Your Good Ideas, Designs, Inventions - Tell Us About Them

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by shiney, Nov 22, 2020.

  1. CanadianLori

    CanadianLori Total Gardener

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    The one I saw worked by tilting the panels rather than rotating fixed panels. When the sun was overhead, it flattened to catch rays as directly as possible. The panels were on poles, well, sorta poles and the mounting bracket at the top reminded me of a ball joint that could swivel in all directions. Just like sunflowers. :)

    My sun oven has an adjustable back leg to tilt but it has to be manually adjusted the same as the direction it faces. Gets to about 365f with just the power of the sun. I think next summer I'll play with parabolic style water heating to supply a heat sink for the green house. Or not. I'll probably get too busy to play with that. :rolleyespink:
     
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    • Mike Allen

      Mike Allen Total Gardener

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      What's that saying?

      I know a man who can.:yay:

      He's got his own observatory in his garden.

      Ooops, another friend I've just lost.:whistle::whistle::whistle:
       
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      Tilting panels can help but that only assists to catch the sun if it gets too high or low - one reason they're set on the roof as they avoid being obscured by most objects.

      Mine are fixed on the roof and it faces due south. In the height of the summer I lose a good four hours of sunlight on them as the sun doesn't rise in the East (the panels can get the sun from the East) but it rises in the North East and sets in the North West. My cousin has panels that face East and his electricity production starts a good two hours before mine.

      I suppose the rotating panels would work better on a flat roof to allow rotation or on a flat open area of ground that would not receive shadows (not many people would have that - or the space for them).
       
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      • Sandy Ground

        Sandy Ground Total Gardener

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        @shiney you are correct. It should not be expensive. All of the items needed exist at reasonable prices, even if they might need to be modified somewhat.

        The thing that I am not sure about are solar panels. Not to far away from where I am sitting now, there is a development prototype being constructed that uses solar power but not solar panels. Early tests, in which I was involved pre-retirement showed the system to be 50% more efficient than panels. I cant give many more details due to a confidentiality agreement.
         
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        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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          @Sandy Ground
          Dim memories from about 15 years ago (at a guess :scratch:) there was an experiment in solar power in Spain or Portugal (think it was the latter) where they had some solar towers that concentrated the rays and heat downwards to collectors/reflectors around the bottom. It's only a vague memory so can't remember the pros and cons of it. I do remember one con:- the heat could be so intense in the area around the towers that it was difficult to get into the area during daytime to effect any maintenance and repairs.
           
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          • Sandy Ground

            Sandy Ground Total Gardener

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            @shiney back when I was involved, we never had any problem with heat from the sun, even in Summer.
             
          • NigelJ

            NigelJ Total Gardener

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            Saw this on "Tomorrow's World" years ago in fact just found this on Wikipedia Odeillo solar furnace - Wikipedia it's in France built in the 60s and still in use.
            As for home sun trackers (heliostat) see here Solar tracker system
             
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            • ricky101

              ricky101 Total Gardener

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              You just need a few mirrors .....

              000214.jpg


              Details here -

               
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              • NigelJ

                NigelJ Total Gardener

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                The solar furnace might get the cold air balloon off the ground.
                 
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