solar electric

[Stealth]

Now that summer has arrived, I have started thinking more about building a solar to electric converter. I am thinking of building an enclosure out of glass, pyramid shaped, with one side solid and reflective. Inside this pyramid would be cut slits at the bottom for air circulation. The bottom would be painted black. Inside the pyramid would be copper tubing wound in a spiral shape from bottom to near top, also painted black. As the air rises, it would become superheated, but before exiting the pyramid it would pass over a coil of copper wire, and a zinc plate(thermocouple). I want to determine how much electricity can be produced in a small pyramid. The air should reach a temperature of 450-500 degrees before contacting the thermocouple. Anyone tried anything like this before. Good Luck. Stealth

[Stealth]

I have almost all my materials and I am going to start my build. I decide to change the absorption color from black to dark green(the color of nature), for a higher degree of heat absorption. Also, the only glass I have if window pane, and I don't know yet if that will stand the heat. I may have to go to tempered glass. I also have decided to add magnets at certain intervals along the copper tubing, and possibly at my thermocouple. The basic design though, is staying the same. I have always been intriqued by the pyramids of Egypt and have thought they were electric generators. There is more than one way to generate electricity. My ideas are only one of many in this type of system. If my thermocouple doesn't work as intended, I will build a small turbine to put on top of my pyramid and use it like a solar wind turbine. Good Luck. Stealth

[stevend]

Hi Stealth,
I would think that black would absorb more energy than dark green (though dark green probably wouldn't be too bad.) Black is black because it is absorbing all colors (wavelengths of light) of the visible spectrum whereas green doesn't absorb green so you end up seeing green. The energy goes to your eye instead of to heating the material.

I like the pyramid shape idea though. Since heat rises you may get a concentrating effect at the top. I hope you'll do some temperature measurements in the top and the bottom. It would be interesting to see the difference.
-Steve

[Stealth]

Before I build it,I will take two identical pieces of metal. Paint one black, and one dark green. See which one puts out more heat. I always like to do the scientific tests on all parameters of a project. Thanks for the input. Good Luck. Stealth

[TRON]

generators???

... I have always been intriqued by the pyramids of Egypt and have thought they were electric generators. There is more than one way to generate electricity. ...

GEEZ everybody knows that the pyramids were just TORNADO PROOF HOUSING !!!

[Stealth]

Yea, I guess it worked ,too. Because I don't recall of there ever being any hurricanes in the desert. Maybe I just missed something along the way. Good Luck. Stealth

[patmac]

Stealth

Very intersting topic, this type of syste can be far superior to solar cells, many days ago I was investigating this, because i'm from Colombia, so our sun is 365 days per year, is good for produce energy.

Look I've found some very good, for thermo-electric system and water purification:

YouTube - SOLAR DISTILLED WATER FRESNEL LENS WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM CLEAN DRINKING WATER Solar Distiller.

Simple but it works and so cheap. If we can heat under pressure the water and move some pistons?. Powerfull and cheap energy, of course we need to take high SAFE STANDARDS.

[Matthew Jones]

Why not just focus the light onto the hot side of the Thermocouple. Or case it in a black box and focus the light . Then shade the cold side.
I think that would give you a larger concentration of heat, and a differential or more current.
Maybe I am not undertanding how they work.

Matt

[Stealth]

You are right, but I want to place a hot air turbine on top afterwards. The thermocouple idea was just to test how much voltage I could get across the two different metals. I did a similar experiment years ago, but I have lost all my records. I will be testing different types of solar energy, if it ever stops raining. Good Luck. Stealth

[Matthew Jones]

Oh ya those hot air turbine's are neat. I like that idea alot. That might be somthing I try one day as well.
You can store heat on the bottom, as well, with asphalt or black brick. Run them well after the sun goes down.

Good luck, make sure to post.

Matt