Homework SourseHelp ASAP please 4 Describe the mechanism solar conversion a
Solution
Solar power is arguably the cleanest, most reliable form of renewable energy available, and it can be used in several forms to help power your home or business. Solar-poweredphotovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun\'s rays into electricity by exciting electrons in silicon cells using the photons of light from the sun.
Solar thermal power plants use the sun\'s rays to heat a fluid to high temperatures. The fluid is then circulated through pipes so that it can transfer its heat to water and produce steam. The steam is converted into mechanical energy in a turbine, which powers a generator to produce electricity.
Solar thermal power generation works essentially the same as power generation using fossil fuels, but instead of using steam produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, the steam is produced by heat collected from sunlight. Solar thermal technologies use concentrator systems to achieve the high temperatures needed to produce steam.
In a parabolic trough : The trough is aligned with its focal line horizontal and east-west
Each trough is a single curve, which can be made simply by bending a flat sheet of metal. Also, the light that reaches the targeted cooking pot is directed approximately downward, which reduces the danger of damage to the eyes of anyone nearby.
This simplicity makes the design attractive, compared with using a paraboloid. Also, being a single curve, the trough reflector is simpler to construct.
Where as in Spherical Reflectors
The focus of a spherical reflector will not be a point focus because it suffers from a phenomenon known as spherical aberration.
If the radius of the rim of spherical reflector is small compared with the radius of curvature of its surface (the radius of the sphere of which the reflector is a part), the reflector approximates a paraboloidal one with focal length equal to half of the radius of curvature.
