Making Steam With Sunlight And Solar Panels

One way to improve thermodynamic efficiency is to construct multi junction or tandem solar cells.

Making steam with sunlight and solar panels.

The way photons interact with solar cells they can only generate electricity from the sun s energy up to a certain point. 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. The receiver contains a heat transfer fluid which can consist of water steam or molten salt. 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.

Using photovoltaic cells which turn the sun s light into electricity using a semiconductor material that absorbs photons and releases electrons. This mod adjusts the power output of solar panels to reflect this reality. In most cases the sun s energy is converted into electricity in one of two ways. The sun is significantly brighter in space as much of the solar radiation is blocked by earth s atmosphere.

Solar concentrators work by focusing the sun s rays on a water pipe to generate steam. Solar panels should now be far more effective in space making them more like windmills are on planets. A solar power tower consists of an array of dual axis tracking reflectors that concentrate sunlight on a central receiver atop a tower. Or using solar thermal turbines which use the sun s heat to generate steam which then spins a turbine to produce electricity.

After that point 86 percent thermal energy or heat is created. 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. 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. Their diy linear fresnel reflector array collects and transforms solar energy into steam up to 250º celcius. Mother earth news staff previous articles from mother earth news showed you how to build a low cost solar furnace frame and. Large solar panel 400kw in 0 air density.

Steam from the solar steam generator can drive an electrical generator.