Because you can never have too much tan
Posted on 09/26/2014 9:00:56 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Because you can never have too much tan
Biggish Blue boffins have come up with a way of increasing the sun's radiation by 2,000 times while also producing fresh water and air conditioning. IBM and Switzerland-based Airlight Energy today announced a new parabolic dish uses a dense array of water-cooled solar chips that can convert 80 per cent of the sun's radiation into useful energy.
Dubbed the “Concentrator PhotoVoltaics (CPV) system the gear which looks like a 33-foot-high sunflower, can generate 12 kilowatts of electrical power and 20 kilowatts of heat on a sunny day — enough to power several average homes. Bruno Michel, the project's lead scientists at IBM Research in Switzerland did not say what it would do in England and Ireland where sun is something that other countries have.
The mirrors concentrate the sun on the chips to produce electricity. Normally, the chips would ignite, since they reach temperatures of 1,500 degrees Celsius. IBM scientists are taking a page from the supercomputer playbook to keep them at a relatively cool 105 degrees with a water radiator system.
The dense array of multi-junction photovoltaic (PV) chips, mirrors and the electrical receiver are encased in a large inflated transparent plastic enclosure to protect the system from rain or hail.
And now includes the “fry birds in flight” feature at no extra charge!
33 foot tall sunflower ?
Since this is using better PVs instead of concentrator mirrors, streamers shouldn’t be an issue.
Initial reaction: Cool!
Second reaction: But how long will this technology take to be practical to the average homeowner?
Third reaction: Of course, if I wait 10 minutes, someone will come by and show why the claims are wildly exaggerated, anyway.
Fourth reaction: What’s for lunch?
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I think that the cells that can convert 30% of sunshine to electricity are pretty expensive but for this design they need only a small area. In the IBM published material they state that a price of 250$/sqm can be achieved. And the idea of recovering the heat for home use is a good one.
“The mirrors concentrate the sun on the chips”
This seems like a really cool technology. Hopefully they can solve the problems with killing birds and blinding airline pilots.
The only problem is that the enviros give them complete cover so they don’t have a lot of motivation to solve the problems.
Will it work in the polar areas like Antartica?
Cost might be alright there,...
One thing about the enviros - the elite, at lease, have a real goal of the commoners not using energy.
So, if this actually becomes a viable source of energy, even though it’s “green”, they’ll oppose it.
Roasting birds 60% faster.
I am seriously interested in a viable solar power system - I live in an area that gets lots of sun and my house has a wide unobstructed southern view, to the point where I get a LOT of free heat from the sun, whether I want to or not. :)
If they can make a system like this on a smaller scale that can be hooked into a household power and heating/cooling system, I’d love to have it. Anything that makes me less dependent on the power company makes me happier, even though cutting that connection completely isn’t particularly practical.
WOW! 40 year old technology revived.
Normally, the chips would ignite, since they reach temperatures of 1,500 degrees Celsius. IBM scientists are taking a page from the supercomputer playbook to keep them at a relatively cool 105 degrees with a water radiator system.
yup, that is pretty much how it works with these articles
“IBM scientists are taking a page from the supercomputer playbook to keep them at a relatively cool 105 degrees with a water radiator system.”
It would be nice if they could use this water radiation system to steam a small turbine, which would generate even more power.
So that thing will provide enough electricity for three homes? I’m glad they have all that barren land nearby.
Anytime you can take an inefficiency in the process and turn it into an energy source: WIN!
Like a combined cycle Natural Gas Power Turbine, waste exhaust heat use for steam power turbine.
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