on top of the cooker base. Shift the pot towards the rear of the cooker when cooking with low sun's altitude setting, and towards the front with high sun's altitude setting. Shape and tilt the front reflector panel to obtain the most reflected sunlight onto the front face of the cooking pot, and hold it in position by wedging something below it.

When not in use, the 'Suntastic' panel cooker can be folded up by first removing the front reflector panel. Next lift the cord loop off the rear vertical edge, and then fold the square cooker base upward, see Figure 5, to allow for the two vertical reflector panels to collapse inward.

'Suntastic' panel cooker is made using simple and widely available materials, so that it can be easily duplicated elsewhere. It is my hope that as the material required for panel type solar cooker becomes simpler; more people will be able to benefit from making and using their own panel solar cookers.

Note: All figures shown above can be viewed in full size on the Suntastic Cooker Gallery page.