1/4 cup (59.15mL, 45grams) of rice and 1/2 cup water (118.3mL)
Elevation: 4,501ft (1,372m)
Season: Spring (May 18th)
Time of Day: Morning
Solar Tube Orientation: 45degrees off ground, facing directly east.
Ambient Temperature: 59F (15C) in Shade,
Rice and water temperature near ambient temperature (out all night)
Start Time: 8:13am
9:00am finger over large hole gets warm vapor on it
blocked large hole with stick
9:11am too hot to hold finger over large hole long; vapor
9:15am ambient temperature: 60F (15.6C)
9:45am disturbed tube, tested rice, still slightly crunchy
10:00am rice cooked to very soft consistency
Pictures
...height of 45 grams of rice in solar tube
...height of 45 grams of rice plus 1/2 cup water...
Soft boiled rice 1h 45 minutes later.
Notice I can hold the outter tube in my hand but would burn my fingers if I put them inside the tube.
If you look closely at the rice you will see the rice at the bottom of the tube was still slightly crunchy.
...This is my fault; the rice should've have been stirred. Stirring is easy given the outside of the tube remains cool -just invert the tube a couple of times.
Solar Evacuated Tube As Backpack Solar Oven
[$15 +$20 shipping] I usually prefer technology I can create myself but I couldn't pass up testing this device given some youtube vids on the temperatures it could reach.
Yes, I realize the maximum concentration for my reflector to reflect onto the tube would be horizontal which is how I will use it next time.
This was a quick test to verify the tube worked and wasn't broken during shipping (or manufacturing). I poured about a cup of water into the tube.
Orientation: 35 degree from ground facing West as the sunset at base of Rockies
Time of Day: 4:10pm, mid-May
Length of Test: 30 minutes
Ambient Temperature: 70F
Begining Temperature: um, my digital laser thermometer is a 10 hour drive away so I can only say the water was cool to the touch.
Ending Temperature: To my hand, the water was as hot as the water out of a hot water tap (hot enough to do dishes in but not near boiling). A little hotter and I wouldn't pour it into my hand.
Next post, I will cook rice or rolled oats and carefully measure the amount of water I place into the tube. I'll also record the volume of the quantity of grain to be boiled. I will also seal the largest hole in the rubber stopper to speed up boiling times (no worries, there is another 1/16th hole also in the rubber stopper).
