The concept of Spray on Solar Power Cells

Solar energy is one of the many renewable sources of energy that is today used for providing electricity and for use in many consumer products. Though solar energy does not emit harmful gases into the atmosphere; it has a drawback that it works only in the presence of sunlight.
So in a bid to overcome this default of solar energy, scientists have now invented a plastic solar cell that has the ability of turning sun power into electricity even on cloudy days.
These plastic solar cells work based on nanotechnology and is the first solar cell that can harness the energy found in the sun’s invisible and infrared rays.
With this finding, theorists predict that plastic solar cells are basically five more times efficient than the technology that is presently used for solar energy.
Making these plastic solar cells is easy as the composite just has to be sprayed onto the material to make it be able to use solar energy. In other words, with this composite, you have a sort of portable source of electricity.
With a sweater that is coated with this composite, you will be able to power a cell phone or any other wireless device.
Similarly, a hydrogen powered car that is painted with the composite helps in converting solar energy into electricity, which in turn can be used to continually recharge the battery of the car.
With this idea, scientists and researchers envision a ‘solar farm’ to develop in the future where the plastic material is rolled across deserts so that the solar energy found here is harnessed to generate sufficient energy to supply power to the whole planet.
It is a known fact that the sun power that reaches the earth delivers 10,000 times more energy than is consumed by man today. so scientists infer that if at least0.1 % of the earth’s surface is covered with very efficient, large area solar cells like this composite material, it is possible to replace all the other energy sources on earth with a single source of power that is not only clean but also renewable.
The concept of plastic solar cells is not new; however the material that was used so far only harnesses the sun’s visible light.
It is only half of the sun’s power that is found in the visible spectrum; the other half lies in the infrared spectrum. It is this new material that is the first plastic composite that has the capacity of harnessing this infrared portion of the sun.
All things that are warm radiate heat; even people and animals. This is because there is some power remaining in the spectrum, the infrared portion that is emitted even when it is dark outside.
Specially designed nano particles called quantum dots are combined using a polymer so that the plastic detects energy in the infrared energy of the sun.
In the future, with further developments, it is predicted that this new plastic will be able to harness a maximum of 30% of the sun’s energy, in comparison with the 6% of solar power that is harnessed today in the best plastic solar cells.

Technicalities of windmills

The wind found in all parts of world has its own wind energy; and in a bit to not let this source of energy go to waste, people have been using windmills to harness this energy.
In fact, it is because traditionally wind energy was used to grind grain into flour that it the word ‘windmill’ had come to mind.
The windmill is machine that converts wind into energy with the rotation of a wheel of adjustable blades. Though skilled craftsmen design windmills, it is possible to construct windmill on site using hand tools.
It was in the 18th century that windmills attained maximum prominence in Europe. However they were largely replaced as energy producing structures with the use of steam power in the nineteenth century.
Today there is a large renaissance in windmill technology as it promises to be a feasible alternative to fossil fuels in the future. You can find two types of windmills that are used for harnessing energy; windmills with a horizontal axis and a vertical axis.
It was during the early development of the windmill that the vertical axis design grew popular. However with its inefficiency in operations, researchers came up with the horizontal axis designs in windmills. There are numerous types of horizontal axes versions of windmills that include the post mill, fan mill, tower mill and smock mill.
The post mill is the first design in horizontal axis windmills which was named so for the large and upright post where the body of the mill is found. It is possible to turn the windmill to catch maximum wind, depending on the direction of blowing wind. There is a support structure that is built to keep the post stable while it is elevated from the ground with brick or stone to prevent its rotting.
There are four blades fitted to a central post in a post mill. Its horizontal shaft is connected to a large break wheal that interacts with a gear system called the wallower. This wallower in turn rotates a central and vertical shaft which in turn is used to power water pumping or grain grinding activities.
The smock mill is similar to the post mill, with some improvements. Its body looks like a dress or smock, and so the name. in this mill, the top of the mill is moveable, and this allows the main body structure to be permanent while the rest of the body is adjusted to collect wind, no matter which direction the wind blows. As the main body does not move, it is larger and taller than the power mill.
This larger body permits more equipment to be housed in the mill, and the use of taller sails to collect more wind. Though most smock mills are eight sided, it can vary from 6 to 12.
Tower mills are more improved than smock mills which have rotating caps and have a permanent body of brick or stone. This makes it possible for towers to be rounded, which allows for taller and larger towers.
These towers also make the windmills more weather resistant. All these windmill designs service entire towns, while fan mills are meant for individuals.
March 10, 2011 | Filed Under Articles, Renewable Energy