MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND EXTERNAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF FOUNDATIONS AND CURRICULUM

STUDIES

PTM3202 : INSTRUCTION RESOURCES AND PRACTICAL

MANAGEMENT IN PHYSICS

PROJECT WORK

S/N NAME REGISTRATION SIGNATURE

NUMBER
1. MAYEGA BRIAN 19/U/18360
2. KIGULI ADILU 19/U/1100
3. MAWANDA MARVIN 19/U/1131
4. BAGAMBE 18/U/22450/PS
GONZAGA
5. WAJJA K
ALOYSIOUS
 PROJECT WRITE UP

PROJECT TITLE: MAKING A SOLAR WARMER

INTRODUCTION:
Solar energy can be used by three technological processes namely
 Heliochemical
 Heliothermal
 Helioelectrical
Our project focuses on heliothermal which basically focuses on conversion of solar energy
into thermal energy. This thermal energy can be used to do a vast of functions including
water heating and building heating.
We use a solar warner for cooking the food by using the energy radiated by the Sun. Solar
warmer works on the principle that sunlight warms the pot, which is used for cooking the
food.
Now, this warming of the pot occurs by converting light energy to heat energy.
Concave mirrors are used in these types of cookers because these mirrors reflect sunlight into
a single focal point.
Here, the mirror focuses sun rays onto a receiver such as a cooking pan.
A solar warmer lets the UV light rays in and then transforms them into longer infrared light
rays that cannot escape.
Infrared radiations have the energy to make the water, fat, and protein molecules in food
vibrate energetically and heat up.
The process by which the interaction between the light energy and the receiver material turns
light to heat is called conduction.
We can maximize this transformation by using materials that can conduct and retain the heat.

Types of Solar warmers

There are two types of solar cookers, that is:
1. Type 1 - Box Type - Heat Up
In this type of cooker, heat gets reflected by a reflector into a box, and then the heat gets
trapped by the top glass like a greenhouse effect and heats the cooking utensils.
2. Parabolic Type - Converge Heat to a Single Point
In this type, the heat converges to a  point where the cooking utensils are kept; it gets heated
up and cooks the food.
Other categories are:

a. Box warmers often called box ovens)

b. Parabolic solar warmers
c. Tube cookers
Box Type Solar warmers
The main components of box-type solar warmers are:

1. An insulating metal box painted black from the inside,

2. A glass sheet, and 
3. A reflector such as a plane mirror.

Let’s understand the working of the box-type warmer

The box is covered by a transparent glass sheet which allows the infrared rays coming from
the sun to enter the box.
The metallic box is painted from inside and acts as a black body as we know that the black
body absorbs the lights of all wavelengths.
Similarly, this box absorbs these infrared rays and heats up.    
We also know that the black body in heating up radiates all the lights of varying wavelengths
absorbed by it. This box also starts emitting the infrared rays absorbed by it. 
However, the glass sheet surrounding the box doesn’t allow the heat to go out. 
In this way, a glass sheet enables the cooker to entrap heat inside the box.
Making of Solar warmer
Let us make a box-type solar cooker for household use.
Materials Required:
1. A wooden box having a styrofoam lining inside,
2. Aluminum sheet,
3. Black paint,
4. Mirror,
5. Glass sheet,
6. Hinges,
7. Wooden lid for the box, and 
8. Containers to cook food
Construction: 
Step 1: Take a wooden box and make a box out of the aluminum sheet.
Step 2:  Paint the inner side of the aluminum box with black paint.
Step 3: Place this box inside the wooden box
Step 4: Now, fix the mirror to the lid, and with the help of the hinges, fix the lid to the
wooden box.
Step 5: Now, cover the box with a glass sheet.
Step 6: Now, to cook the food, paint the containers in which we wish to cook, and paint these
utensils with black color from outside.
Step 7: Place these containers filled with food items inside the box.
Result:
The glass sheet helps in entrapping the heat inside the box and the mirror converges the light
onto the box, heats it and the solar cooker is ready to cook the food.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar warmer
Advantages:
1. Pollution-free.
2. They don’t use fuel.
3. Solar energy is freely available.
4. Very low management cost.

Disadvantages:
1. We can use solar energy at a certain time during the day.
2. We cannot use it at night, during the rainy season, or during foggy winters.
3. It is time-consuming as compared to the normal cookers.