Some Progress in Experiments on Concentrated Solar Energy

I have achieved some significant maturity in my Balcony experiments on Concentrated Solar Energy.

The story :   As already explained, I am in dire need of some energy source for the farm.  Wind has limitations. Beyond that we have plenty of sun shine. Why don't we use it ?  The solar cell is in the hands of business mafia and is unaffordable.  It costs over 6 lacs per 5 KV which is too much for a fragile piece of thing that may work hardly for 3 years.  (Though they promise life untill eternity, i have serious doubts about service and support on cheap Chinese panels and corrupt dealers).

Well I have decided i will pursue CSP.  this is a failure in many places. I wonder why.  On a closer look I find businessmen have discarded it because they cannot make money. Or they have wantedly made it so much costly that even Governments cannot afford to setup. That is why it is failure.

It is our endevour to bring this cheap source to common man somehow.  Small experiments have began.

Today I achieved 300+ temperature using the dish.  That is the limit my thermometer can show.  Inside the tiffen Box Target, the salt was having temperature of 180Dec C.  Very good enough to do some useful work. Even with half the mirrors i could still get 133 deg C in the morning Sun. What else you want ?

My balcony experiments are aimed at choosing the right method to concentrate solar energy. I will continue till i get confidence to invest in large setup.

Detailed progress on Solar experiments are being posted in my facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1634868576725613/

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), our next destination

These days I am in touch with Facebook and WhatsUP.  I meet many so called farmers who post good things of life. But none of them are practical in their advise when it comes to actual farming.  Most of them are having some other source of income and indulge in all extra activities other than farming. So there is nothing to learn from anyone as of now.

I have dedicated myself to next project - SOLAR THERMAL POWER  (or CSP as it is called Concentrated Solar Power).  I have started few posts in Facebook two weeks back and did not update the same. My next experiments are as follows;

a) Purchase a TV dish and create a solar basket to make a focal point.

b) Create parabolic reflector using sheet and create line of focus. Further experiments to heat tube filled with liquid.

c) A design prototype of how a large parabolic solar concentrator in cylinderical shape to be made to be sent across.

Subbu and Paramu are waiting for my education video which I promised on this subject. I need to educate them on how the whole thing would work.  The idea is that next irrigation should happen through CSP energy. Currently we have reached a zero-sum-game using one windpump. This gives 3000 liters of water and is just enough for current vegetation. I am unable to expand the farm.  We have done all things possible now like replacing 1.25" dia pipe with 1.75",  smoothening the windpump through design improvements, grease,  conservation of water through drip irrigation etc.  But there is definitely a quantity of water required for banana crops which cannot be drawn with current setup.

Then using some of the facebook friends to sponsor, should start fabricating the same.

Have already spoken to Rajkot factory for say 2 HP Steam engine.  That is ready.

I see great potential in this project which is clean, green and no mess.

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