18" Solar Concentrator - Burning Cardboard

[JackANDJude]

please post your fresnel lens work. Good job on this dish!

[56tony1]

Clever repurpose of the dish.. Ready made for the application... I'm gonna build one and burn something..

[colto12]

thats wats gonna happen to the earth one day..just gonna burn

[Olegserov2]

Good try... Very good... All right...

[hathawbj]

Props for the use of a track off Daft Punk's classic album "Homework"!

[bradshaweric]

this wood b a gr8 science project ...got any specs

[XxVizzinixX]

its clearly a satellite dish with tiny mirrors stuck to it. look up the specs for a dish.

[collinsmetro]

yup gaydar

[EbonyScholar]

Watch your fingers dummy! Plz do not try to light a black and mild or a cig like you do over a stove....sun burn anyone!

[leonardolll1987]

ao colocar as maos ali sera q nao aumenta a chance de cancer de pele nao?

pq concentra a incidencia de raios ultra violeta em um determinado local

abraços

[FullmetalDude1324]

lol I actually thought there was really a bunch of people and the police where coming!! I feel so stupid! XD

[MetalTala]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[YungSteveDollaz]

what kind of queer fuck music is this?????

[nitroburn]

"Queer fuck music"? What makes this song have homosexual tendencies to you?

It is "Burnin'" by Daft Punk from their 1996 CD, Homework. Seeing as it had firetrucks in the background and was named "burnin'", I thought it fit perfect for the video.

But you tell me, you have the highly tuned 'gaydar'.

[shake1969]

I would like to see your LNB configuration.

[cdltpx]

What I was saying is if we had more of a market for things that functioned on DC we could consume far less energy the only reason we went to the AC system was DC doesn't travel too far down wire. And AC can be metered so the rich utilities can have an income. The MIT generator uses a combination to meet needs of wind, sun, generator and passive heating. As we are now consumption can't be met with green ways but get a goal and you can meet it. Where there is a will there is a lawsuit.

[cdltpx]

MIT made a solar collector that heated liquid that drove a generator to charge the battery bank when the wind is dormant. They used off the shelf parts. Their video is on you tube I found it by typing in green for search word. Most of the appliances we use have transformers to get the voltage down its like paying $20 for every coke that you can get for $.50.Why do I mention this because we could generate all the power we need with the sun if we truly wanted to.

[nitroburn]

If we all wanted very big satellite dishes in our back yard. There is also the issue these days with storage of that collected energy.

1000 Watts PEAK per square meter. Now factor in the number of peak sun hours per day (5), and subtract the total home usage per day... For most people it leaves a big gap.

Also depends on your geographical location, where I live in Rainy BC, it isn't the best for sun.

[nitroburn]

"Most of the appliances we use have transformers to get the voltage down its like paying $20 for every coke that you can get for $.50"

No, it wouldn't be like that at all. There are some transformer losses, but it isn't like you end up with only 2.5% of the energy.

Transformers may raise/lower the voltage, but it comes at the cost of lower/higher amperage.

Wattage = Voltage x Current

110v 1a = 110 Watts

11v 10a = 110 Watts

[sandyt4343]

If you want to hear an interesting program regarding this you would like this program . Listen to the archives on KAZU raido the 'Talk of the Nation Science Friday' show. (March 14th 2008) it concerns the new plants going in for solar electric generation using concentrators and turbines. Every body may well enjoy this program. National Public Raido covers some pretty darn interesting topics in way more depth than any thing I've ever found to date.

[britgaskets]

Thanks, any idea of temp? I am developing a stirling for this type of mirror concentrator as well. Yours is very nice, did you place and focus each mirror?

[nitroburn]

A stirling engine would be great.

As for temp, I'm not sure what it is peak maxes out the IR thermometer I have at the moment.

As for focusing, it is just a matter of making sure that each corner of the mirror bit is touching the dish and not just resting on the silicon.

I still need to find a larger dish that is free or cheap. 18" is ok, but not much area to work with. I want to build one to heat my pool :D

[441rider]

You'll do it! we humans can really do anything we put our minds to. LOL! free n cheap is my budg too, I actuaaly work off stuff I get made.

[sandyt4343]

Hello Nitroburn,

Check out some of the sites on youtube that use fresnel lenses, they may spark some interest, they can be gotten free in some cases and are far less bulky and than radar dishes. I have used the 8 foot dish as a concentrator and although it is very potent it is a big wind catcher and takes up a big foot print. Hard to find neighbors that don't dislike then either. Fresnel lenses are way less of a visual impact and easy to work with. Use shade 5 or above welding goggles Good luck

[nitroburn]

Thanks Sandyt, I have been looking and would LOVE a Fresnel lens. I missed an opportunity to get a huge free 61" lens by taking too long to respond. (free old TV)

Fresnel lenses (minus their degrading by UV & sagging under IR), are great for water heating and times you need a tightly focused beam.

That is my next goal to get, I don't even mind buying it if I can find it reasonably priced. Had very little luck last year when I tried to contact TV repair places about getting replacement lenses.

[nitroburn]

UPDATE: I have a few of them now after salvaging them from old big screen TVs I've seen on the side of the road.

[bellaggio1770]

By the way, did you make these mirrors yourself ? I assume you cut a glass mirror and then glued the pieces on with silicone glue. I might actually try making one of those too.

[nitroburn]

I got the mirrors cut at a local mirror & glass shop. They can generally cut them with better accuracy then me.

But yeah, they are just attached to the dish with some silicone calking, not even glue. Haven't had any fall off in the past two years and it has been stored outside.

