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