New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

RCinFLA
RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Skeptics, Hype, & Scams Corner #1
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010AC_Solar_Generator/10/prweb4587954.htm

Shading panels for a portion of the time. Sounds real efficient. ;(
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    The wording is hype. The article is hype. Nothing unusual about that, though.

    So take a monocrystaline panel @ 18% efficiency, cut that in half, use some more power to spin the disc (or are they using radiometer technology?) and voilà! You've solved the energy crisis! :roll:

    Obviously this set-up at 9% efficiency is much better than a standard GT inverter at 90% efficiency.
    Or have I missed something completely?
    Could be.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    Then I want the patent for using LCD shutters. There, prior art established ! Spinning disks indeed .
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    even if they overcome the problem of cutting the efficiency by 50% due to shading half of the cells, i can see now that during the first snowfall it will be instantly useless and may even burn up that little motor turning the discs. motor lifespan is another issue even without any snow or ice. this isn't very practical and i think the overall efficiencies of systems on inverters have nothing to fear from this even if inverter efficiencies were as low as only 60% because it would be 10% more efficient than what they have due to shading. we do know inverters are well over 90% efficient these days meaning that the new method of theirs wastes far more power in trying to save it.:roll::cry:
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  • KeithWHare
    KeithWHare Solar Expert Posts: 140 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    Snow fall is easily solvable -- simply mount the spinning disk underneath glass.

    Let's see, to get 60 cycles/second, this would need to rotate 3600 RPM. Anything at that speed will have to be very well balanced so it doesn't tear itself apart. 'Cause if it does, all of that glass is going flying, and that would be a real pane.

    This might have been an interesting technology before inverters were invented -- it would have prompted someone to come up with something better.

    Keith
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    another medium for light to pass through will show up as additional losses. the fan motors won't last that long anyway.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    I like Mike's LCD shutter idea. So what if you lose another 15% from sending the light through the crystals? We're talking innovation here, not practicality! :p

    Anybody else old enough to remember car radios with 'vibrators'? Self-unlatching relays that created a pseudo-AC signal that could be stepped up to the necessary Voltage to run the valves (tubes, Yanks). So all you really need is a PV, a relay, and a tranformer ...
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  • john p
    john p Solar Expert Posts: 814 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    It a great idea ?? in some ways but it been built on too small a scale . Why not just use standard 200w panels arranged in a circle? see my beautiful artwork..
    Getting a sine wave may be a little difficult as I think you more likely to be getting a squarewave.:confused: But not to worry too much about that as its possible to build a rugged transformer to accept that input then the transformer will step it up to grid voltage .. viola .here you now have free power,, may not be very regulated .ie the voltage likely have many dips and peaks during the day.. but that mabe ok for some devices as they can accept wildly varing inputs.mabe no good for a refrigerator, and anything else with a motor..
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    We could cover half the Earth with PV wired one way, and half with PV wired the other way - then just spin the planet up to 3600 rpm!
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production
    dwh wrote: »
    We could cover half the Earth with PV wired one way, and half with PV wired the other way - then just spin the planet up to 3600 rpm!

    naw, we have enough dizzy people with the planet going 1 rpd.

    coot,
    i do trust that was sarcasm from you.. :p
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production
    niel wrote: »
    coot,
    i do trust that was sarcasm from you.. :p

    Surely no one would take that seriously? :roll:

    I don't know, though. People do believe some strange things. :p
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    just making sure.;):p:D
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    Arghh.... I fear a whole new line of combo wind/solar scams coming on.


    The airfoils around the edge of the slotted rotor, allow the light to sequentially enter the solar cells. At night the cells themselves convert to airfoils, and spin to produce nearly as much power as daytime. . . . . . .
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • tallgirl
    tallgirl Solar Expert Posts: 413 ✭✭
    #14
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production
    RCinFLA wrote: »
    http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010AC_Solar_Generator/10/prweb4587954.htm

    Shading panels for a portion of the time. Sounds real efficient. ;(

    They could avoid the shading issue by simulating that electronically. If they take the power from the cells in a sinusoidal manner, and alternating the polarity of the voltage that's being produced, using power transistors and other semiconductors, they could still produce 100% of the solar power.

    Oh, wait. That's already been done already -- it's called an "AC Inverter" :D
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #15
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    what you could do is:take your table top (or a ceiling fan), cut the appropriate slots into it, then get your self a sealed DC motor and fan belt spin that sucker over top of your PV mods! fashion a large telescope to see it all, project that sinus wave onto the a manmade perma cloud formation just to the left of the setup (no shading) then you can radio transmit all the AC voltage into your generator which can help to spin the table top in case of rain! provisional patent pending (*R) or wait just hover a radio helocopter over the panels.............better yet get all the ADHD kids on the block to help spin the table, solves two problems! actually its a pretty cool idea but wouldnt hydrogen generator running real AC generators make more sense and way more cost affective, heck a solar array is perfect to turn water into fuel anyway, can ya pressurize H22O? if so we have a winner!
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  • bmet
    bmet Solar Expert Posts: 630 ✭✭
    #16
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    or they could place UV-blocking tinting over the panel so that is doesn't lose wattage to heat
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  • jagec
    jagec Solar Expert Posts: 157 ✭✭
    #17
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    It's like a crappy version of the "poor man's inverter": PV-powered DC motor, coupled to alternator to produce AC. Of course, you need a speed controller to make sure it's 60 Hz, a battery to absorb fluctuations in PV output, and the efficiency is crap, but at least you're using 100% of your solar panels at any given time!
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  • jagec
    jagec Solar Expert Posts: 157 ✭✭
    #18
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production
    rogue wrote: »
    heck a solar array is perfect to turn water into fuel anyway, can ya pressurize H22O? if so we have a winner!

    Funny you should mention that...go look up "HHO car conversion" on Google. The upshot of it is that you use your car battery to electrolyze water, and feed the resulting gas (they call it "HHO"...which makes the chemist in me howl in anguish) into your intake manifold to burn in the engine. Disturbingly, there seem to be a lot of people and companies that are buying into this nonsense.

    That's almost as brilliant as installing a bank of lights aimed at your solar panels so that you can create energy at night.:D
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,654 admin
    #19
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production

    Have you ever clicked through all the stuff on Brown's Gas...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • JayWes
    JayWes Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭
    #20
    Re: New AC Solar Generator Invention Could Revolutionize Solar Power Production
    jagec wrote: »
    Funny you should mention that...go look up "HHO car conversion" on Google. The upshot of it is that you use your car battery to electrolyze water, and feed the resulting gas (they call it "HHO"...which makes the chemist in me howl in anguish) into your intake manifold to burn in the engine. Disturbingly, there seem to be a lot of people and companies that are buying into this nonsense.

    That's almost as brilliant as installing a bank of lights aimed at your solar panels so that you can create energy at night.:D

    Hey, what we need now is a electric motor driving a generator to power the electric motor and we can forget about the engine and battery. Perpetual motion sells fast as long as the salesman can get to a new territory.
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