German pioneers solar cooking reflectors in Mexico

A German entrepreneur is manufacturing and installing solar deflector stoves for cooking in El Sauz, Mexico.

Next Media - Schappers adopted the design of Austrian inventor Wolfgang Scheffler for the stoves. An average reflector measures eight meters square and can produce heat up to 1,020 degrees Celsius. The frame is constructed for conditions at equinox, when the sun is perpendicular to the equator. The reflector has a daily tracking device that rotates the reflector from east to west each day to follow the sun. Telescopic clamps are used to tilt the reflector according to the season.

According to Schapers, it takes US$4,000 to US$5,000 to build each deflector in Mexico. Depending on the size, it can save up to 60 liters of gas each month. Also, in addition to heat, the reflectors can also be used to produce steam. Schapers is testing other uses for the panels, including as a greenhouse, for honey production, and a system for steam baths. The deflectors are environmentally-friendly and can help poor rural neighborhoods around the world with abundant sunlight.

SOURCE:

Phys.org

http://phys.org/news/2012-12-german-solar-ovens-sunbaked-tortillas.html

Solare Bruecke.org

http://www.solare-bruecke.org/English/scheffler_e-Dateien/scheffler_e.htm

Science Direct

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X10002021