Menu:
New Technologies at Andromeda Connection
Even though we will not be able to participate in this year's Space Elevator Games, several new technologies have resulted from the R&D we did while building our climber. Two of these innovations were going to be used in our climber and have substantial “real world” potential are:
- Light Trap – This will have patent pending status within the next week or so. When that happens I will post more detail here. In a nutshell, it is a technology that boosts the efficiency of any solar cell or array by 18.5% or more. It can be incorporated into almost any light concentrator unit currently used for concentrating light onto solar cells.
- MOLPSoL – A solar laser. Of course any device producing white light cannot be considered a laser in the strictest sense of the word, but, it's similar to a laser in that it produces a collimated beam of light with a relatively narrow bandwidth. In the “real world”, it will be very useful in a concentrated PV system or a concentrated thermal power generating system. Either terrestrial or in space. Both concentrated PV and thermal systems will benefit from far greater solar energy concentrations than is being used today.
A few other new technologies came to light as a result of our research as well. We hadn't intended on using these in our climber but they are related technologies:
- Dividing Energy Trap – This is similar to the Light Trap above, but has the ability to power both a PV array and a thermal device simultaneously providing at least 90% of the power either would normally require. It is also more efficient for both technologies than is being used currently.
- Stirling Engine Enhancements – Earlier in my research, while deciding what technologies to use for our climber, I did some study on Stirling engines. During that time I came up with several modifications that I intend on developing over the next year. Together they should boost the efficiency of a Stirling engine substantially.
- Electric Motor – While deciding what motor to use for our climber, I did some research on how various types of electric motors work. Their efficiencies, power ratings, etc. A rather major modification to the common pancake motor should provide a substantial efficiency boost. It may even be possible to modify it to be a more efficient generator. I doubt I will have time to work on this one this year.
A couple other ideas have come to me over the last year that are unrelated to the space elevator but are significant none the less:
- Food Bank Coupons – This came to me last November before I heard of the Space Elevator Games. It's a charity program providing a more efficient method for food banks to collect and distribute food to the needy. It is currently being used in Brewster, NY where I live. You can learn more about it here.
I encourage anyone who is involved with their local food bank to adopt this program. There is no charge for using this program. I have given it away free to those who wish to use it. I only ask that it not be used for commercial gain, ie: by a marketing firm. Any and all money generated from sponsorship of these coupons should go back to the food bank. - 8 Cycle Gas Engine – I've been working on this one since I was a teenager. In my teens and early twenties I built several devices of this type with moderate success. I finally came up with the solution in July of this year (07).
It has been known for decades, since the early days of the gasoline powered internal combustion engine, that gasoline will not burn. Gasoline vapor burns, not the liquid. Therefore, it would be far more efficient to inject vapor into an engine than liquid. This has been tried many times in the past using various methods all ending in failure. Seems an engine needs the cooling action of the evaporating liquid to keep the piston and other parts cool. Any attempt to inject pure gasoline vapor into an engine resulted in melted pistons, valves or other damage to the engine.
The 8 cycle gas engine alleviates that problem, adds an extra boost of energy via one of it's processes (no, I won't be saying what that is at this point in time) and can be further enhanced by using it in a hybrid configuration. - Upwind Catamaran – Every couple of years or so, some friends and I rent a sail boat and cruise around the Caribbean for a week. Next time we were planning on renting a catamaran instead of a mono hull. I've never been on a cat before but my buddy Bart has. He's the one with the captain's license to rent the boats. Catamarans are roomier, faster and more stable than mono hulls. Unfortunately, they don't go up wind worth squat. A couple of years ago I built a sailing outrigger for my canoe and had a lot of trouble with it (good things do come from mistakes). I figured out why it didn't work well and figured out how to fix it. It was that experience that gave me the solution to the catamaran's up wind problem. This modification should allow a catamaran to travel up wind as well or better than a mono hull. I doubt if I will have time for this one this year either, but soon. I love to sail!
This brings my list to 130. Anyone who wishes to enter into serious discussions on any of the above items, or anything else that may be on my list, is welcome to contact me. Anyone who has the ability to connect me with an interested party could earn themselves a handsome reward.
Copyright © Sep, 2010 Michael R. Harvey