Solar Chula ? Some
Unanswered Questions
==============================
Today’s news-papers carry following big advertisement
from ONGC :
Design , Innovate
& Create
Solar Chula to fuel every Indian Kitchen – An initiative for Startup India
In line with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s vision to promote solar energy, all entrepreneurs, scientists and
researchers are invited to come up with innovative ideas to design and develop
“ Solar Chula “
TIME FRAME
Interested applicants may please register on or before 1st December 2017 at the below mentioned web site ( For details log on
to : https://startup.ongc.co.in
)
SUCCESSFUL INNOVATORS
On successful demonstration and testing of performance of a few units , about 1000 units may be
initially procured for demonstration in different regions
Financial support may be provided for
fabrication of 1000 units
CASH AWARDS for TOP 3
DESIGNS
1st > Rs 10 lakh
…………. 2nd > Rs 5 lakh ……………. 3rd
> Rs 3 lakh
UN-ANSWERED
QUESTIONS :
·
On the web site mentioned above , there was no “ Registration Form “ !
·
·
Nowhere on the web site , there are any SPECIFICATIONS , against which ONGC will carry out those “ Performance Tests “ to decide “ Successful Demonstration “
Eg :
For Google Lunar X-PRIZE ( of $ 30 million ) ,
its web site lays down clear / unambiguous / precise “ Specifications “ as follows :
#
SUCCESSFULLY
PLACE A SPACECRAFT ON THE MOON’S SURFACE
# TRAVEL 500 METERS
# TRANSMIT HIGH-DEFINITION
VIDEO AND IMAGES BACK TO EARTH
In total absence
of any SPECIFICATIONS , will this ( ONGC
) expensive / time – effort consuming exercise boil down to , “ It is MY word against YOURs “ ?
In India , solar chulhas have been tried extensively for over 30 years ( - and finally given up ) , due to a
total lack of understanding of the needs
of an Indian housewife !
Solar chulhas
of old consisted of nothing more than a metal box ( mostly
aluminium ) inside which , lady
of the house placed raw food ingredients in some
utensils , and then left the box on the terrace to absorb the sun light
Occasional
designs had concave metal tops for concentrating sun light
Entire process of cooking ( a small meal ) took 3 HOURS
– even if the lady kept
rotating
the box frequently as the sun climbed in the sky. Just sit on the terrace
!
And
for that evening meal , there was no sun after 6 pm !
Even 30 years ago , housewife did not have 3 HOURS
to cook a meal !
Today’s working housewife has no more than 30
MINUTES for that job – even in
rural areas !
That means , she needs a high-level CONCENTRATED burst of energy for cooking
That is why , she prefers GAS / ELECTRIC
stove. Even a kerosene stove will do !
Hence
, the SPECIFICATIONS for Solar
Chulhas would need to be :
# Chulha should be capable of cooking a meal for 4 persons ( will need to sharply
define “ MEAL “ ) , in 30 minutes ,
solely drawing its power from a SOLAR POWER
STORAGE device , which collects / stores solar power , from solar
panels mounted
on the terrace / roof top . Solar Storage Device
should have adequate storage
capacity for cooking 2 meals before needing
re-charge and should be capable of
being
re-charged from standard 210 V / 5 Amp domestic electric outlet
# Chulha should be of XYZ dimensions , for easy accommodation inside a kitchen
# Chulha should not cost more than Rs 10,000 / - to manufacture ( which would be
excluding the cost of SOLAR POWER
STORAGE device )
# ONGC will not have any IPR (
Intellectual Property Right ) for the winning designs
,
which will vest in the INNOVATOR . However , the innovator would be required to
license any party / person for the manufacture , without any licence fee /
royalty
I am sure , ONGC can come up with some better / precise
specifications – and SOON !
Those who have any
doubts as to the URGENT NEED for a Solar Chulha ,
please read :
SAVING
THE CURRENT GENERATION [ 10 Dec 2015 ]
04 Nov 2017
www.hemenparekh.in
/ blogs
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