Solar Power Concentrators

If you have ever seen a field with several mirrors pointing toward the sun you may be looking at a solar power system. These systems work to concentrate the sunlight to one area and use the heat to heat up the liquid that flows along the pipes. This system is called Parabolic-trough system.  This type of system heats oil that is flowing through the pipe.  The hot oil is used to boil water which then powers a steam turbine that in turn powers a conventional generator to produce electricity.  

In another variation to the above system the U-shaped mirrors focus and collect the suns heat, which is then transferred onto a receiver, usually a plate, panel, or a tank.  The receiver absorbs the heat and transfers it into a fluid such as molten salt that flows through the receiver.  When the salt is sufficiently heated it can generate electricity through the steam generator/turbine cycle.  The salt stores the heat for several days before it has to be converted into electricity.  Because this system uses so many panels it is mainly used for industrial solar power where acres of land can be donated to the Parabolic Trough.  There can be enough power retained in the storage media, in this case molten salt, so that the network can create energy for several days or more even during low sun days.  Because this system is so large it allows the heat that it saves to be effectively stored in the molten salt without the use of expensive batteries. 

Take A "Click" On Our Solar Power Energy Solutions

Scientists are continuously improving this type system as businesses use it to power their machinery.  Steam power was used from the beginning with solar power and is still what most systems depend on to operate.  In the future, vacant, unused fields may eventually be full of mirrors that track the sun, generating enough energy to supply our growing demands with no pollution and zero fuel costs.  This solar power can be stored and used to power our homes or cars.  The doom and gloom the world is overheating pundits need only - look to the sun...

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