Cal Poly, Solar Thermal Electric Generator - Project Update: 4-28-09

The Suns of Power design team from California Polytechnic State University, Mechanical Engineering Department, senior project: design, analyze, build, test and operate a solar thermal electric generator that is capable of producing at least 200 W of usable electricity over the course of 1 hour.

This video from April 28th, 2009 shows us testing the steam engine. The system was charged to approximately 20 psi before flowing steam to the engine. Actually operation will have a pump discharge pressure of 75 - 80 psi. The engine is not self starting, but is double action. The engine is throttled with a needle valve that precedes the engine inlet that controls the steam flow to the piston.

If you have any questions about our project, please email us or leave comments. We will respond as quickly as our busy schedules allow us. Thank you for watching and for your continued support!


(Music by The Eric Experiment)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Cal
• poly
• solar
• thermal
• electric
• generator
• renewable
• green
• engery

[SVKmellow]

nice... i was waiting for someone to finally build it

[SulaimanBarry]

We also had made a similar project of design fabrication of lab scale solar thermal power plant but it was designed to operate on 40 W. We could not run our steam engine due to pressure not being able to build up as steam leaked from joints. How did you counter them? Now I am planning to rework on the project. What did you use as your working fluid? I designed the power plant based on open cycle with engine pressure of 1.4 bar. What was your pressure ratio

[johnyz656]

try using a tesla turbine.....

[nasrudinist]

may be not bad.....

[SWINGREGORY]

you use steam

a stirling motor is better !

[Seanwins]

So, are you successfully generating electricity yet?

[AccelLearn]

What make and model steam engine are you using?

What are the details of the generator?

[AccelLearn]

With an in-wheel motor you could hook up a sensor to automatically start it spinning whenever pressure is high enough. Could simplify the design and be more efficient. The same battery you're using to store the power would also start the motor.

[AccelLearn]

Very cool. What are the dimensions of the footprint of the mirror?

Do you have measurements of the output so far?

What about using a brushless in-wheel motor as the generator? Would save a little energy versus driving  a separate generator.

[akmark]

Siiiick.