The NSU Gang Chefs
Event Location: Cocoa-FL
Competition: Solar Energy Cook-Off
Division: 3-5
School: NSU University School
Team Name: The NSU Gang
Project Name: The NSU Gang
Team Size: 3
Team Information
Picture of Featured Cooker (Parabolic Cooker) We are cooking with another oven as well, to see go to bottom
| Team Name: The NSU Gang |
| School Name: NSU University School |
| Team Members Names with grade level: Hannah L 5th , Ava B 5th, Ellie W 4th |
Historical Information about our Solar Cooker Team:
Our team won 1st place last year for our speed with our solar car “The Mystery Machine” and we represent the SHARKS!
The NSU Gang with our parabolic oven
Design Documentation
Photo of completed solar cooker
Photo of completed solar cooker with food being cooked
Photo of Completed Cooker
Photo of Completed Cooker with thermometer showing temperature
Help We Received from Others
People who have helped us:
Our parents brought us for extra sessions and helped us set up and test the oven at home, and with our second solar oven our parents helped to hammer in the nails and use gorrila glue
Our coaches helped explain the project and provide us with possible materials from our Innovation Lab. They helped us with cutting and links to websites to get us started.
Design Drawings
Design Drawing: Side View with Dimensions
Design Drawing: Front View with Dimensions
Where We Got Our Idea
With a lot of research on webpages and blogs we found a parabolic and thought “We should make a Parabolic Cooker. That is how we got our idea, and we have never regrated it!
Materials Used
| New Materials: |
| Umbrella |
| Disposable Foil Pan |
| Turkey Bag |
| Aluminum Paper |
| Clear Spray Adhesive |
| Consumables: |
| Duct Tape! |
| Sticks |
| Wooden Blocks |
| Recycled materials: |
| Recycled Cart |
Test Results
Solar Oven Test 1 – 3/16/24
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Time of Day: 1:30- 3:00
Observations of results: We cooked Fondue and got a chunky cheese material
Length of Test: 1-2 Hours
Highest Temperature Reached: 216 degrees F
Yes, next time we will let the cheese cook longer.
Solar Oven Test 2 – Date: 4/2/24
Weather Conditions: Sunnny.
Time of Day: Between 12:00 and 2:00 PM
Length of Test: 2 hours
Observations of results: The tempature got higher when we tilted the platform to face the sun directly
Highest Temperature Reached: 215
Any recommendations for improvements: what might you change about your cooker for next time?
Solar Oven Test 3 – Date: 4/3/24
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Time of Day: 11:00-1:00
Length of Test: About 2 hours
Observations of results: It got really high
Highest Temperature Reached: 215 degrees F
Any recommendations for improvements: Nothing it was really good!
Team Design Video
This is our TEAM DESGHN VIDEO!!!
Recipes
Healthy and Hungry Omelet
- Onion cut into miniture pieces
- 3 slices of turkey cut into miniature pieces
- 3 eggs
- 6 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
- 5 pieces of spinach cut into tiny pieces
- ¼ tablespoon of garlic
- ½ cup of powder milk
- Dash of Paprika and Nutmeg
- 4 servings
Cut Turkey, Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Spinach into very tiny pieces. Next, Crack 3 eggs and place in a bowl. Measure 1/4 tbsp of Garlic and place in bowl. Measure 1/2 cup of milk and dump into bowl. Add a dash of Paprika and Nutmeg. Place everything into a “7 15/16 in.x5 7/16 in.x1 13/16 in.20.1cmx13.8 cmx4.6cm” disposable foil pan and cook!
Fresh Florida Fondue
- Cooked bread to be dipped
- 1 cup of shredded of Swiss cheese
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1/4 cup of chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon of garlic
- Black pepper
- Dash of nutmeg
- Dash of paprika
- 4 servings
First, dump both Swiss and mozzarella cheese into a cup each and after measured place in Ziploc. Take 1 spoon of cornstarch and place in the Ziploc with cheese. Mix and shake the food together. Then, Get 1/4 cup of chicken broth along with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and place into a “7 15/16 in.x5 7/16 in.x1 13/16 in.20.1cmx13.8 cmx4.6cm” disposable foil pan. Take 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and place in foil pan along with 4 twists of black pepper. Lastly, Add a dash of Nutmeg and Paprika into the bowl and add the cheese and cornstarch to the foil pan! Don’t forget to dip your cooked bread into the fondue!!!
Beautiful Brazil Brigadeiro’s
- 3 Strawberrys
- Condensed Mill
- Nesquik Chocolate Powder
- 4 Tablespoons of Butter
- 3 servings
FIrst, Open the condensed milk can and dump it all into a “7 15/16 in.x5 7/16 in.x1 13/16 in.20.1cmx13.8 cmx4.6cm”disposabe foil pan. Next, add 4 tablespoons of Butter into the pan. Next add 4 tablespoons of Chocolate Nesquik powder. After 15 minutes, take it out and mix it well! Lastly, when done add a strawberry on the side for decoration (a very special ingredient)
Fresh From Florida
In our Main Dish (Omelet) We included Onion Slices, Cherry Tomatoes, Turkey, and Spinach, all FRESH from Florida.
