Solar Power

Submitted by administrator2 (not verified) on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 14:09

In MTH 116 (Pre-Calculus) we discuss some of the applications of a three dimensional parabaloid. The typical applications we cover usually include a satellite dish receiver, a parabolic microphone and a headlight.

The shape of the parabaloid is such that any type of wave or radiation, be it radio, sound or light is concentrated by the shape of the parabaloid to a point in the center called the focus.

Over spring break I saw a television program on a type of solar power generating system that uses the parabaloid shape to store solar radiation in order to generate a steady supply of electricity. A central tower is located at the focus of a field of mirrors arrayed into the shape of a parabaloid.

Molten salt in the central tower is heated to a high temperature (565 degrees Celsius in one example) by the concentrated solar energy reflected by the mirrors.  The salt is then moved to a storage tank and on to the electrical generator which uses the extreme heat to produce steam and consequently electricity.  Once the salt has cooled (but is still molten), it is pumped back to the tower to heat up once again.

The benefit of the molten salt system is that during the day, the solar radiation can be used directly to generate electricity, and at night, the heat stored in the molten salt is used.  The hot molten salt can be stored in an insulated tank for up to a week and still be used to generate electricity independently of the solar radiation.

As these technologies are developed more fully, they can become more efficient both in terms of cost and power output.

Here are some links to information about these projects

A 10 page pdf on the Solar Tres project in Spain

The Solar Project (Wikipedia)

A power point presentation on modern solar power

An article from the National Renewable Energy Lab

At the beginning of World War

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 10/04/2009 - 10:13.
At the beginning of World War I, airplanes were very scarce and primarily used for surveillance. Both the English and the Germans had aircraft designed to be observation platforms, and that was the extent of their use. Few people seriously regarded airplanes as practical war machines; early military officers, like much of the public, thought of airplanes as expensive toys, frivolous and of little practical use. They were noisy, breezy, hard to communicate within, and dangerous. Typically, their engines would quit at any time without notice, and flight crews would be lucky to survive. In the early days of the war, it was very rare for a pilot to come across another aircraft in flight. It was even more unusual web hosting providers to come across an enemy aircraft. Eventually, however, that is exactly what happened. When the two pilots realized that they were flying alongside one another, after the cursory waves to each other, they proceeded to fly along a little further. Then one of them realized that the other truly was the enemy and decided that action was required. Reaching into his tunic, he pulled out his revolver, carefully aimed it at the other aircraft, and squeezed the trigger. The other pilot decided to turn and run. Thus, aerial warfare was born. From those very humble beginnings in World War I, the job and title of fighter pilot has become synonymous with heroism. From airplanes that flew no faster than 80 miles per hour to jets capable of more than 1,800 miles per hour, the duty and challenge of guiding these machines has been one sought after by many.