Parabola Designer

[wjj4832]

@gezginci66

Send me an email to jacq2@cox.net and I'll send you a copy.

[tsbrownie]

Very nice. Thanks for putting this up.

[mohsinfarid335]

its awsummm...very much helpful..

[ardeleanmarcel]

Hello. If you do not mind and I would like this program. How can I enter in his possession. Thank you in advance.

[thfranseen]

So how do I get a copy of this utility? Thanks.

[jlpMedia1]

creating mulitple parabolas wont make your collector more efficient, it will simply add another focal point. The total energy output would be the same, just evenly dispersed onto each point. I made a solar oven that was no bigger than 1/2 a standard sized window..no parabola, just an insulated, black foil lined box with a glass cover. I believe it got up to 232F. my first test of my parabolic home heater got up to 2000F before melting the copper tubing i was using....whoops. :)

[wjj4832]

@jlpMedia1 I think you miss the point. This isn't for creating multiple parabolas. It's purpose is to create the one optimal shape for the (singular) parabola that you need for your specific application. I hope that clears things up.

[jlpMedia1]

@wjj4832 i think you meant to direct this towards DominoChild. :)

[wjj4832]

@wjj4832 Hmmm, you're right. My apologies for the confusion. I just want to clarify that the concept is to find the characteristics and then the exact dimensions of a parabola to suit the user's needs. wj

[jlpMedia1]

i found it hard to believe that there werent any cheap solar trackers so i found some gears and started building my own. I used a bunch of worm gears which not only slowed down the rate of tracking, but provided the torque that i needed to move my solar collector. All in all i spent <$100 on parts, most of which came from home depot, but i can heat my entire house for free in the winter. Obviously it isnt a replacement for my furnace, but as long as the sun is out...free heat. and ALOT of it.

[DominoChild]

can you create multiple parabolas on this software?

[wjj4832]

@DominoChild : Not at one time, but you can use it to design different parabolas, certainly.

[solarsenthil]

It is great video, you did a great job in solar concentrator field, thanks lot

[adkrzywda]

Wow this program is very very useful. Thanks for sending. You've done a great job!!

[legacyeg]

Great video and spreadsheet.

[Simon27Rawlins]

Great video! Thanks for your help

[wjj4832]

I wrote it on the Windows XP platform using Ecxel 2000.  It should perfectly forward compatible with newer versions of Excel and should also run on a Mac.

[swenk222]

Is this a windows program? Mac?

[fuelityourself]

Nice piece of work Mr. J! Can you post up a hands on video about a parabola you've built? Could you give your thoughts on a sun tracking apparatus and explain the best way to create electricity using parabolas in combination with cells etc...?

Thanks again. fuelityourself

[wjj4832]

I'm still trying to settle on the design for my first project, which is probably going to be a 60" trough, 24" wide or so and with a 30" focal length. I want to be able to use it either for grilling or heating water. I don't have any experience with tracking devices yet.

[delrin88]

This is inspiring and saved me the trouble of doing it myself, a chore I had been putting off.

Thanks,

[wjj4832]

You're most welcome. If you haven't gotten a copy of the program, hit me with an email and I'll shoot you a copy. -wj