Methods for converting solar energy into thermal or electrical energy. Scheme, description

Free technical library

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RADIO ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Free library / Schemes of radio-electronic and electrical devices

Methods for converting solar energy into thermal or electrical energy. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Free technical library

Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Alternative energy sources

Comments on the article

Solar energy has been used to heat homes since ancient Greece. The solar collector for heating water was first constructed in the 50th century. The formation of modern "solar" energy (solar energy) took place already in the middle of the XNUMXth century. The most favorable conditions for the widespread use of solar energy exist in the territories south of the XNUMXth parallel (in Russia, this is south of the Voronezh-Saratov-Orenburg line).

As for its very conversion into thermal or electrical energy, it can be carried out using three technical and technological methods:

The first method, which is most widely used, is heat supply using solar collectors-water heaters, which are fixedly installed on the roofs of houses at a certain angle to the horizon. They provide heating of the coolant (water, air, antifreeze) by 40 - 50°C compared to the ambient temperature. They are also used for air conditioning, drying agricultural products, desalination of sea water, etc. The United States and Japan have the most such heating installations, but their highest density per capita is achieved in Israel and Cyprus. So, in Israel, about 1 million solar collectors provide hot water to over 70% of the inhabitants of this country. Solar collectors are also used in China, India, a number of African countries (mainly for driving pumping units).

second method is to convert solar energy not into heat, but into electricity, and "directly" - with the help of silicon-based photovoltaic installations (solar batteries) - like those installed on spacecraft. The first such power plant was built in California in 1981. Although the electricity generated by them remains very expensive (about 20 cents per 1 kWh), some countries have launched a massive campaign to install solar panels on roofs and facades of houses. The leader in this business was taken by Japan, which also controls about 1/3 of the world market of photovoltaic cells.

Finally, the the third way, which also ensures the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy, is realized through the construction of solar power plants proper, which are divided into two types - tower and parabolic.

See other articles Section Alternative energy sources.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Major risk factor for gambling addiction 07.05.2024

Computer games are becoming an increasingly popular form of entertainment among teenagers, but the associated risk of gaming addiction remains a significant problem. American scientists conducted a study to determine the main factors contributing to this addiction and offer recommendations for its prevention. Over the course of six years, 385 teenagers were followed to find out what factors may predispose them to gambling addiction. The results showed that 90% of study participants were not at risk of addiction, while 10% became gambling addicts. It turned out that the key factor in the onset of gambling addiction is a low level of prosocial behavior. Teenagers with a low level of prosocial behavior do not show interest in the help and support of others, which can lead to a loss of contact with the real world and a deepening dependence on virtual reality offered by computer games. Based on these results, scientists ... >>

Traffic noise delays the growth of chicks 06.05.2024

The sounds that surround us in modern cities are becoming increasingly piercing. However, few people think about how this noise affects the animal world, especially such delicate creatures as chicks that have not yet hatched from their eggs. Recent research is shedding light on this issue, indicating serious consequences for their development and survival. Scientists have found that exposure of zebra diamondback chicks to traffic noise can cause serious disruption to their development. Experiments have shown that noise pollution can significantly delay their hatching, and those chicks that do emerge face a number of health-promoting problems. The researchers also found that the negative effects of noise pollution extend into the adult birds. Reduced chances of reproduction and decreased fertility indicate the long-term effects that traffic noise has on wildlife. The study results highlight the need ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Smartphone and breakfast with flame retardants 23.12.2018

Researchers from the University of Toronto studied the composition of organophosphorus flame retardants that have entered the human body and compared them with possible sources of pollution. The results were quite interesting: it turned out that the substances found on the test subjects' mobile phones best correspond to the fire retardant metabolites found in the urine samples of the experiment participants.

There are two possible explanations for this unusual fact. On the one hand, the smartphone itself is capable of being a source of fire retardants, which are released from the plastic parts of the device case. Taking a smartphone in hand, say, while eating, we thereby bring some of these substances into the body.

On the other hand, the phone can act not only as a source, but also as a kind of mirror of what, roughly speaking, gets into our mouths. Since we hold a smartphone in our hands for quite a long time, all those substances that get on the skin of our hands from contact with various plastic objects end up on the surface of the mobile device.

Of course, it's all about the amount of substances, and it's not so much the fact that fire retardants get into the body that matters - we still can't be isolated from the environment - but their number. Therefore, from the fact that you hold a smartphone in your hands, and then eat an apple with the same hands, nothing terrible will happen - you should not hit chemophobia and run away from any plastics like from fire. Nevertheless, washing your hands before eating and not eating every day, without letting go of the gadget or sitting at the computer, in any case, will be more useful.

Other interesting news:

▪ Efficient Data Archiving Mechanism

▪ New stable form of plutonium discovered

▪ Car DVD players for Russian roads

▪ New Intel Celeron D351 processor

▪ Renoir 7nm Desktop APUs - Ryzen 4000G, PRO 4000G and Athlon PRO 3000G

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site for the Musician. Selection of articles

▪ article Putting a good face on a bad game. Popular expression

▪ article Who Invented Playing Cards? Detailed answer

▪ Article Pedicure master. Job description

▪ article Power amplifier on 6 transistors. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Selection of conductors for heating, economic current density and corona conditions. The choice of the cross-section of conductors according to the economic current density. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews