Invitation to Presentation by SMK Batu Kawa 80425

SMK Batu Kawa invites us to present a seminar on our solar cookers to their students in the upper secondary school, tomorrow (30 April 2008). The event is held at their school hall (Dewam Semerbak) at Jaln Field Force, Off Jalan Batu Kawa, Kuching between 2:00pm- 3:00pm.

There will be three speakers: Allen Liew, Andrew Tan and CM Tan. The seminar will focus on the benefits and importance of using environmental friendly technologies and renewable energy to save the earth.

Apart from slides presentations and talks, there will be a demo on the cookers to cook food. Preparation on the demo will start at 12:00noon. Below is the letter (in Bahasa Malaysia) of invitation from the school.

Solar Cookers Feature Part B- See Hua Daily 21 April 08

能源 Vs 研發(上)

研發太陽能替代能源

先進國晉入白熱化

報導:郭良

空前的“能源危機”與化石能源所導致的“溫室災難”兩大難題，目前正困擾世界人類的生機。

在能源危機方面，目前已知的全部石油儲量將在2054年耗盡；至於全球溫室災難情勢，則是溫室效應正逐漸加劇，冰山融化、海面升高和氣候變遷的結果，導致災難頻傳。

石油日趨枯竭

根據一項世界性能源統計資料顯示，在技術與成本的限制下，預估世界石油蘊藏量只可再開採40年，天然氣可開採62年，煤炭可開採227年，而核能發電的燃料源自鈾礦，預估尚可開採77年，惟考慮用過之核燃料回收再處理後重複運用，則其使用年數可增加50倍， 約可達3800多年。從此權威性報告中顯示，全世界依賴最深的主要能源－石油及天然氣，在21世紀的前半，就將日趨枯竭。

1970 年代，世界連續掀起兩次能源危機，造成全球性的經濟衰退，西方世界甚至出現所謂“失落的十年”階段，對人類發展產生重大的衝擊與變化。其中最明顯的，就是節約能源概念在生活中落實，能源教育的工作也在此時全球性、大規模的開展。

在舉世都在勵行節約能源工作，美國政府要求電器廠商強化家電的效率，特別是冰箱，汽車廠商也開始思考汽油便宜時從未想過的省油車種；一向注重外觀、講求穿著禮儀的日本，在第二次能源危機時，也由當時的首相大平正芳帶領政府官員，穿著“短袖西裝”在正式場合露面，引起一陣喧騰。

未來可替代的能源

很多學者認為，世界能源危機的主要原因是石油價格過於便宜，以致於使世界對其產生了過度的依賴性而迅速消耗殆盡，他們主張減少對化石燃料的依賴，增加研究經費用於對能源/燃料替代用品的研究，目前主要的替代能源有燃料電池、甲醇、生物能、太陽能、潮汐能和風能等。但是迄今為止只有水力發電和核能有明顯的功效。

太陽能替代能源的研發，目前在世界先進國已晉入白熱化階段，其中許多家庭電器用品及汽車，己開始進入太陽能的發明，其中最為成功與受落的就是太陽能熱水系統及太陽能家用熱水器，目前在中國、台灣、日本及歐美國家等溫帶國家在這方面的成就，遠超其他太陽能電器的開發與生產，不過，太陽能汽車的研發目前也正處於試驗性階段，這一切可說是人類研發太陽能替代能源的一大卓越成就，甚令世人對能源危機的困境中找到另一轉機，而充滿信心。

太陽能解救能源危機？

國太陽能協會熱利用專業委員會秘書長羅振濤曾堅決認為，獨有的中國熱水解決方案與能源危機，以及對再生能源的積極推動，將便人類快速地躍入“太陽能解救能源危機”的公眾視野之中。這顯示了人類對於太陽能電器的研發充滿了樂觀的憧憬、期望及信心滿滿。

與其他家庭電器完全不一樣，太陽能電器的研發，它不是消耗品，而是能源生產設備。從這個意義上而言，如果說能源危機加速了人類對太陽能這個節能環保的電器的影響力，那么這研發太陽能電器的非凡遠見卓識將引領和成就這個行業的發展，推動著再生能源向常規能源的替代。

