? about magnifying lens/parabolic mirrors steam turbine electric generator

In summary: Solar panels are more expensive than solar heating generators, but solar heating generators are not as expensive as the power company says. Solar heating generators are cheaper than the power company says, but solar panels are more expensive than the power company says.
  • #1
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Ok here's an idea that isn't a perpetual motion machine (it's no more perpetual than solar cells):

Using a big magnifying lens or parabolic mirrors, what are the formulas when either of them are used to evaporate water into water vapor steam to move a turbine to power an electric generator?
 
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  • #3
To get an idea of the upper limit to the power that such a device could transfer, each metre square of collecting area would capture 1kW of solar power. If you could focus the radiation to produce a nice high temperature then you could perhaps think of getting a small fraction of that in mechanical power. I have a feeling that PV cells would do better; heat engines are not the best way of transferring energy if there is alternative.
 
  • #4
Sohpie, do you know what the cost comparison is between a solar panel array and a solar heating generator producing equal power?
 
  • #5
Heating is cheap but a heat engine is not.
And the feed in tarif is good.
 
  • #6
sophiecentaur said:
Heating is cheap but a heat engine is not.
And the feed in tarif is good.

Feed in tarif?
 
  • #7
An 'in joke'. The UK government makes the electricity supply companies pay a laughably high rate for small scale feeds to the National Grid.
 
  • #8
sophiecentaur said:
An 'in joke'. The UK government makes the electricity supply companies pay a laughably high rate for small scale feeds to the National Grid.

I think the power company here does the same thing to people who want to tie their own power into the grid as well. I looked into it and it turned out that I would be paying more just in fees than I would make up for by adding enough solar power to cover 50% of my average power use.
 
  • #9
In the south UK, if you have no shadows, then you are very much in profit over several years - if the governmen its word.t keep
 

1. What is a magnifying lens and how does it work?

A magnifying lens is a convex lens that is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges. It works by bending light rays that pass through it, causing them to converge at a single point. This point is known as the focal point, and objects placed within this focal point appear larger and more magnified.

2. What is a parabolic mirror and how is it different from a regular mirror?

A parabolic mirror is a concave mirror that has a parabolic shape. Unlike a regular mirror, which reflects light rays in a straight line, a parabolic mirror reflects light rays at a single focal point. This makes it useful for focusing and magnifying light, such as in telescopes and headlights.

3. How does a steam turbine work?

A steam turbine is a machine that converts the energy from pressurized steam into mechanical work. The steam is directed onto the blades of the turbine, causing them to spin. The spinning motion is then used to turn a shaft, which drives a generator to produce electricity.

4. What is the function of an electric generator?

An electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. It works by using a magnetic field and conductors to induce a current in a circuit. This current can then be used to power electrical devices.

5. How does an electric generator produce electricity?

An electric generator uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to produce electricity. As the conductor in the generator rotates within a magnetic field, it creates an electric current. The faster the rotation, the greater the current produced. This current can then be harnessed and distributed for use.

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