Large Satellite Dish required

[George]

I have looked for Fibreglass or alluminium dishes all over the place. There must be some around somewhere, hopefull in Norfolk.

I need something of about 2 metres diameter, to generate steam from the sun, if we ever see it again. Coated with silver paper or foil I would imagine it would be quite possible to construct something that will boil a lot of water quite quickly.

I am thinking of a small high pressure cylinder at the focal point, with water being injected at about 200 psi.

Has anyone seen any laying around - Cheap?

Thanks George.

[Davey]

Isn't there a commercial operation somewhere in Spain? They probably have some useful data, even if it's "Don't Try This At Home". You could always try the place in Diss, on Mission Road. Oxford House, Pete Giddings. He has some kind of space rocket on his plot, he and his dad got started by clearing lots of old military bases in East Anglia.

[Andy Burns]

Search fleabay for "solar cooker" ...

[The Natural Philosopher]

use an array of flat reflectors suitably angled

[Nightjar]

On 09/02/2013 15:34, Davey wrote: ...

This is the world's largest solar furnace. It is a bit sunnier there than in Britain.

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

An alternative design:

Colin Bignell

[harry]

Tried that once. The foil is not as shiny as you think making the focus too diffuse to work properly.

[Graham.]

Steve O'Hara who post in uk.sheds as "Ahem A Rivet's Shot" has had this link in his sig for a long time. Directable Mirror Arrays

[polygonum]

Fresnel seems an obvious possibility - and I was about to post the same link...

[Gib Bogle]

That implies the need to control multiple orientations, instead of just one.

[Davey]

The American TV show "Mythbusters" also built one, and set a boat on fire. Just.

[Nightjar]

That is the way the commercial ones do it. However, that is mainly because they are huge and it would be difficult to make a single mirror of that size, let alone get it to track the sun.

Colin Bignell

[Johann Klammer]

There's a lot of solar tracking related links and other crazy stuff here:

There's a nice DIY instruction for a fresnel concentrator(from 1981) here:

[Rick... (The other Rick)]

here you are, instructions on how to make one.

Looks quite easy. Or

Rick... (The other Rick)