Beyond Solar Cookers: Modeling and Designing Concentrated Solar Power as Engineering Projects in Physics Classrooms

: Solar cookers are a favorite topic in physics education as they offer a solution to help people living in underresourced areas. The physics behind solar cookers can also be used to generate clean energy on a large scale to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel and decarbonize our economy. This article presents a free, cloud-based computer-aided design and simulation tool called Aladdin that can connect physics and engineering education using concentrated solar power as an example. As a generic modeling platform for renewable energy, Aladdin allows users to design and analyze all the four main configurations of concentrated solar power, 1) parabolic dishes, 2) parabolic troughs, 3) linear Fresnel reflectors, and 4) solar power towers, for any location in the world. As an integrated science, engineering, and computational tool that enhances scientific inquiry and engineering design with visual, interactive learning and teaching experi-ences, Aladdin supports teachers to meet the requirements of education standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards adopted by many US states.