http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6616651.stm

Wow, this is amazing. I couldn't really understand what was going on until I read the whole thing, esp the graphic at the bottom. This is so easy to do. If done all over the world, I think this can supply a good 10% of the energy, maybe more.

Must see video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6610000/newsid_6617800/6617847.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm





HOW THE SOLAR TOWER WORKS

1. The solar tower is 115m (377ft) tall and surrounded by 600 steel reflectors (heliostats).
They track the sun and direct its rays to a heat exchanger (receiver) at the top of the tower
2. The receiver converts concentrated solar energy from the heliostats into steam.
3. Steam is stored in tanks and used to drive turbines that, eventually, will produce enough
electricity for up to 6,000 homes

Quote :

"From a distance, as we rounded a bend and first caught sight of it, I couldn't believe the strange structure ahead of me was actually real. A concrete tower - 40 storeys high - stood bathed in intense white light, a totally bizarre image in the depths of the Andalusian countryside. The tower looked like it was being hosed with giant sprays of water or was somehow being squirted with jets of pale gas. I had trouble working it out. In fact, as we found out when we got closer, the rays of sunlight reflected by a field of 600 huge mirrors are so intense they illuminate the water vapour and dust hanging in the air. "

[Edited on May 5, 2007 at 7:45 PM. Reason : ]

5/5/2007 7:42:58 PM

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=476081

5/5/2007 7:49:46 PM

Oh snap.

Oh well, either it can be locked, or maybe a parallel discussion can develop here (which will obviously bring in Bush, Obama, Al Gore, Osama, and Hitler).

5/5/2007 7:59:03 PM

I thought these types of plants been around for a while?

Anyway, it's one more addition to the numerous solutions popping up nowadays. gg

5/5/2007 8:07:17 PM

There are at least 3 of them, I think.

This one is named "Solar Tres" or something like that, and there's a Solar 1 in Cali, I believe.

[Edited on May 5, 2007 at 8:10 PM. Reason : ]

5/5/2007 8:08:17 PM

Instead of a bunch of independent mirrors whose angle can be adjusted by motors, I wonder if somebody could build a giant parabolic mirror with this tower in the middle. It just seems to me that this set-up would be somewhat easier and cheaper to maintain and build, since wouldn't require any moving parts or a way to continuously track the sun. And while you might have to replace sections of the mirror now and again, each section is already and permanently aligned. It'd basically work like a satellite dish; no matter where the sun strikes the parabola, its rays are always diverted to the center. Of course, there would probably be other problems to overcome, such as how to drain away any water if it rains or something, but if you're going for solar you preferably wouldn't build something like this where it's likely to rain.

[Edited on May 5, 2007 at 9:28 PM. Reason : blah]

5/5/2007 9:26:41 PM

^ That type of system would be less efficient because you'd have some parts of the mirror doing nothing at all parts of the day. With the multiple pivoting mirrors, they're all doing something all the time.

5/5/2007 9:38:14 PM

omg skin cancer!

5/5/2007 9:59:17 PM

would work well in the south where it is sunny and they could put giant crosses on the tower.

5/5/2007 10:08:19 PM

^funny, and true.

5/5/2007 10:34:52 PM

Put a giant mirror in space and the Power Station could produce electricity 24 hours a day...

5/6/2007 12:27:34 AM

we can do all this and we still can't get frikkin' sharks with laser beams on their heads...

5/6/2007 12:31:35 AM

http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/mg18925416.300.html

5/6/2007 12:37:29 AM

Quote :

"It just seems to me that this set-up would be somewhat easier and cheaper to maintain and build"

Until you think about it for half a second. Aside from how you build a giant parabolic mirror, it's much cheaper to replace and manufacture a bunch of smaller mirrors compared to a big, large one. Instead of a single point of failure, you have redundancy.

I'm glad you mentioned satellites because the same thing is true -- arrays of small dishes are replacing huge dishes because it's cheaper and more flexible. If one satellite breaks, no big deal. You can also more easily scale up an array of dishes or mirrors.

5/6/2007 12:47:15 AM

5/6/2007 1:27:36 AM

Quote :

"Until you think about it for half a second. Aside from how you build a giant parabolic mirror, it's much cheaper to replace and manufacture a bunch of smaller mirrors compared to a big, large one. Instead of a single point of failure, you have redundancy."

Well it doesn't have to literally be "one" giant mirror, the mirror could be composed of sections of paneling. So if a portion of the mirror needs servicing, you can work on that portion without having to make another gigantinormous mirror. But like moron said, a stationary set-up might not be able to collect as much light as a self-adjusting system.

And I do like the idea of a satellite-based system. It's able to gather energy 24/7, and you could even direct the energy to anywhere on the globe as needed. I don't know if such a system could be made to meet humanity's current energy needs, though.

5/6/2007 7:17:05 AM

What effect would 24 hour day-light have upon the Earth? Sure, such power stations will only be built out in the desert where clouds are not an issue, and since very little is out there turning the sun on 24/7 would have minimal impact, but local temperatures will rise, and for hundreds of miles around the station a form of twilight will set in, keeping people away and throwing off plant and animal cycles. Then again, as I think of it, these problems are piddley, if it can be built cost effectively then I think they should be allowed to do it.

Problem is, it cannot be done cost effectively; getting stuff into orbit would probably require more energy than it would ever produce.

[Edited on May 6, 2007 at 11:30 AM. Reason : .,.]

5/6/2007 11:28:33 AM

guys ive already tried this on sim city and the satellite idea will just cause fires which will spread and cause rioting

5/6/2007 11:42:10 AM

Confession:




I use coal plants in SimCity 4

5/6/2007 6:02:33 PM

^i always went to solar as soon as it was available then to fusion

5/6/2007 6:24:35 PM

^^^ hehe, ftw

5/6/2007 8:54:17 PM

I think this is the most civil and reasonable Soap Box thread I've ever read.

gg

5/6/2007 10:22:41 PM

actually, this would never fly with the tree-huggers. too many birds would be vaporized, and we can't have that, can we?

[Edited on May 8, 2007 at 12:07 AM. Reason : ]

5/8/2007 12:07:17 AM

Yeah.

Environmentalists hate solar power.

5/8/2007 12:38:32 AM

trust me. they will find a way

5/8/2007 12:43:31 AM

Yes, we anything if it means advancing the human race.

5/8/2007 1:36:35 AM

^^^^well is that better than chopping them up in huge propellers?

5/8/2007 1:31:43 PM

seriously though, back on topic.

if superman were to fly into this, he'd probably turn all hulk-like and go on a rampage from power overdose.

5/8/2007 1:54:05 PM

Couldn't he do that anyway? All he'd have to do is fly into the sun.

5/8/2007 1:59:20 PM