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Urvabara
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Is it possible to build a large mirror array (around 10 km²) with adjustable focal length (from 10 meters to around 400 kilometers)?
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Urvabara said:Is it possible to build a large mirror array (around 10 km²) with adjustable focal length (from 10 meters to around 400 kilometers)?
berkeman said:What's the application? Summer daytime missle defense?
berkeman said:What's the application? Summer daytime missle defense?
MATLABdude said:According to Wikipedia, the Earth receives an average of 680 W/m^2 of power from the sun. If you had a 10 km^2 array, had that average power, and could redirect 100 % of the power with no losses, you'd have 6.8 GW--forget starting fires, you could probably slag an aircraft carrier battle group with that!![]()
MATLABdude said:Back on topic, however... To the OP, have you heard of concentrated solar power?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentrated_solar_power
Urvabara said:Yes. "I" want to do things which need lots of power. "I" cannot do them without powers in the gigawatt range.
Yes, I have, but I haven't figured out, if it is easy or even plausible to adjust the focal length of that huge mirror array from a meter range to a hundred kilometers range. So, is it?
MATLABdude said:Who's "I"? Is he/she a nefarious Blofeld-esque super villain?(Just kidding!)
MATLABdude said:I'd think you can probably have some amount of variability with a heliostat design. Not sure if you can actually obtain a very good focus at the far end of the distance scale, however.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliostat
Urvabara said:It's a top secret project and the status and description of the project are classified.
Mech_Engineer said:You couldn't aim the mirror array at an aircraft carrier anyway, carriers stay hudreds of miles off the coast (beyond the horizon).
This is ridiculous as an idea for a weapon since it's stationary and easily avoided.
Urvabara said:Yes. "I" want to do things which need lots of power. "I" cannot do them without powers in the gigawatt range.
berkeman said:What's the application? Summer daytime missle defense?
A mirror array with adjustable focal length is a system of multiple mirrors that can be manipulated to change the overall focal length. This allows for a more versatile and adaptable optical system.
A mirror array with adjustable focal length has a wide range of potential applications, including in telescopes, cameras, and other optical instruments. It can also be used in laser systems for beam shaping and focusing.
A mirror array with adjustable focal length would be constructed by arranging a series of mirrors in a specific pattern, often with some type of mechanical or electronic control mechanism to adjust the angles of the mirrors.
One of the main advantages of a mirror array with adjustable focal length is its flexibility and versatility. It allows for a wider range of focal lengths, and can be easily adjusted to adapt to different imaging or focusing needs.
There are some limitations to building a mirror array with adjustable focal length. The complexity of the design and the need for precise control mechanisms can make it more challenging and expensive to construct compared to a single mirror system. Additionally, the overall performance of the system may be affected by the quality and alignment of the individual mirrors.