馬來西亞太空人雖然在俄羅斯人的打造下，已成功完成登上月球的歷史性使命，但在拯救能源危機、研發再生能源等等的重大任務或成就上，依然是“掛零”。

雖是如此，令人欣喜與雀躍的是，砂拉越古晉卻有這麼一名熱血青年醉心於太陽能家庭電器的研發工作，且取得不俗的成就，並可公開地展示其研發結晶品，示範有關產品的功效與實用價值，但目前正處於改良與改進階段，尚未將有關研發心得“產品”加以商業化及普及化。

太陽爐研發的前景

這名來自古晉的電氣與通迅工程師劉天河和一班好友，就興趣及熱忱於太陽能科技的研發，他們自2007開始就進行這項研究工作。經過多次反覆的實驗，證實了太陽能烤爐的概念，在本地不但可行，更具有實質潛能。

最難能可貴的發現是，在炎熱的天氣下,太陽能烤爐烹煮的速度，大可比美傳統電或煤氣爐。由於太陽烤爐是採用放射性的方法來增溫, 因此，太陽爐煮熟的食物口感特別好, 更保留食物的原汁原味和營養。更況太陽烤爐煮食更不必擔心食物燒焦。

根據劉天河表示，太陽烤爐研發，它並不是一種能源消耗品，而是一項環保工具。因為它吸納太陽的光能, 經過反射及保溫的程序把光能變成熱能，供烹煮烘烤之用。

“其實，太陽能烤爐概念始源於美國, 且在中國、印度及非洲獲得迅速發展。在東南亞, 太陽烤爐在印度支那國家，如越南和柬埔寨等國家開始普遍使用，並于2005年由德國的非政府組織帶至鄰國印尼的亞齊進行試驗使用皆段。”

環保的工具

劉氏強調，太陽爐的操作完全依靠太陽光能，而不須依賴其他化石能源如石油或木材，因此在環保概念下，它是一項高明的環保科技。

談及它的開發價值，劉天河指出，太陽爐有多項好處，其中最主要的是，它屬於低投資，沒有營運開銷，低保養且具環保功能。

他也解釋稱，在發達國家,使用太陽爐乃因為環保需求因素使然，但在發展中國家,使用太陽爐多基於缺乏烹煮能源的因素。因此，太陽爐的使用在不同水準國家有其不同的深遠意義。

在砂拉越內陸地區，基於高昂的運輸費，再加上近年來原油價格飆升，導致汽油、煤氣及天然氣能源價格的高企不下，因此利用太陽爐煮食是一項很有利及具潛能的替代品。

太陽爐與太陽電能的差異

根據劉天河解釋，太陽爐與太陽電能，有巨大的的差異，完全是兩項不同原理、簡直是兩碼事。

“太陽爐是利用太陽的原始能量來煮食，因此, 替換損失不但非常低，而效力卻非常高。”

利用太陽原始能量直接的加溫，將烤爐充熱，並把食物煮熟。然而，太陽電能必須是經光電的轉換過程(PV)來發電。在這個過程中，也需要電力的使用與耗費。因此，該兩項技術與原理完全迂迴不同的。

太陽爐與鄉村電供計劃

在鄉區電供計劃下，政府必須花費龐大的基本設施建設，例如將交流電電纜伸延至偏遠的鄉區, 以便為鄉區居民提供電流，解決他們的照明需要。然而,，甚少鄉區居民甚少使用電能的炊具來烹煮，因為這不但是因為電流配額有限，不足於讓他們利用電能炊具，充作烹煮之用，與此同時，高昂的電費也非一般家庭所能負擔得起的。

隨著太陽爐的研發，不但可以解決鄉區村民所面對汽油、煤氣及天然氣的高昂運輸費，更可減少對環境的污染，尤其是溫室效應的影響，同時也可減低對木材燃料及傳統能源，如石油、煤礦的依賴，從可減低能源危機的禍害。

(此文發表於2008年4月21日詩華日報)

Solar Cookers Feature Part A- See Hua Daily 19 April 08

能源 Vs 研發(下)

