The project for the month is a Double Angled - Twelve Sided parabolic solar cooker

(DATS).

The idea and main instructions for this project were obtained from SolarCooking.org,

an excellent site that not only includes lots of information about cooking with sun power

but also includes several plans to build your own solar cooker.

 

The following instructions will guide you through the entire process of building the DATS,

 

You will need the following: cardboard boxes, scissors, ruler, pencil, extra wide aluminum foil, two 35 cm long wooden sticks, two 29 cm long wooden sticks, scotch tape, glue, 15 cm wire and a 50 cm string.

(note images are not shown to scale)

 

Cut open the cardboard boxes, as shown.

 

Cut twelve pieces of cardboard 24 cm x 61 cm.

 

Draw the following figure on each of the 24 x 61 cm pieces of cardboard.

(measurements image borrowed from www.solarcooking.org)

 

 

Cut out twelve copies as shown below.

 

Make sure you fold each one on the "fold lines" as shown on measurements image.

 

Make the holes shown very close to the fold lines.

 

Tape the 12 pieces of cardboard together along the long sides.

 

You should now have something similar to the image shown below.

 

If you join the ends of the cooker you will obtain a figure like the one shown below. Do

not tape them together yet, since we must first glue on the aluminum foil.

 

Glue on the aluminum foil only on the inner side of the cooker. Try to make the surface as

smooth as possible.

 

Your cooker should now look something like the one shown below.

 

Join the ends of the cooker and tape them together. Pass the string through the holes

on the top of the cooker and tie it together.

 

Cut a circle 15 cm in diameter and glue foil on one of its sides.

Cover the hole on the cooker with this piece and tape it.

 

Your cooker should now look something like this..

 

Make 4 holes on the inside of the cooker as shown below.

 

\Insert the 35 cm wooden sticks into these holes. Tape them on the back of the cooker to

hold them firmly.

 

Place the 29 cm wooden sticks as shown in the figure below. Tie them to the 35 cm

sticks using a thin wire.

 

And the cooker is finally ready. If everything went ok your cooker should look like the one shown below. The wooden section will be used to hole the pot.

You should use a black pot for cooking for better results. Do not use pots with an

aluminum outer surface since they will not absorb the heat.

 

Hope you have a good time cooking!

If you have any questions please email me.