Data Collection
First Trial
In the first trial, we used the data logger to record the temperature profile of the four thermocouples in the prototype. We connected thermocouples to the diodes, the bottom of the ethryitol, the middle, and the top. We then set the solar panel connected to the diode chain in the sun and let the cooker charge for about 45 minutes. We noticed our insulation worked very well, as the exterior pot was cool to the touch, indicating little heat loss to the environment. After 45 minutes, we added 0.4 kg of water at room temperature to the cooker. We recorded the temperature profile, shown below.
Second Trial
In the second trial, we again used the data logger to record the temperature profile of the four thermocouples in the prototype. We set the solar panel connected to the diode chain in the sun and let the cooker charge for about four hours. At the end, we noticed the exterior pot was still cool to the touch, indicating little heat loss to the environment, even in this longer experiment. To test the effectiveness of our cooker, we fried two eggs. We added oil to the cooker, cracked two eggs, and waited about 10 minutes before removing the eggs. We then added water to the pot to demonstrate the heating capabilities.
