r Concentrator Design, Passive Solar Heating of Swimming Pools, and Electric Travel Ana
Nik Glazar, Connor Barickman, Matthew Kini, Greg Chavoor, Ryan Garoogian, Chiweng Kam,
and Peter V. Schwartz, Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis O
Abstract: Writing optimization code for ble ray-tracing software, we optimized a concentrator ight is first incident onto a stationary primary mirror ion. The reflected light is incident onto a smaller, mirror, which focuses the light onto a target. ncentrations on the order of 60 solar equivalents over ent angles (graph, below right)
b) Summer
c) Winter
s) strikes a stationary primary trough mirror of circular cross t (red rays) are further focused by a movable, smaller secondary nt (blue circle). If the surface is optimized for equinox, summer sed well onto the target.
Ray tracing results for incident solar angles of 0º, 10º, and 20º indic concentrations on the target center of curved primary mirror.
Results: The average efficiency over a broad range of angles is slightly less than 50%. Because tracking parabolic troughs are spaced far enough apart to have a land use efficiency of about 30%, our technology may be competitive. It remains to be seen if the simplified tracking mechanism reduces construction costs.
ng of Swimming Pool Abstract: While covering the ng pool with black inserts to absorb more sunlight 1ºC temperature increase and small financial savings, a transparent pool cover to eliminate evaporative nificant temperature increase (graph, far right) and riments were done by monitoring the temperatures of Poly’s National Pool Industry Research Center (near periment allowed the temperature of the increase. In another experiment, a heater maintained s in both pools, allowing the measurement of solar mental pool.
Swimming Poo
Co 75º F
Uncovered, 70º F 11 AM
$0.45
Gasoline
11 PM
Lithium Ion
$0.40 $0.35
Dollars/Mile
$0.25 $0.20
$4/gal Fuel
$0.15 $0.10
Maint.
Fast Charge Lithium Ion 200 mile 150 mile
200 mile 150 mile 100 mile 50 mile
100 mile
Battery Cost
$0.30
$10/gal $9/gal $8/gal $7/gal $6/gal $5/gal
Battery Cost
ct: Low driving range is credited with the poor c cars. Higher range cars weigh too much and are too f the increased need of batteries. However, 95% of elow 40 miles. Our cost analysis (right) indicates that osts of an electric car are less than that of a near wered car for ranges less than 100 miles at present itionally, we found the effective stored energy car to be higher than that of a near identical gasoline es less than 100 miles. Unlike other calculations, we all parts of the drive train as well as the conversion d energy to kinetic energy. Electric motors are igher conversion efficiency than gasoline engines of
80º F
50 mile
Electricity Maint.
Electricity Maint.
Purchase
Purchase
Tra
