Obtaining Energy from Stars: Grand Challenge

[InfernoSun]

What is the most effective way to obtain energy from a star? Answers may not include:

1. photovoltaics
2. mirror concentrators

since they are already well understood.

 

[Berislav]

The Penrose process. It only works for a Kerr black hole, though.

 

[wolram]

Photosynthesis

 

[SpaceTiger]

What is the most effective way to obtain energy from a star?

A Dyson sphere would seem to be one of the most effective way of gathering energy from a star without interfering with it.

 

[DaveC426913]

Please define "effective". Conversion efficiency? Budgetary? Maximium yield?

 

[InfernoSun]

"Effective" means whatever you think would work. Solutions need to be more creative though. Concepts may not include (updated):

1. photovoltaics
2. mirror concentrators
3. photosynthesis
4. Dyson spheres
5. black hole physics

... unless they are truly honest-to-god sophisticated and have a chance of working.

 

[SpaceTiger]

"Effective" means whatever you think would work. Solutions need to be more creative though.

Perhaps you should be a little bit more specific. We can't read your mind and there's nothing wrong with those things suggested so far.

 

[chroot]

(moved to the Homework Help section)

InfernoSun,

No one here is simply going to do your homework for you. We can help you if you get stuck, but simply asking us to give you "creative solutions" to pass off as your own will not likely get you much credibility here. Can you think of any solutions? We could discuss their various merits with you.

- Warren

 

[InfernoSun]

I'm a little disappointed in the responses, particularly that this thread was moved to "Homework-Grade K-12" category as it is almost certainly too advanced a subject for even university bachelors degree level.

I was hoping to see something along the lines of advanced optics: large-source fresnel diffraction plate engineering, staged coherent radiation sources, synchrotron sources, beamed energy, sub-wavelength wave manipulation, maybe even waveguides based on distantly-separated quantum-entangled optical apertures.

Nothing I've investigated can provide industrial power levels to Earth at a cost that competes with nuclear fission. Too bad considering how much energy is given off by the Sun. Enough to power millions of civilizations like ours. It's the most abundant source of energy in the universe, the most reliable, the most long-lasting, the highest capacity, and seemingly the least accessible.

Ergo, I present it as a Grand Challenge.