BACKGROUND INFORMATION |
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HOW I GOT THE IDEA OF A STEEL PLATE AT THE BOTTOM, WAS ONE DAY IN CLASS WE WERE READING ABOUT ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND THEIR COOKING METHODS.. THEY HAD WICKER BASKETS, AND ANIMAL SKIN POTS, SO THEY COULD NOT PUT THEM OVER THE FIRE BECAUSE THEY WOULD BURN. AS A SOLUTION THEY HEATED ROCKS IN A FIRE PIT. THEN TOOK THE HOT ROCKS OUT AND PUT THEM IN THEIR WATER FILLED WICKER AND SKIN CONTAINERS. THE ROCKS ABSORBED THE HEAT IN THE FIRE PIT AND SLOWLY RELEASED HEAT INTO THE WATER. AS THE WATER HEATED IT COOKED THE FOOD IN THE WATER. I THOUGHT THE SAME PRINCIPLE WOULD APPLY TO A STEEL PLATE. MAYBE EVEN BETTER, BECAUSE STEEL IS DENSER THAN MOST ROCK. THAT IS THAT THE STEEL PLATE WOULD HOLD HEAT LIKE THE ROCKS, AND SLOWLY RELEASE IT AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN TO KEEP COOKING THE FOOD IN A SOLAR OVEN. IN ALL OF MY RESEARCH I NEVER FOUND ANYONE WHO HAD THIS CONCEPT OF HEAT STORAGE, FOR SOLAR OVENS. I ALSO THOUGHT SOLAR OVEN RESEARCH WOULD BE A GOOD PROJECT BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE EVIRONMENTALY FRIENDLY. FOR ONE THING IT DOESN'T USE HARMFUL METHODS OF PRODUCING ELECTRICITY. IT DOESN'T EVEN USE ELECTRICITY. THOSE METHODS OFTEN CAUSE POLLUTION AND DAMAGE OUR OZONE LAYER. THIS IS A CHEAPER SOLUTION, AND WILL HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS SO EASY TO MAKE AND MAINTAIN AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD CAN DO IT. ALSO , MOST OF THE PARTS ARE RECYCLED. IN WAR TORN COUNTRIES THIS WOULD BE BENIFICIAL TO ITS INHABITANTS, WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A CHEAPER SOLUTION TO COOKING. A SOLAR OVEN PROVIDES THIS CHEAPER WAY TO COOK. FOR EXAMPLE, MOST OF THE PARTS IN A SOLAR OVEN COULD BE RECYCLED. IF EVERYONE USED A SOLAR OVEN, OR EVEN 50% OF THE POPULATION, PART OF THE TIME, IT WOULD CAUSE A LOT LESS POLLUTION AND BE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. FEWER NATURAL RESOURCES WOULD BE USED UP PRODUCING ELECTRICITY. THIS WOULD USE LESS TREES AND OTHER PRECIOUS RESOURCES. FOOD WOULD BE HEALTHIER BECAUSE MORE OF THE VITIMANS WOULD SURVIVE [IN A SOLAR COOKER,, AS OPPOSED TO AN OVEN]. MY IDEA ABOUT THE STEEL PLATE AND SHINY INTERIOR WOULD BE POSSIBLE IN MANY SOLAR OVEN DESIGNS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN ETHIOPIA THERE ARE AGENCIES EDUCATING PEOPLE TO USE SOLAR OVENS. THEY ARE VERY SHORT ON WOOD FOR COOKING FIRES. THESE AGENCIES ARE TRYING TO GET THEM TO SWITCH TO CHEAPER AND MORE ABUNDANT RESOURCES SUCH AS SOLAR. SCIENTISTS PREDICT THE SUN WILL BE HERE FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS TO COME. SOLAR TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY MAKING ADVANCEMENTS. UNLIKE WOOD WHICH IS SLOWLY DISAPEARING BEFORE OUR VERY EYES, THE SUN WILL BE HERE FOR MUCH LONGER. FOR MY PROJECT I USED THE INTERNET TO DO MY RESEARCH. I FOUND MANY USEFUL WEB SITES. I ALSO USED A FREE WEB HOSTING SERVICE TO DO MY WEB SITE. I AM ALSO LISTING RESOURCES I FOUND ON THE INTERNET WHICH MIGHT BE USEFUL TO OTHERS. I HAVE E-MAILED AGENCIES THAT MIGHT BE INTERSTED IN THIS INFORMATION AND GIVEN THEM MY URL. |