Another cheap solar collector-concentrator (To separate receiver from Parabolic Trough)

We know about a variety of solar heaters on the basis of mirrors, and for example, this mirror is a reflective film on the surface of a satellite dish. Now we see the sun rays which can create very high temperatures. These large solar power plants are other examples when mirrors help turn solar energy into steam for turbines that produce electricity.

Another example is my solar station where these mirrors direct sun rays into this receiver. This is another one of my solar heaters. Here we see its mirrors, and its receiver is fixed to the ground unlike this solar heater where its receiver is fixed to mirrors.

So, let's examine the features of this type of solar heaters where its receiver is fixed to the ground, and now I will quickly show one of my experiments. These are my mirrors which reflect sun rays towards this white screen, and the rays form this spot. Now I will show the movement of this spot during a day while my mirrors do not move. We will see photos that were taken during one day, but at different times which will be shown here, and this is the spot.

So, the spot moves from morning to evening, but it always hits the middle of the white screen, and I remind you that my mirrors do not move. That is why my mirrors do not need a complicated and expensive mechanism for changing their vertical angle according to the movement of the sun across the sky.

In addition, we can see that similar solar heaters have a high receiver. At the same time, these expensive solar heaters have a thin receiver, and these heaters are expensive due to the fact that it should be very precise because its spot must be a very thin line. But our equipment does not have to be precise, and therefore it has the right to be manufactured from cheap raw materials through primitive technologies which do not require large investments.

For example, these are my mirrors on the basis of cheap mylar film, and these are the materials for the manufacture of the mirrors and their frame. We can calculate that the total cost of the materials is about 5 dollars per square meter of mirror, and it is several dozen times cheaper than these mirrors and their frame. The cost of materials for one more of my devices on the basis of mirror stainless steel sheets is less than 15 dollars per square meter.

Thus, we have seen that the spot hits the middle of the white screen during the day, but this phenomenon is only possible if the screen and mirrors are located along this East-West line. At the same time, we see that the spot moves in this direction from morning to evening. That is why our system should be a long row of a large number of these sections of the mirror and receiver, similar to this my system where we see 9 sections which form a long row.

Let's look at my next experiment, and this is the spot at noon in early October. But this is the spot position 4 days later, and we see that now it is located a little higher, and after 5 days it is even higher.

Thus, the spot position is constantly rising because the height of the sun above the horizon decreases in October, while the position of my mirrors does not change. Now 1 month has already passed without changing the position of my mirrors, and we see that the spot has already risen too high, and therefore now I am changing the vertical angle of my mirrors.

This is my reminder of how I change the vertical angle of mirrors of my solar station, and we see that this is a simple and quick action.

So, let's look at the spot position after this situation, and we will see that the need for the next change in the angle of the mirrors will arise only after 3 months. Of course, the spot gradually rises day after day, but the speed of the rise becomes less. This is the highest position of the spot because now is the winter solstice. After the solstice, the spot will gradually lower because the height of the sun above the horizon begins to increase. This is the spot position in early February when I have to change the vertical angle of the mirrors, as a result of which the spot moves to this position.

This is the vertical angle of my mirrors in June and December, and I have to change the angle 10 times a year. However it can be 6 or 8 times a year if this height is greater or this distance is less.

Видео Another cheap solar collector-concentrator (To separate receiver from Parabolic Trough) канала Sergiy Yurko