From solar energy to mechanical energy. Drawing, description

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From solar energy to mechanical energy. Tips for a modeler

Modeling

Bulgarian engineer Nayden Naydenov built a model of an engine in which solar energy is immediately converted into mechanical energy. Let's get acquainted with the engine in the figure. Holes are drilled and threaded in the side posts of the bracket 1. Two bolts are wrapped in the holes, serving as a kind of bearings 2. Holes are drilled in their heads, where the conical heads of the shaft 3 enter. A disk 4 of heat-insulating material is fixed on the shaft. Bimetallic plates 5 are attached to the disk parallel to the shaft (only two plates are shown in the figure, although there may be more). It is desirable to separate the layers of a bimetallic plate with heat-insulating gaskets in order to reduce the heat influx from the outer layer to the inner one.

From solar energy to mechanical

Weights 6 are installed on each plate. With their help, the moment of inertia increases and, consequently, the engine power. When assembling, it is very important to pay attention to the careful balancing of the shaft, disc, plates and weights.

The shaft of the model begins to rotate immediately if it is exposed to direct sunlight. A greater effect is obtained when half of the bimetallic plates are illuminated by the sun, and the other half remains in the shade. The rotation speed will increase if a concentrator lens is placed in the path of the rays.

From the point of view of physics, it is not difficult to explain the operation of the Naidenov engine: a bimetallic plate is heated by the sun's rays and is bent. If a layer with a large coefficient of linear expansion is placed on the outside of the plate, the bend will be directed inward. As a result, its center of gravity will move closer to the axis of rotation, the balance will be disturbed and the shaft will turn through a certain angle. When the plate is in the shade, it will straighten up as it cools. And the one that fell under the rays of the sun, in turn, will bend. The shaft will turn another angle.

Of course, the heating and cooling of the plates occur continuously. Therefore, the engine runs continuously as long as the sun's rays fall on it.

Author: V.Roschakhovsky

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