? about magnifying lens/parabolic mirrors steam turbine electric generator

[Newtype]

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?

 

[russ_watters]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Solar_Project

Not sure what formulas you are asking about though. What do you want to know/calculate?

 

[sophiecentaur]

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.

 

[Drakkith]

Sohpie, do you know what the cost comparison is between a solar panel array and a solar heating generator producing equal power?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Heating is cheap but a heat engine is not.
And the feed in tarif is good.

 

[Drakkith]

Heating is cheap but a heat engine is not.
And the feed in tarif is good.

Feed in tarif?

 

[sophiecentaur]

An 'in joke'. The UK government makes the electricity supply companies pay a laughably high rate for small scale feeds to the National Grid.

 

[Drakkith]

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.

 

[sophiecentaur]

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