In our Dessert (Brigadeiro) We include a Strawberry on the side, to be dipped in. Also, fresh from Florida.
| Date | Hours | Tasks / Work Done | Obstacles Encountered | Modifications to Oven | |
| 8/23 | 1 | We did a lot of research on Solar Ovens | WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND A THING | Reasearch | |
| 8/30 | 1 | Started narrowing down our choices for Ovens | To many fake websites and ovens | ||
| 9/6 | 1 | Found out how Solar Ovens worked and found which one we wanted | We know which Oven we want to do, Parabolic | ||
| 9/13 | 1 | We planned and drew sketches of how we wanted it too look like. | We couldn’t think of how it would stand up | ||
| 9/20 | 1 | Searched for matirials | TOO MANY | ||
| 9/24 | 1 | Got umbrella and started strategizing. | We have our base | ||
| 10/1 | 1 | Decided to put paper before aluminum to have thickness. | More decisions | ||
| 10/8 | 1 | Started tracing out the Construction paper and cut a few | We kept on cutting them to big or too small | Paper traced out and cut | |
| 10/15 | 1 | Finished cutting and got supplies to make the umbrella shine. | Aluminum | ||
| 10/22 | 1 | Traced out our aluminum sheets | Kept on tracing too big or small | ||
| 10/29 | 1 | Went out and glued our Construction papers on to the umbrella | Glue was hard to use | Construction paper glued onto umbrella | |
| 11/6 | 1 | Went out and glued Aluminum onto the umbrella | Aluminum got sticky | Alumnium is on the umbrella | |
| 11/15 | 1 | We found a recycled cart to use to hold the oven | had to deep clean it | Umbrella holder | |
| 11/24 | 1 | While trying to attach umbrella onto cart clicked a button that folded the umbrella and DESTROYED all of our previous work | WE HAVE TO RESTART OUR WHOLE OVEN AND START FROM SCRATCH | ||
| 11/31 | 1 | Got ourselves a new umbrella | New umbrella | ||
| 12/8 | 1 | Started measuring and decided not to add construction paper this time | Measurments | ||
| 12/15 | 1 | Traced and cut the aluminum paper to fit the umbrella | We had to redo it many times because we would trace/cut it wrong | Aluminum | |
| 12/21 | 1 | Sprayed half of the aluminum onto the umbrella | Aluminum half way glued | ||
| 12/30 | 1 | Sprayed on the other half | Aluminum FULLY glued | ||
| 1/3 | 1 | Researched about making another solar oven | realized there were bumps on the aluminum | ||
| 1/11 | 1 | Figured out how to attach to solar oven to the cart | Cart Holder complete | ||
| 1/18 | 1 | Made a pot holder for our pan | All pans were to heavy | Pot holder | |
| 1/24 | 1 | Started Researching for recipes | |||
| 1/31 | 1 | Tried out our Solar Oven, and it was a success! | Working Oven | ||
| 2/7 | 1 | I found more recipes while Ellie started ANOTHER solar oven | Starting another solar oven | ||
| 2/14 | 1 | Found an old projector with a good lens, thinking about using it. | The lens burned our hands and gave us blisters from how hot!!! | An AMAZING lens | |
| 2/21 | 1 | thought of an idea to make a double solar oven | New idea | ||
| 2/28 | 1 | Started using cardboard to make a rough draft | Kept on falling apart | rough draft | |
| 3/3 | 1 | Made a good version of the solar oven | have a solar oven | ||
| 3/5 | 1/2 | Trued the temp for the new oven, not that good | A bad temp for the oven | ||
| 3/9 | 1 | Decide to give up on the idea of that solar oven | |||
| 3/12 | 1/2 | Try thinking about recipe ideas | Recipe ideas | ||
| 3/14 | 1 | Work on webpage and research | A lot of work and not a lot of time to make the web page | Web Page | |
| 3/15 | 3 | At my house, we work on a 2nd oven | A LOT OF WORK | 2nd Oven | |
| 3/17 | 1 | Finished the 2nd oven | |||
| 3/18 | 1/2 | Test out the 2nd oven | Accidently droppped the oven | Try temp | |
| 3/18 | 1 | Work on web page and take photos | |||
| 3/19 | 1/2 | Added Photos | Web Page | ||
| 3/20 | 1 | Added the log | Some days we forgot to write about what we did | Web Page | |
| 4/1 | 1 | Drew Drawings | We had spring break and have a lot to finish in 2 DAYS!!! | Drawings | |
| 4/3 | 1 | Finished Webpage | Web Page | ||
You might be asking “What challenges did THEY have?”
When we had finished our cooker we accidently clicked a button that closed the umbrella and broke our whole parabolic!!! We had to restart from scrach and all of our work went down the drain!!! To overcome this we used all of our mistakes from last’s oven and did our best to work quicker and make WAY less mistakes this time.
This is what we thought our solar oven would look like when we started
Our Second Oven
Our second oven is a box oven. To make it, we first took 4 pieces of wood and with help from adults, glued them together with gorilla glue. At first, we tried drilling screws in, but that didn’t work so instead, we hammered in nails to give it extra hold. After that, using gorilla glue we glued some insulation to make the heat stronger and to keep the heat from escaping the box. Then, we took a piece of glass and taped it to the top of the box. We also, used duct tape to make the box stronger. Finally, we also taped insulation to the back of the box.
This is an image of our second BOX oven
Would have loved to see your umbrella solar cooker in action, but you have good sturdy design in your second one.