太陽能產品

解救人類能源危機？

報導:郭良

使用免費的再生能源，乃是從事太陽能研發者的最大共同點，更是他們共同的目標。

在這種願景之下，這些太陽能產品鄉發明家的嘔心瀝血之作，肯定是解救人類面對能源危機的“使者”，令人敬仰欽服。

積極從事太陽爐研發的電氣與通迅工程師劉天河受訪時毫不諱言地強調，使用太陽爐，不但可以讓人類減少入林砍柴取火，更可避免對森林的破壞，而引起“發溫室災難”之後果。

根據報告顯示，世界每年有超過350萬立方米的森林被野火燒毀或被砍伐，若以目前這項消耗量來估計，尼日利亞的森林將在2020年時完全被摧毀，這無非是非常可怕的預測，對整個人類而言，不能不被視為一種生存危機。

然而，太陽平均每天向地面放射每平方米1千瓦的能量。這種能源，為人類提供了研發太陽能替代品的有利條件及潛能。

他指出，根據聯合國發展計劃的研究報告，預計超過70%的世界木材消費可以被利用充作再生能源，其中就如太陽能來取代這些天然資源的消耗。

太陽爐的操作

談及他所研發的太陽爐之操作，劉天河解釋說，太陽爐是本著太陽熱能的原理來操作。它是採用太陽的能量使器皿增溫，器皿中的食物，會隨著溫度的加升而被煮熟。

太陽能量可以使用各種不同型的反射器來集合能量，其中包括了漏斗(funnel)型狀、碟型甚是一片有斜度的金屬片。同時，集合器可以用紙箱片，三夾板等，甚至經打磨的金屬片或鏡片製成。

他說，太陽能是通過調動反射板，經過折射把陽光集中到焦點，本位於赤道以南4度，太陽位於我們的上空，反射片雖然有利於集中熱能，但往往可以不必使用它，就能獲得所需的熱量促使食物獲得加熱而熟透。

太陽的熱量必須被儲存與收集起來，才能催化太陽爐的煮食功效。一般而言，黑色物體是最佳的吸熱體，因此，黑色体器皿或塗黑的器皿是最實合用於太陽爐。

此外，靜態空氣也有助於保溫，基於此，太陽爐可以用一片玻璃，甚至塑料袋子加以遮蓋，以加強其保溫功能。

太陽爐的用處

太陽爐已在世界多個國家或地區被廣泛使用。尤其是美國人更大力推薦太陽爐的使用。不過，太陽爐的研發，卻使到北非人從中受益菲淺，也是太陽爐最多的使用者，受惠最大。

劉天河也宣稱，太陽爐也在中東地區及印度被普遍使用。此外 ，我們的鄰國如越南及印尼，都是這些太陽爐的使用者。在越南，通過Solarserver組織，已興建了一座工廠來制造太陽爐，並將以成本價來分配予鄉村的貧窮村民。

太陽爐的種類

太陽爐可分成3大種類，即是箱型爐、儀表型爐以及半圓體爐。每一種類都是其好處及弱點。

劉氏指出，箱型爐的構造非常簡單。它可由兩個不同尺寸的紙板箱來組成。較小的紙箱需放入較大的紙箱內，以形成一個雙層絕緣空間。內部的爐會有反光紙，如同廚房內的錫箔，做為反射鏡。在其上部裝上一片玻璃，可以是雙滑面，讓陽光能擴散，不過要避免熱能走失。

箱型太陽爐是美國最常用的模型。從實驗中，劉天河也發現，箱型太陽爐並無法達到預期的效果。它無法制造出足夠的熱能來烹煮食物。

儀板型太陽爐或漏斗型爐，是比箱型爐更大的體積，而且其構造也較複雜。然而，經過初步計算，儀板型爐可輕易使用模板來重新制造。它是擁有一個烹煮空間，是使用夾板或紙箱制作而成。烹煮空間的內壁也是置放反光紙（如錫箔）。一個儀板或漏斗型爐可擁有一個以上的反射鏡。

半圓體太陽爐的制造卻有一定的難度。這種太陽爐將太陽能源聚集在一個焦點區，即爐的表面。這半圓體太陽爐可制造出強烈的熱能來烹煮，並可以用來煎炸食物及烘焙糕點。然而，這種的太陽爐之反光鏡是相當刺眼，是需要使用有效的護眼器，才能使用它來烹煮。