Just keep in mind mirrors do NOT like getting wet for long periods of time. Will cause the mirror to discolour/oxidize.

[bellaggio1770]

Makes me wonder how much energy a large satellite dish (one of those huge ones) could produce if converted the same way.

Awesome job and good idea !

[nitroburn]

I've heard about 1000 watts peak power per square metre. Depending on geographical location of course.

[4Mengineering]

great idea. nice reuse of the dish

[HalfCockedMD]

When I was a kid, Edmund Scientific sold a solar hot-dog cooker. Always wanted to see one in action...

[nitroburn]

They are pretty easy to make. This doesn't make for a good hot-dog cooker though as it concentrates in one spot.

Maybe next summer I'll get around to that. Because I do want a trough parabolic reflector.

[HalfCockedMD]

I bet it makes a bitchin' marshmallow toaster, though!

Ditto the hot dog cooker... they are easy to build and all you need are a cardboard box, some foil or "space blanket" mylar, some duct tape and a spit.

[stopglobalswarming]

That type of food cooker is actaully sold to countries that do not have regulated electricity like in the islands etc.

[nitroburn]

Yes, You can suspend a pot quite easily over the focal point and boil water. Takes some time though, 18" isn't anything like a stove :D

[NismoDJ20]

If anyone minds the song Is High fidelity by daft punk i think

[danydevil123]

the greek matheatician archimedes is said to have built one of these to destroy the roman boats as they entered syracuse. and even the romans vouched that the thing worked. i built one myself but on a larger scale and i could aim it at shingle coated walls and watch the pebbles explode :D

[danydevil123]

oh may i also recommend putting the tag(s) archimedes death ray into the tage bar. that will bring you more views. there is no other video with those tags :D

[nitroburn]

Thanks for the tip ;)

Of course there is a difference between the two though, the focal point on this unit is fixed.

[hobofreakchild]

they have aluminum dishes that preform the same function. i am pretty sure that they are for old school studio lights

[nitroburn]

They work, but require much more elbow grease to keep maintained. Mirror pieces can be cleaned with regular glass cleaner, aluminium requires polishing to keep at its peak shine.

[userlaalaa]

haha i love it. make use of all those stupid dishes. 1500 channels and I watched 10 of them. 4 dishes later due to 'its better we suggest an upgrade'. Guess thats also a better idea than my magnetron.

[yianlabite]

nitroburn, how about using a heat transfer fluid to store the heat in, and then exposing it to water suddenly to make steam? just a thought..

[nitroburn]

Would need more area for that to work well. It would likely produce steam for a bit, but would cool the transfer fluid too quick for this size.

I've converted the satellite LNB (antenna feedhorn) into a heat exchanger to heat the pool.

[hobofreakchild]

nice!

[registrationsux111]

kewl....I got a BIG outdated DirecTV dish sitting at work I need to try this with!

[jamesjoker88]

wow Thats wicked!

i gotta get me one o them!

[JilutheFang]

You got this paper from McDonalds^^

This is realy Cool!

(laseeer! Yeah)

[Railer505]

as a demonstration my physics teacher burned a piece of wood by a concave mirror, courtesy of holding the wood at the point the light rays come together

[killer2021]

I am curious as to how much eletricity this thing can produce. Have the solar heat boil water and produce steam which runs a tesla turbine or something. Could be an inexpensive way to produce solar eletricity.

[nitroburn]

Sadly at this size it is hard to get a constant steam generation. Would likely need to focus the sun on a smaller spot and pipe. The average energy from the sun is about 1000 Watts per Square Foot. So while this can boil water, it is hard to boil at an instant like would be nice to run a steam powered generator.

Another option is something like a stirling engine, but I don't see any commercial units that are reasonable in price.

[nitroburn]

There are a few videos on youtube of larger dishes producing steam on demand. I want to scale this unit up still using a larger dish.

[zaphraud]

I'd like to see it used to manufacture coldness. CaCl2+NH3 requires on off pulsing, but constant-cold systems are possible with a system pressurizing not just NH3 but also H2, usually they are heated with propane tho...

[nitroburn]

Error: 1000 Watts per Square METER not foot.

[dekonfrost7]

at a high exchange 1000 watts per meter, 20% exchange 200 watts per meter.

[badeaghio]

LOL rinpoche1 (2 days ago) marked as spam

I want to build one big enough to knock satellites out of the sky and screw up the weather.

[rinpoche1]

I want to build one big enough to knock satellites out of the sky and screw up the weather.

[phantomroller]

Fun Video, for those that have an old dish lying around and just want to play, squirt a spray adhesive on the dish and stick aluminum foil on it. Sure it oxidizes and losses reflectivity after a couple days, but it is quick and easy if you only want to play around. BE CAREFUL!!! first time I tried it I had left the reciever in place and cuaght it on fire. Do not put hand in (at) focal Point.

[fuzzymonkey777]

Where did you get the one inch pieces of mirror?

[nitroburn]

Got them cut for me at a glass and mirror store.

[yuandrew]

You made that out of a DSS dish did you ? What's being used for the reflector ?

Imagine trying the same thing with those old 6 feet diameter C-Band satelite dishes; could probably melt aluminium.

[nitroburn]

Yeah, its a DirecTV Dish. The reflector is 1" square peices of mirror.

The large dishes can actually seperate water into hydrogen and oxygen.

[cameltoehunter]

do you have to run a cable to the receiver to make that it work.

[nitroburn]

LOL. Yes! And it must be RG-6! ;P

[cameltoehunter]

is that with the gold tip connectors?

[KingdomxofxNothing]

Very cool how the sun can do that.