Principles
Simple solar cookers use the following basic principles:
- Concentrating sunlight: A reflective mirror of polished glass, metal or metallised film is used to concentrate light and heat from the sun into a small cooking area, making the energy more concentrated and increasing its heating power.
- Converting light to heat: A black or low reflectivity surface on a food container or the inside of a solar cooker will improve the effectiveness of turning light into heat. Light absorption converts the sun's visible light into heat, substantially improving the effectiveness of the cooker.
- Trapping heat: It is important to reduce convection by isolating the air inside the cooker from the air outside the cooker. A plastic bag or tightly sealed glass cover will trap the hot air inside. This makes it possible to reach similar temperatures on cold and windy days as on hot days.
- Greenhouse effect: Glass transmits visible light but blocks infrared thermal radiation from escaping. This amplifies the heat trapping effect.
Read more about this topic: Solar Cooker
Famous quotes containing the word principles:
“To abandon oneself to principles is really to die—and to die for an impossible love which is the contrary of love.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong.”
—Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926)
“[E]very thing is useful which contributes to fix us in the principles and practice of virtue.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)