A team of MIT students recently tested a prototype of the "most cost-efficient solar-power system in the world."
Steam produced by dish exits hose.
They say it is simple, small, lightweight, made of parts that are cheap and available anywhere, and can melt steel bars. It can be built by nearly anyone.
Board ignites within seconds in collector's focal point.
Its inventor, Doug Wood says, "This is actually the most efficient solar collector in existence."
The collector is expected to be used later in large arrays, and hopefully help revolutionize global energy production.
JC Garrett is a freelance writer and Constitutional scholar from the piney-woods of East Texas. He apologizes to the entire world that the great Lone Star State could have produced the neo-Neanderthal currently occupying the Oval Office.
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so let me see, i can use this collector to boil water, which will power a small steam engine, that will produce electricity, that will be used to hydrolyze water and then I can use the H2 to power my nissen. brilliant!!
by
Levon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 28 comments)
on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 2:05:55 PM
The patents were given to MIT by the inventor. Spencer Ahrens and the MIT team have formed a company to market and sell the contraptions. The company he and his teammates have founded, RawSolar, will soon mass-produce such dishes, which he envisions being set up in huge arrays.
From the site:
"We are in process of developing a product for individuals. However due to resource limitations, we cannot offer dishes to residential customers. However, if you would like to join our waitlist, please fill out this form: Residential Customer Form. We will notify you when a residential product becomes available."
by
JC Garrett (34 articles, 49 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 456 comments)
on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 9:34:52 PM
As pictured, it is a bird and insect extinction device
Look at the picture above of the wood catching fire. Imagine birds that would be attracted to the focal point as a nice "perch", or bees and other insects flying close to investigate it.
What would happen to them?
The designers need to sacrifice some efficiency by adding a very large globe shaped translucent barrier to keep birds and insects away from the focal point that they say can "melt steel".
by
csnet (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 74 comments)
on Friday, July 11, 2008 at 12:33:39 AM
I remember starting fires with a magnifying glass. This is just a reversed magnifying glass focusing solar energy into a point using basic SATCOM dish focal point technology. Easy to build yes, but you must track the sun with a solar tracking unit (NOT CHEAP).
Still not cheaper than regular flat panel solar colecting units.
by
Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 544 comments)
on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 3:50:08 AM
I remember starting fires with a magnifying glass. This is just a reversed magnifying glass focusing solar energy into a point using basic SATCOM dish focal point technology. Easy to build yes, but you must track the sun with a solar tracking unit (NOT CHEAP).
Still not cheaper than regular flat panel solar colecting units.
by
Gallaher (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 544 comments)
on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 3:50:14 AM
