Comments on: The (giant) Solar Funnel solar cooker http://vinay.howtolivewiki.com/blog/hexayurt/the-giant-solar-funnel-solar-cooker-1387 Free science and engineering in the global public interest Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:53:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jonny Holt http://vinay.howtolivewiki.com/blog/hexayurt/the-giant-solar-funnel-solar-cooker-1387/comment-page-1#comment-7523 Jonny Holt Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:27:00 +0000 http://vinay.howtolivewiki.com/blog/?p=1387#comment-7523 Hello Vinay, Just browsing around, having not looked at your site for some time. I have seen the basic idea used before as an "appropriate tech" solution to deforestation in sub-saharan Africa, although this used a parabolic reflector, which would be anything but basic. It needs to be simplified. Your idea could be the step change to make it commercially realisable, if it can acheive the right level of performance while being based around a flat sheet component. However, if this flat sheet could itself be collapsed, rolled up, then unrolled and re-assembled into the collector shape - and have this done over and over again - then you have a PRODUCT! Have you tried sticking aluminium foil to a camping mat, purely by way of experiment? Just a thought. Of course, as you mention there is not only the problem of how to support it, but also to contain and support the food and its pot or pan while the sun is doing the cooking. Some kind of tripod might be useful, from which to hang a pot, although asking the tri-bike to perform that function as well might be stretching the concept too far. Hope to see you soon at some Riversimple / 40 Fires event or other. Best wishes, Jonny. Hello Vinay,

Just browsing around, having not looked at your site for some time. I have seen the basic idea used before as an “appropriate tech” solution to deforestation in sub-saharan Africa, although this used a parabolic reflector, which would be anything but basic. It needs to be simplified.

Your idea could be the step change to make it commercially realisable, if it can acheive the right level of performance while being based around a flat sheet component. However, if this flat sheet could itself be collapsed, rolled up, then unrolled and re-assembled into the collector shape – and have this done over and over again – then you have a PRODUCT! Have you tried sticking aluminium foil to a camping mat, purely by way of experiment? Just a thought.

Of course, as you mention there is not only the problem of how to support it, but also to contain and support the food and its pot or pan while the sun is doing the cooking. Some kind of tripod might be useful, from which to hang a pot, although asking the tri-bike to perform that function as well might be stretching the concept too far.

Hope to see you soon at some Riversimple / 40 Fires event or other.

Best wishes,

Jonny.

]]> By: bill highland http://vinay.howtolivewiki.com/blog/hexayurt/the-giant-solar-funnel-solar-cooker-1387/comment-page-1#comment-6705 bill highland Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:42:21 +0000 http://vinay.howtolivewiki.com/blog/?p=1387#comment-6705 Looks very interesting. I had never thought of using corrugated plastic. I built a funnel out of 2x4 insulation that looks like a car window sunblocker. I might try this design. I'd like to know if you get hotter than 97 degrees. Thanks a lot. Bill Looks very interesting. I had never thought of using corrugated plastic. I built a funnel out of 2×4 insulation that looks like a car window sunblocker. I might try this design. I’d like to know if you get hotter than 97 degrees. Thanks a lot.
Bill

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