Making Steam With Sunlight And Solar Panels

Solar concentrators work by focusing the sun s rays on a water pipe to generate steam.

Making steam with sunlight and solar panels.

After that point 86 percent thermal energy or heat is created. The sun is significantly brighter in space as much of the solar radiation is blocked by earth s atmosphere. Large solar panel 400kw in 0 air density. One way to improve thermodynamic efficiency is to construct multi junction or tandem solar cells.

In most cases the sun s energy is converted into electricity in one of two ways. The solar ose uses arduino controlled motors to pivot the array of mirror strips at the base of the structure to track the sun automatically maintaining optimal solar concentration on the pipe. A heat transfer medium water steam molten salt or air in the receiver absorbs the thermal energy and transfers it into the steam cycle to generate superheated steam for the turbine. Solar panels should now be far more effective in space making them more like windmills are on planets.

Steam from the solar steam generator can drive an electrical generator. A solar power tower consists of an array of dual axis tracking reflectors that concentrate sunlight on a central receiver atop a tower. This mod adjusts the power output of solar panels to reflect this reality. Their diy linear fresnel reflector array collects and transforms solar energy into steam up to 250º celcius.

However researchers from the institute for research in electronics and applied physics ireap have developed a special kind of photovoltaic cell that could generate power even without sunlight. Especially in remote areas where the sun is the only source of energy if you can generate steam with solar energy it would be very useful. The advantage over the parabolic trough or fresnel collector concept is that the sunlight on the central receiver is focused to a smaller area and the heat transfer medium does not have to be piped around the large solar field. The receiver contains a heat transfer fluid which can consist of water steam or molten salt.

Or using solar thermal turbines which use the sun s heat to generate steam which then spins a turbine to produce electricity. The major drawback of solar power is that it entirely depends on the sunlight and favorable weather conditions. Optically a solar power tower is the same as a circular fresnel reflector. Mother earth news staff previous articles from mother earth news showed you how to build a low cost solar furnace frame and.

Steam is important for desalination hygiene systems and sterilization says ghasemi who led the development of the structure.