Condensable Solar Oven

grabcad

My name is Frank Angers, and I am a student of Mr. Case's Engineering Design and Development class at Grand Haven High School in Grand Haven, Michigan.The need to cook food is the most overlooked problem facing humanity worldwide. Globally, around three billion people cook food using simple ovens and open fires. Obtaining fuel is harder than most people realize; some families spend as much money and time on fuel as food and others resort to burning dung or other unsanitary fuels, leading to four million annual deaths from respiratory illnesses. The only alternative is to use a solar oven, which has no shortage of clean fuel. However, existing designs are flimsy, expensive, or bulky and impossible to transport. An effective solution could save countless lives across the developing world by making solar ovens affordable and feasible for use day-after-day. A redesign could also serve as a portable and convenient alternative for cooking food on the move. Campers, hikers, and hunters could all benefit from a lightweight, low-profile product. This Condensable Solar Oven is the result of careful analysis and tireless effort. Featuring the unique ability to expand from a ten-inch cube for easy transportation from manufacturing and by consumers to a fully functional expanded assembly, it weighs under five pounds. The solar reflectors have been optimized to maximize the surface area of light captured without compromising on weight or size. The basin, in which food is cooked, is removable for easy cleaning. All parts are made of polycarbonate because it is heat resistant and completely food safe. The manufacturing process for the Condensable Solar Oven shall be fused deposition modeling for its ability to print large objects in polycarbonate. Three-dimensional printing is vital for this design because it will immensely reduce costs by eliminating the need for tooling; otherwise, the expense would be prohibitive for poor families. Furthermore, with the number of parts involved, prototyping is paramount. Using traditional manufacturing methods, a single error could skyrocket costs. Fused deposition modeling will put an end to that concern by making revision a simple process.