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58 of 60 people found the following review helpful. The book begins by discussing the reasons to develop devices powered by solar energy. Economics and efficiency comparisons are made to standard energy sources. Among the projects discussed are two model solar water heating systems, a solar oven for cooking food, a basic solar water distiller, and a simple solar furnace. The solar furnace generates temperatures high enough that paper products can be ignited and low temperature metals can be liquified. Information is included on commercial solar furnaces. Next readers are shown how to build a simple thermoelectric generator that transforms heat into electricity. You are shown how to power the generator using the solar furnace from a previous chapter. Next readers are shown how to build a homemade photovoltaic cell using a copper sheet. Photovoltaic cells generate electricity directly from sunlight. This is followed by an advanced photovotaic cell construction project. Here you make a solar cell that uses photochemistry to mimic photosynthesis using photosensitive dyes that promise cheap solar electric power. The reader is taught how to build a solar engine, which is useful for tasks such as pumping water for storage and irrigation. Solar collector efficiency can be improved by tracking the sun, and to that end the author includes a simple electrical feedback system that tracks the sun across the sky. Also included are five or six smaller projects to more fully demonstrate the capabilities of solar energy. These include a rechargeable flashlight, special lights for illuminating a walkway, and simple solar cells. The following is the table of contents: Chapter 1. Why solar? This book isn’t by any means a textbook on solar engineering, but it is a great projects book to accompany the standard texts on the subject that almost never provide the kind of practical experience you can get by building the projects in this unique little book. If you want a good textbook to supplement this book of projects, I heartily recommend “Principles of Solar Engineering” by Goswami. That book has all of the mathematics and theory that really don’t fit into this one. That text assumes little in the realm of mathematical maturity, but if you are lacking prior knowledge of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and thermal circuits, you might find yourself a bit lost. 29 of 29 people found the following review helpful. 16 of 16 people found the following review helpful. |
Very interesting and timely entry in the Evil Genius series
Increasing depth of understanding.