The Design And Fabrication Of A Solar Hot Box

The designed and constructed solar hot box was able to attain a temperature of 80ºC during the month of June, when tested in Owerri, Nigeria. June, in Owerri, is the period the rain is heaviest and with consistent cloudy weather. That this temperature is achievable within the stated period revealed that the solar hot box will be capable of attaining the temperature of boiling water of 100ºC during the dry months September to February, in which case the solar device can be readily adapted for solar cooking. The designed however, when tested as a dryer for agricultural products (groundnuts) was observed to produce excellent results as groundnuts, dried with the solar devices for four days were able to sprout (germinated) when planted, indicative of the fact that the moisture content of the nuts as obtained using he solar device provided a suitable condition for groundnut planting. This establishes that amongst other uses, the solar hot box can serve as a device for agriculture post harvest preservation. Journal of Research in National Development Vol. 3 (2) 2005: pp. 96-10