Solar Cooking Archive Discussion Forums

gaiatechnician · Joined: 06 Jan 2008 Posts: 32 Location: Victoria BC

I like parabolic reflectors because they can concentrate so much heat.
I have made a new device for making moulds for reflectors.
I call it the mechanical mathematician.
The latest incarnation of it does a section of a parabolic dish
(there is absolutely no reason that you have to make a full dish for solar cooking).
It should be easy to put cardboard on the mould, make cuts to fit it exactly to the curve and then tape it together in a fairly good parabola.
The mathematician is already on the wiki. The new one has just a post with a hinge and a swinging wooden arm. The chief new thing is that the end of the arm is supported on a horisontal beam of wood. So no sagging of the arm.
http://www.appropedia.org/Image:Cobmould.JPG
My picture shows a fin in the middle because I am using this mould to make a tracking solar barbecue. The fin may not be necessary for your work.
You do need to have something to indicate where to point at the sun (vertically in the mould) and at the focus (the hook where the string is attached to the post) before you remove the reflector from the mould,
Otherwise it is a guessing game every time you set it up!
I cannot show you more yet because the cob is currently drying.
Please try this method to make moulds for cardboard solar cookers and innovate to make it better.
I think it will make solar cooking a whole lot simpler and more convenient and more popular in the long run.