UMS students design solar-powered cookers for use in rural areas

Aditi JustaMar 22 2010

Solar cooking is not only the simplest, most convenient way to cook food without consuming fuels, but takes care of the health quotient as well by preserving nutrients while cooking. Considering this aspect, some students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have developed 10 solar-powered cookers to cook nutritious food in an eco-friendly and cheap way. As many as 76 UMS students undertook a mini project under which they designed 10 solar cookers in the shape of boxes and panels to determine the effectiveness of the solar cooking.

ums students with solar cooker

It might interest to know that the solar cookers are made from re-cycled materials like paper, aluminum foil and cardboard. Out of these green designs, the heat-trap box really stands out. It is built using plywood and a glass panel. The working of the heat-trap box begins with the penetration of solar radiation into the glass panel and the old newspapers placed inside the container acting as an insulator to trap the heat helps in cooking food faster. The team claims that their designs cook prawns and cuttlefish in just two to three minutes, while eggs take nearly 10 minutes to cook.

Via: The Star