Three-dimensional Three-dimensional arrangement of sunlight arrangement of sunlight

traps in conceptually traps in conceptually devised HELIANTHUS devised HELIANTHUS

solar power plantssolar power plants

SALA CONSILINA (SA) 2007 SALA CONSILINA (SA) 2007

Paolo Zozzaro*Paolo Zozzaro*ITIS “G. Gatta”ITIS “G. Gatta”

Roberto De Luca*Roberto De Luca*Università degli Studi di SalernoUniversità degli Studi di Salerno

** Don’t shoot us, we are only the piano players…Don’t shoot us, we are only the piano players…

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A solar trap: the Planckon systemA solar trap: the Planckon system

Is it possible to trap solar radiation? The Is it possible to trap solar radiation? The answer is affirmative answer is affirmative [1][1]

[1] R. De Luca, F. Romeo, P. Zozzaro, Capturing sunlight, Eur. J. Phys. 27 (2006) 347-352

Primary mirrorSecondary mirror

to a black body

z

y

M1

M2

Light sensor

No convection liquid to heat waterNo convection liquid to heat water

Black metallic nucleus containing water

Opening for solar radiation intake

Perfectly reflecting inner walls

Rotating mechanical system

A black body can be used to store radiating energyA black body can be used to store radiating energy

Therefore, if we are able to Therefore, if we are able to concentrate sunlight in a small concentrate sunlight in a small region in space and we are able to region in space and we are able to let this radiating energy enter, let this radiating energy enter, through a small hole, a cavity with through a small hole, a cavity with highly reflecting inner walls, we can highly reflecting inner walls, we can say say we have trapped sunlightwe have trapped sunlight. In . In the PLANCKON system, sunlight is the PLANCKON system, sunlight is used to heat water in a spherical used to heat water in a spherical chamber.chamber.

We can now extend this concept to We can now extend this concept to black bodies of different shapes, in black bodies of different shapes, in order to heat water or generate order to heat water or generate steam, as in an HELIANTHUS steam, as in an HELIANTHUS column.column.

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solar collector

water

hollow cylindrical insulating layer

metal jacket

metal jacket containing water

hollow cylindrical insulating layer

Steam pipe

HELIANTHUS: How does it work?HELIANTHUS: How does it work?

Let us take a look inside…Let us take a look inside…

What the advantages?What the advantages?Three-dimensional Three-dimensional

arrangement of arrangement of solar collectors. solar collectors.

A rough estimate for A rough estimate for power output of a power output of a single helianthus single helianthus column under partly column under partly cloudy sky cloudy sky conditions: conditions:

P = N P = N A AN=5; N=5; =500 W/m =500 W/m22; ;

A=10 mA=10 m22, so that, so that P = 25 kW.P = 25 kW.

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Other applications?Other applications?

PV cells insidePV cells inside

fiber

PV cellDiffusing system and filter

IN CONCLUSION: Is IN CONCLUSION: Is sunlight sunlight trappingtrapping convenient as far as convenient as far as

environmental issues are environmental issues are concerned?concerned?

No need of convection fluidsNo need of convection fluidsSaving horizontal space on Earth surfaceSaving horizontal space on Earth surfaceConfined energy (almost no harm to flying species, Confined energy (almost no harm to flying species, almost no physical impact on ground fauna)almost no physical impact on ground fauna)

DRAWBACKS: DRAWBACKS: it does not exist yet…it does not exist yet…

Please let future life on Earth be possible!Please let future life on Earth be possible!