半圓體太陽爐很難用手工來制造。因為很難靠手工制造出精確的半圓體之緣故。

實驗成果的驗收

以劉天河為首的實驗隊伍，在其輾轉的實驗過程中，也制造了數種不同類型的太陽爐，以實驗是否可在砂州長久使用。

為了方便鑒定及說明，所有太陽爐都稱為“SIAP”，即太陽能作用儀板（Solar In Action Panel）。這些太陽爐可在晴朗天氣時，達到攝氏120度的溫度。

這太陽爐也用來烹煮各種的食物。這些食物包括了熱狗（香腸）、雞蛋及蛋糕。未敲開蛋殼的雞蛋可在太陽爐內的被煮開的水中，需要大約1個小時才能煮熟4粒雞蛋。

另一方面，太陽爐也可用來蒸蛋。這就必須將雞蛋去殼及放在一個碟上，再放入太陽爐內，不過，要蒸熟2粒雞蛋則需要大約40分鐘。

太陽爐也可用來烘蛋糕。在實驗中，一粒直徑8吋及2吋厚的蛋糕，需用1小時才能完成。

太陽爐具可行性

該隊伍目前已在古晉實驗了5種不同的太陽爐。其結果也證明了太陽爐不但可行，更是傳統煮食炊具的另一項選擇。

其中，漏斗型太陽爐是5種類型太陽爐中表現及實際效用最佳的一種研發產品。因此，這太陽爐可重新再設計及加以改良，使它能在晴天時能迅速加熱，而達致煮食炊具之的目。

漏斗型太陽爐已證實可在熱能空間內良好操作，就如傳統爐灶的蒸與煮方式。實驗也證明了它可用來煮飯、煮雞蛋、蒸蛋糕及烘香腸。當然，這些太陽爐都可用來烹煮其他亞洲風味美食，如同我們傳統的煤氣、電爐或柴爐一般具有實際炊具功效。

太陽爐的成本

根據估計，一個太陽爐的成本大約需300令吉。一旦它能大量地生產，其成本就會更低廉。太陽爐是不需要任何操作費，它也不會消耗任何能源。太陽爐不需要太多的維修及保養，而其零件都可隨處尋獲，甚至就地取料，其經濟價值非常符合當今人人必身体力行的環保效益。

太陽爐有能力替代其他住家的烹煮食物方式，如加熱、煮開水、蒸、炸、烘等。

它也可用在農場上，讓農夫烹煮午餐。使用太陽爐是不需要有人看守，它是不會因超時而讓食物燒焦的。

太陽爐也可將普通的水變成安全食用的飲水。例如一壺未煮開的水可置放在太陽爐內，再設置巴氏殺菌溫度指標器；該指標器將指示有關殺菌程序是否已完成。如果已完成，該水就可貯藏及使用，而如果有關程序未完成，還可再重覆使用，直至完成殺茵。

期待政府資助開發

此外，太陽爐也可用在救災行動上。一旦在災難現場的基本設施被中斷，資源及燃料缺乏之際，那太陽爐就可輕易達到某些基本需求，特別是在煮水及煮食方面的利便。

太陽爐也可用在學府的教育方面，可成為一項工具，來教育學生有關宇宙大自然的奧妙以及保護地球及其資源的重要。

基於上述種種，本州應在這方面進行研究及提倡使用太陽爐。

劉天河懇切希望人民代議士、部長、相關部門及組織能提供協助或資助及大事宣傳這類太陽爐的研發，確使這些發明品能被大事制造生產，以充作我國政府與人民致力於解救能源危機方面貢獻一份棉力。

(此文刊於2008年4月19日詩華日報)

Borneo Post 13 April 2008- Harnessing Solar Power for Cooking

Harnessing solar power for cooking
Posted By rajlira On 13th April 2008 @ 10:00 In TheSundayPost

GAZING at the blue sky, he thinks of applying solar power to apparatus that may help conserve vital natural resources. He is neither an environmentalist nor an inventor but his interests in using new technologies to preserve the Earth’s depleting resources havedriven him to start working on various types of solar cookers for preparing foods.

