Solar ‘Sponge’ Generates Steam From Sunlight
Click here for reuse options!Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology unveiled a new material this week that provides a highly efficient way to convert sunlight into steam and holds major potential for improving technologies like desalination of water and solar thermal power — all with a four-inch graphite ‘sponge.’
The setup developed by MIT consists of a layer of graphite flakes and carbon foam beneath that. It’s porous, which enables the disc to float on water, and the dark color of the graphite attracts maximum energy from the sun.
The end result is a system that converts 85 percent of incoming solar energy into steam — far more efficient than previous methods. “Basically, if you heat up the whole volume of the water, you don’t raise the temperature very much,” Gang Chen, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, told ThinkProgress. “However, if you only heat up a small amount of water, then the temperature rise could be high.”
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
4 responses to Solar ‘Sponge’ Generates Steam From Sunlight
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mea_mark July 27th, 2014 at 10:28
Sounds like a great thing for a lot of people. Anywhere in the third world where water quality is questionable this would be great. Here in America it would be great on camping trips and people who have well water that is questionable. I hope something makes it to market soon that is affordable for the average person.
mea_mark July 27th, 2014 at 10:28
Sounds like a great thing for a lot of people. Anywhere in the third world where water quality is questionable this would be great. Here in America it would be great on camping trips and people who have well water that is questionable. I hope something makes it to market soon that is affordable for the average person.
ChrisVosburg July 27th, 2014 at 14:21
Solar ‘Sponge’ Generates Steam From Sunlight
Now let’s see ya do it without the water, smarty pants.
Not to nitpick [laughing], but this actually generates steam (H2O in it’s gaseous state) from water, using solar energy to heat it. Nevertheless, pretty cool stuff.
ChrisVosburg July 27th, 2014 at 14:21
Solar ‘Sponge’ Generates Steam From Sunlight
Now let’s see ya do it without the water, smarty pants.
Not to nitpick [laughing], but this actually generates steam (H2O in it’s gaseous state) from water, using solar energy to heat it. Nevertheless, pretty cool stuff.