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What's the hottest you can make something using the sun?

BrunoPuntzJones

BrunoPuntzJones

Lifer
So my car sits outside, and while only 100 degrees F outside, the inside approaches 130.

Say if I were to take 6 steel plates, 9ftx9ft each, and make a cube. Throw that out in the sun, how hot would it get inside?

Going along in that vein, what would be the hottest you could make something (either ambient air temperature, or the surface of something) using just the sun?

 
the mythbusters have done several myths related to sun heating, the exploding biscuit dough, the exploding lighter, the greek death ray
maybe some more

they had to use heaters for the biscuit dough and exploding lighter myths, but they are in san francisco , your sun might be hotter
 
I came out to my car the other day and it was COVERED in soda... I was so pissed at first, not knowing what had happened, then I looked in the back seat and found a Coca-Cola can with the lid blown completely off... It was about 104 that day.
 
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: Viper GTS
If mirrors or lenses are allowed:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bclee/lens.html

At least ~420C.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...

I've seen other things like this.

I guess in the big picture, using something like that, how much water can you turn to steam, which turns a turbine...etc.

How much energy could you generate on your own if you had a house in a valley next to a river flowing by.
Click to expand...

Do you realize what you just said? You want to forget about the invention of a paddle wheel that powered coun141tless clothing factories and mills and instead, pipe the incoming water to a solar furnace, boil and evaporate the water, and with the resulting steam, power a turbine? Why would you want to do that?
 
Originally posted by: Safeway
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Originally posted by: Viper GTS
If mirrors or lenses are allowed:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bclee/lens.html

At least ~420C.

Viper GTS
Click to expand...

I've seen other things like this.

I guess in the big picture, using something like that, how much water can you turn to steam, which turns a turbine...etc.

How much energy could you generate on your own if you had a house in a valley next to a river flowing by.
Click to expand...

Do you realize what you just said? You want to forget about the invention of a paddle wheel that powered coun141tless clothing factories and mills and instead, pipe the incoming water to a solar furnace, boil and evaporate the water, and with the resulting steam, power a turbine? Why would you want to do that?
Click to expand...

lol yeah I see where that seems inefficient. I wasn't thinking like how a hydroelectric dam works, but more along the lines of a babbling brook. Something not nearly large enough to turn a wheel, but enough to replace evaporated water so I'm not carrying buckets of water from the lake to the location or having to work a manual pump.

Or better yet have the steam power the pump...
 
Originally posted by: FoBoT
the mythbusters have done several myths related to sun heating, the exploding biscuit dough, the exploding lighter, the greek death ray
maybe some more

they had to use heaters for the biscuit dough and exploding lighter myths, but they are in san francisco , your sun might be hotter
Click to expand...

I have actually seen someone bake a cake using the sun... the middle was a little gooey but it was pretty much done.
 
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
So my car sits outside, and while only 100 degrees F outside, the inside approaches 130.

Say if I were to take 6 steel plates, 9ftx9ft each, and make a cube. Throw that out in the sun, how hot would it get inside?

Going along in that vein, what would be the hottest you could make something (either ambient air temperature, or the surface of something) using just the sun?
Click to expand...

The is because the glass in your windows reflects infrared light much more efficiently than ultraviolet, so when ultraviolet light enters the car and is absorbed by the interior, infrared is emitted and reflected off of the windows. Thus your car temperature increases above ambient.
 
Originally posted by: Safeway
Do you realize what you just said? You want to forget about the invention of a paddle wheel that powered coun141tless clothing factories and mills and instead, pipe the incoming water to a solar furnace, boil and evaporate the water, and with the resulting steam, power a turbine? Why would you want to do that?
Click to expand...

No number?
 
Originally posted by: broon
Originally posted by: Safeway
Do you realize what you just said? You want to forget about the invention of a paddle wheel that powered coun141tless clothing factories and mills and instead, pipe the incoming water to a solar furnace, boil and evaporate the water, and with the resulting steam, power a turbine? Why would you want to do that?
Click to expand...

No number?
Click to expand...

Don't you see it in the middle of a word?
 
Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
Originally posted by: broon
Originally posted by: Safeway
Do you realize what you just said? You want to forget about the invention of a paddle wheel that powered coun141tless clothing factories and mills and instead, pipe the incoming water to a solar furnace, boil and evaporate the water, and with the resulting steam, power a turbine? Why would you want to do that?
Click to expand...

No number?
Click to expand...

Don't you see it in the middle of a word?
Click to expand...

Doh!
 
Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
So my car sits outside, and while only 100 degrees F outside, the inside approaches 130.

Say if I were to take 6 steel plates, 9ftx9ft each, and make a cube. Throw that out in the sun, how hot would it get inside?

Going along in that vein, what would be the hottest you could make something (either ambient air temperature, or the surface of something) using just the sun?
Click to expand...

The is because the glass in your windows reflects infrared light much more efficiently than ultraviolet, so when ultraviolet light enters the car and is absorbed by the interior, infrared is emitted and reflected off of the windows. Thus your car temperature increases above ambient.
Click to expand...

I'm aware of what's going on, was just using it as an example of hot stuff 😛

Not the hottest, but along the same lines here is a satellite dish partly covered with mirrors:

http://www.cockeyed.com/incred...solardish/dish01.shtml

Video is here: http://www.cockeyed.com/body.html
Click to expand...

Ooh man you made me read all that and he isn't finished yet :| That's more of the idea I'm looking at.

Would be nice to have a backyard supply of power when nuclear winter comes :foilhat:
 
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