Solar Cooking

Gunner wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I always wanted to convert an old 8'-12' TV satellite antenna to a solar cooker, being a pretty accurate parabola, I imagine. Anyone here ever done it?

||Gunner wrote in ||news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com: || ||> ||> ||> I don't know which one works the best, but here's a wide variety of ||> solar cookers, from simple to complex. ||> ||>

Hey Gunner, welcome back.

Converting old dishes for solar heating is a frequent topic on the alt.solar NGs. Google it up and you will have a lot of info.

Texas Parts Guy

just cover the surface with shiny aluminum foil and mount something to hold your pot at the focal point. Use a dark pot.

John

Drawing a light vacuum on a silver mylar "drum head" on a round wash tub will generate a catenary curve which is very close to a parabola.

Should be able to suck it to shape instead of having a pump. "Wash tub" only has to be as deep as the mylar dips. Might be easier to handle.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Stan-

Liquid sodium, a 10 Mw power generation site :

When I was a kid (35 years ago) I bought a book from the school bookmobile on solar cooking. The reflector they had plans for used cardboard wedges covered with aluminum foil. The dish was about 4 feet across and had a focal spot about 1 foot in diameter.

Reminds me of an SF story:

--=20

-JN-

"Stanley Dornfeld" wrote: Drawing a light vacuum on a silver mylar "drum head" on a round wash tub will generate a catenary curve which is very close to a parabola. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Sorry, folks, dinner will be a little late. My vacuum system has a slow leak, and my oven went out of focus."