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canuckinczech
Coal
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 2:03 am Post subject: fresnel + sterling + ....heliostat? |
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I am new on PO...bit nervous.
I have thoroughly enjoyed everyones comments...and applaud the amount of effort you all have made to share all your valuable knowledge with others. This site has become truely a beakon for so many who seek answers to some very difficult problems we are now facing...'nuff said.
I have been researching getting off the grid for some time now, and after all I have read (thanx to PO)...it seems like solar is to be the only fesiable answer at this stage in the game.
The fresnel lens hooked up a sterling motor...seems like a combination designed by god himself...however, why did he make the sun such a chimera. I have been playing around with a home made heliostat design...which am in the process of building, when I found this site;
http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3081628_A_quick_order_E_true
Which seems ok however...doesnt seem to follow the seasons. My question is,
"What am I missing about this combination to get all the power one could need?" |
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Gerben
Heavy Crude
Joined: Mar 07, 2007
Posts: 320
Location: Holland, United Kingdom (of the seven Netherlands)
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:04 am Post subject: Re: fresnel+sterling+....heliostat? |
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| One solar panel won't give you a lot of power. And only at daytime. |
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WisJim
Expert
Joined: Jan 03, 2005
Posts: 1159
Location: western Wisconsin
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:22 am Post subject: Re: fresnel + sterling + ....heliostat? |
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The solution to using solar generated electricity to power your home is to reduce your usage to match the amount that you generate.
As far as tracking mounts for PVs is concerned, Wattsun and Zomeworks are two of the companies that have been around quite a few years. My Zomeworks unit is over 20 years old and works fine. They do increase the energy output of your panels, but I feel that the additional cost is as much or more than just buying more panels to increase your energy output. Tracking mounts for large PV panels aren't cheap. Making a heliostat (a device that would move mirrors so that the reflection of the sun is always pointed at the same place, which could be your PV panels), would be another possibility. Redrock is a good source of info, ideas, and components for home-built systems.
A problem with concentrating collectors, fresnel lenses, etc., is that PV panels generally get less efficient as the temperature rises. |
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canuckinczech
Coal
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:39 am Post subject: Re: fresnel + sterling + ....heliostat? |
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The idea I'm after is avoid using the solar panels and just using the focusing power of the Fresnel lens directly on Stirling(...sorry mis-spelled that earlier) engine. As seen here;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fUrB7KRvxUk |
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mos6507
Fusion
Joined: Aug 03, 2007
Posts: 3131
Location: Boston Suburbs
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: fresnel + sterling + ....heliostat? |
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| canuckinczech wrote: | The idea I'm after is avoid using the solar panels and just using the focusing power of the Fresnel lens directly on Stirling(...sorry mis-spelled that earlier) engine. As seen here;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fUrB7KRvxUk |
How much space is there between you and your neighbors? I think any mechanical generator is going to run into noise issues with neighbors. PV solar will meet the least resistance in the suburbs. |
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davep
Expert
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 1205
Location: Burgundy, France
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| Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject: Re: fresnel + sterling + ....heliostat? |
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| canuckinczech wrote: | The idea I'm after is avoid using the solar panels and just using the focusing power of the Fresnel lens directly on Stirling(...sorry mis-spelled that earlier) engine. As seen here;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fUrB7KRvxUk |
As Wisjim said, try the redrock site. I bought some solar tracking units off him very cheaply. You can use them for two axis tracking, which is what you need for your setup.
Where do you intend getting a stirling engine from? Are you designing it yourself?
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All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become. - Buddha |
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oowolf
Expert
Joined: Nov 09, 2004
Posts: 1227
Location: Big Rock Candy Mountain
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