Electrical and telecommunications engineer Allen Liew says solar cookers work almost or just as fast as conventional gas or electrical stoves,depending on weather conditions. Over the years, he and his friends have been showing keen interests in “solar” cooking — a technology utilising the “native form of energy” from the sun and has been broadly favoured in several countries following heightened environmental awareness and acute scarcity of cooking fuel.

Last year, at long last, he came up with a few models. “Solar cookers work by harnessing energy from the sun in the form of light diverted to and trapped in a targetted spot to heat food,” he told
thesundaypost. According to him, solar thermal principles are used in making solar cookers — the solar energy is trapped to heat utensils and cook the food inside.

He explains that on reaching the Earth, solar radiation produces about one kilowatt per metre square … which is why a laboratory magnifying glass is able to generate enough solar energy to set a piece of paper on fire. “Solar rays may be collected by a funnel or a parabolic or a sheet of slender plate collector. The collector may be made of cardboard or plywood coated with a tinted reflec-tive sheet such as kitchen aluminum foil. Polished metal sheets or mirrors can also be used.”

Liew says solar energy is directed to the target by adjusting the angle of the reflector, adding that in Sarawak, situated almost right at the Equator, reflectors are not necessary. “Solar heat must be trapped. This is most effectively done by using a black object or a blackened surface. It’s equally important to provide an air insulator outside the cooking utensil to prevent the loss of heat.”

The Americans and North Africans are active promoters of solar cookers and major beneficiaries of this technology, he adds. Solar cookers are also widely used in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent while Vietnam and Indonesia have also adopted the technology, he reveals.

According to Liew, through the perseverance of the Solarserver Organisation in Vietnam, a factory has been set up there to make solar cookers for the rural poor at cost. He says solar cooking, offering benefits like low upfront investments, no running costs, little mainte-nance and environmental friendliness, canbe a beneficial alternative for Sarawak in view of soaring living costs.

“There are little conversion losses against solar electricity and solar cooking can be very efficient. Solar power is used as a primary form of energy to heat the cooker and cook the food. “Furthermore, due to the nature of the heat in a solar cooker, food cooked in it tastes better and much nutrition can be retained,” he says, adding that the cooker can be left unattended because it will not burn.

He believes solar cookers can be significant labour-saving devices for interior Sarawak since they dispense with the time-consuming need to collect firewood from the jungle or transporting fuel from urban centres. Although there is the rural electrification scheme (RES) connecting grid electrical power to the rural resettlements, he notes that the people there do not use electricity to cook.

He reckons the electricity capacity in these settlements, allocated mainly for lighting, is not sufficient to fire up electric ovens or cookers. He also points out it is more expensive for RES participants to cook with electric cookers because they use a lot of power. “The high electricity bill can be a financial burden to the rural folks with low spending power. Thus, solar cookers can be a solution.”

Liew says solar cookers may be classified into three types — box cookers, panel cookers and parabolic cookers — with their own strengths and weaknesses. Box cookers — the simplest version — can be made with two cardboard boxes of different size. The smaller box should be put inside the bigger one to form a double insulated chamber.

“The inside of the cooker is lined with a reflective sheet like a kitchen aluminum foil to act as a reflector, and topped with a piece of double-glazed glass to allow the diffusion of sunlight but prevent the heat from escaping.” Liew adds that box cookers, which cannot generate enough heat, do not produce good results despite being the most used in the US. On the other hand, panel cookers or funnel cookers, though bigger and more complicated to construct, can have one or more reflectors and they appear to be the best performer of the lot.

According to Liew, funnel cookers consist of a cooker chamber made of plywood or cardboard, and the inner chamber wall is also lined with a reflective sheet. “Solar cookers are so designed that they can heat up immediately when the sky is clear. Funnel cookers work well because their heating chambers work in the same way as the steaming and boiling methods used in conventional stoves.”

He says parabolic cookers which focus solar energy onto a particular area, can produce intense heat to the cooking surface, thus making it possible to fry food and bake confectionery However, the reflectors can be rather glaring and one must avoid using this type of cooker without effective eye protection, he cautions. For identification, he adds, these cookers are named Solar In Actions Panel (SIAP) and they can heat up to about 120 degrees on sunny days. He discloses it takes around one hour to boil four eggs and 40 minutes to steam two eggs using these cookers.
“Solar cookers can also be used to bake cakes. In an experiment, an eight by two inch cake took about an hour to bake. These cookers can also be used to prepare many other Asian cuisine.”

