Phase 1: Optical Design for Desalination
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I’m working on a desalination project which boils seawater using solar radiation like the PS10 power plant in Spain. PS10 uses heliostats. I hope to do this a little differently, but I don’t know if it’s optically possible. My goals are to (1) have as few moving parts as possible (2) maximize the number of photons captured per square meter of land. The purpose is to explore methods to reduce the cost for desalination.
To start, I’m looking for someone to answer the following questions:
Question #1: Is there a way to direct solar radiation to a specific place without moving parts such as a heliostat? Just for simplicity, we can imagine directing solar radiation to a big cauldron of water (it won’t literally be this). Rather than building a huge tower like PS10, it would be better if the cauldron was on the ground – it saves the cost of the tower, as well as the complication of moving the water up and down the tower. An idea I had is to have the cauldron at ground level. The light would also be captured at ground level through square shaped Fresnel lenses – squares to maximize real estate use (Goal #2). The light is focused into narrow beams that go through underground tubes and shine on the bottom of the cauldron. Maybe there’s a clever optical design that can accomplish this. Is there a lens that “corrects” a beam of light – whatever direction the light comes in, it focuses on the same place? I read about a team that converted solar light into lasers using Nd:YAG laser crystals; maybe there’s something there.
Question #2: Do you know of any highly efficient methods to heat water using solar radiation?
Question #3: Is it possible to estimate the number of joules (or photons) with such a system? My goal will be to say, “X square meters of land should direct about Y joules to the cauldron.”
For the project, this is the first phase of it. For now, I just need these questions answered, but ultimately I will need someone to design the system. I’m open to any suggestions with this and feel free to tell me my approach is wrong and suggest something else.
Thank you.
To start, I’m looking for someone to answer the following questions:
Question #1: Is there a way to direct solar radiation to a specific place without moving parts such as a heliostat? Just for simplicity, we can imagine directing solar radiation to a big cauldron of water (it won’t literally be this). Rather than building a huge tower like PS10, it would be better if the cauldron was on the ground – it saves the cost of the tower, as well as the complication of moving the water up and down the tower. An idea I had is to have the cauldron at ground level. The light would also be captured at ground level through square shaped Fresnel lenses – squares to maximize real estate use (Goal #2). The light is focused into narrow beams that go through underground tubes and shine on the bottom of the cauldron. Maybe there’s a clever optical design that can accomplish this. Is there a lens that “corrects” a beam of light – whatever direction the light comes in, it focuses on the same place? I read about a team that converted solar light into lasers using Nd:YAG laser crystals; maybe there’s something there.
Question #2: Do you know of any highly efficient methods to heat water using solar radiation?
Question #3: Is it possible to estimate the number of joules (or photons) with such a system? My goal will be to say, “X square meters of land should direct about Y joules to the cauldron.”
For the project, this is the first phase of it. For now, I just need these questions answered, but ultimately I will need someone to design the system. I’m open to any suggestions with this and feel free to tell me my approach is wrong and suggest something else.
Thank you.