CONSTRUCTION OF A SOLAR FURNACE

Albert Tarancón, Víctor Izquierdo and Teresa Andreu, Department of Advanced Materials for Energy, Energy Research Institute of Catalonia (IREC)

CONTEXT

A large part of the demand for energy is covered by fossil fuels. Getting into the habit of using energy efficiently is a key component for improving air quality. We can build solar furnaces that capture solar radiation and re-use energy.

OBJECTIVES

Making use of the potential of sunlight as an accessible energy source for creating heat.

MATERIALS

Two cardboard boxes, around 50 x 50 x 25cm (one must be able to fit inside the other)
Flat cardboard (10cm larger than the bigger box, e.g. 60 x 60cm)
A glass panel or plexiglass that is a little larger than the bigger box (e.g. 55 x 55 cm)
A roll of aluminium foil
A pot of black paint (non-toxic)
A pot of white paint
Wide adhesive tape
Old newspapers
Around 30cm of thick wire (this can be a coat hanger, for example)
A small, dark pot (it must fit inside the small box), preferably with a transparent lid
An oven thermometer
A hair dryer

STEPS TO FOLLOW

PAINT the inside of the small box with black paint and let it dry.

FIT IT inside the large box, using old newspapers as a kind of cushion and thermal insulator inside.

PLACE the glass (or plexiglass) on top of the large box to cover it.

COVER one side of the flat cardboard with aluminium foil and attach it with glue. This cardboard will be used as a folding cover for the solar receptacle (attached with a kind of joint made from wide adhesive tape).

USE the piece of wire to keep this cover open with the reflective side facing the receptacle.

INTRODUCE the thermometer and the pot filled with water into the small box. Cover with the glass, position the reflector and wait.

TAKE DOWN the temperature data for inside the receptacle every 15-20 minutes.

MEASURE the time taken for the water to boil.

DATA TO COLLECT

WHERE HAS THE DATA BEEN COLLECTED?

WAS IT SUNNY, CLOUDY OR PARTIALLY CLOUDY?

TEMPERATURE (CÂº)

TIME TAKEN TO BOIL(per 20cl of water)

Send us your temperature curve and the day when you took the measurements so that we can compare the experiments carried out on sunny days and cloudy days. We will calculate the solar energy that we have been able to capture. Potentially, we could turn this into electric energy.

PHOTO OF SOLAR FURNANCE

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