A big Fresnel lens focuses sunlight to make popcorn.
“Continue reading” about the recipe for popping corn with sunlight.
Actually, despite the power the corn initially just burns rather than pops. Here is the setup.
The Fresnel lens takes about 300 W of sunlight focussed to a tight spot size of 0.3 inches. The collecting area is 31 x 21 inches (48 x 75 cm) with a focal length of 31 inches.
Here the popcorn simply burns. The heat will affect only the exposed side of each kernel probably destroying the water tight outer layer. Popcorn needs even heat and “pops” at 180 C or 232 C in oil.
To get the popcorn to pop as in the first photo, I had to add oil to distribute the heat. Once that heated everything worked well. OK, so I’m no cook.
There is serious power in this high quality Fresnel lens.
It has enough power to melt brick. Brick melts at 1770 C.
In fact it melted/oxidised the aluminium can container to a thin crumbly oxide layer.
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Photo Date: Mar 2, 2013