On a much larger scale, solar thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate the suns energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people. In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the suns rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 20:06:25 +0000
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