About RM300 each, the solar cookers will cost less when produced in reasonable quantity, Liew says. “Solar cookers do not incur any running costs and there are no consumable parts. They also require low maintenance and spare parts are available locally.” Apart from cooking, solar cookers can be used to warm up food as they will not burn the food inside.

“For example, farmers can place a solar cooker in their hut near the paddy field … just leave it there to keep the food warm. “Also, solar cookers can work as a pasteuriser to make water safe for consumption,” he suggests. Pasteurisation is a process in which harmful micro organisms are destroyed without major chang es to the water chemistry. Alternatively, they can be used in disaster relief operations when basic amenities might be cut off or resources and cooking fuel could be scarce. In the US, he says, the people use their solar cookers for three to four hours during summer.

“In Sarawak, the weather is quite unpredictable and may reduce energy storage. I don’t claim my solar cookers to be established products yet — they are still prototypes.” Asked whether he will patent his solar cookers, he says: “I don’t think I can and I don’t intend to. There may be too many red tapes involved.”

Liew reveals an elected representative has shown keen interest in his cookers and requested him to build a prototype for testing. “I’m still working on it and hoping the government, through this YB, can provide funding for studies so that we can come up with a proper product.” He also suggests higher learning institutions such as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) play a bigger role in research and development by contributing ideas. “I read in the papers that Unimas students have done something similar. If the government can assist with funding, we will work on it and report back to the government.”

Liew says completed prototypes — at least 30 to 50 units — can be used in pilot projects in the remote areas and the data collected can be used to make the final product.

Article printed from The Borneo Post Online: http://www.theborneopost.com
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SIAPv5.3.1 Experiment on 5 April 2008

Today, Solar Cooker SIAPv5.3.1 was tested by boiling 4 chicken eggs. Starting at 10:30 am, SIAPv5.3.1 was put in place, on top of a rack with the 4 reflectors opened into position. The eggs were placed inside the blacken pot on top of a thin tissue paper cushion, which in turn was placed inside the cooker chamber of SIAPv5.3.1. It was determined to boil the eggs without water!

The whether was bright and clear, a perfect whether for solar cooking. Though there was a couple of minute when the cloud has overcastted, it did not affect the overall cooking process. The highest temperature registered by the two thermometer, one was spirit-tube type while the other was barometric type, was consistent ie 125 deg C.

By about 1:00pm, the cooker was opened and the eggs were inspected. It was found that the 4 chicken eggs were well cooked. The eggs were opened and later consumed. Pictures were taken for record and future reference.

Pictures of SIAPv5.3.1 on 5 April 08

TITLE OF PAPER: SOLAR COOKING- A GIFT OF THE SUN

Ir. Liew, Than Ho Allen

PEng, MIEM, MEng, BSc.

Kuching, Sarawak 93250, Malaysia

Email: solarists@gmail.com

Abstract

Solar cooking is a method of cooking using the energy from the sun directly. It works by collecting the energy from the sun in the form of light, divert it to the spot of interest and trap it to heat the food. There are many advantages in solar cooking; amongst them are low upfront investment, not running cost, little maintenance and best of all, environmentally friendly.

Solar cooking is widely practiced in many places around the globe, both the developed and underdeveloped countries. In developed countries, they are used mainly due to environmental consciousness; while in the under developed countries they are used due to the acute needs against the scarcity of cooking fuel. In interior Sarawak, where the transportation cost of fuel is high, solar cooking can be one or the only solution.

The results of my experiments carried out in Kuching recently proof that solar cooking is not only possible, indeed very encouraging. In sunny days, my solar cooker could cook food almost just as fast as conventional gas or electrical stoves. Further, due to the nature of radiated heat in a solar cooker, food cooked in a solar cooker taste better and much nutrient can be retained. In addition, cooking food in a solar cooker can be unattended, as it will not burn.

It is my hope that the relevant ministries, departments and organizations could support and emphasize researches into solar cooking in the State. Further researches are required to ensure best adoption and adaptation of solar cookers for the State, so that it could benefits the people as well as play our part in conserving the earth.