Melting steel with solar power

Clip from James May's Big Ideas where a bunch of hippies burn and melt stuff with their 'solar furnace', oh and it has something to do with making petrol out of thin air.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[geurgeury]

The energy from the sun is not measured in degrees but in joules, say 1 ray is 1000 joules and a material requires 10 joules to raise from 1 degree, the material will raise 1000 degrees.

[ShotTower1]

For a large scale plant this does seem like a better idea that solar panels. Directed at a metal with a high melting temperature, obviously using a very dark surface container, it would heat up quickly enabling us to produce steam.

Just really seems like a great idea. Especially for "useless" land such as the large open deserts.

[chrisnarozny]

that's aluminium being melted - not steel

[lesliewong44]

Talk about solar beam... this takes it to a whole new level!

[THETRUEVOICEOFROCK]

i really want to forge my next sword using this, or something similar. it will be call the solar blade and i could use it in a room of high class blacksmiths. it would be awesome

[Inurdaes]

Check up space-based solar and cream your pants.

[blazterreck]

no barbacue i'm afraid anithing that light hist makes you blind

[julas2ziom]

It s nice for family barbecue ;)

[51gan788]

why are we not using solar power for fuel???

[waslala07]

Melted like sh¡t!!!