Large Satellite Dish required

Feb 09, 2013 13 Replies

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George 13 years ago

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.

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Davey 13 years ago

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.

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Andy Burns 13 years ago

Search fleabay for "solar cooker" ...

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The Natural Philosopher 13 years ago

use an array of flat reflectors suitably angled

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Nightjar 13 years ago

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.

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Colin Bignell

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Nightjar 13 years ago

An alternative design:

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Colin Bignell

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harry 13 years ago

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

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Graham. 13 years ago

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

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polygonum 13 years ago

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

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Gib Bogle 13 years ago

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

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Davey 13 years ago

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

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Nightjar 13 years ago

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

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Johann Klammer 13 years ago

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

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

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Rick... (The other Rick) 13 years ago

here you are, instructions on how to make one.

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Looks quite easy. Or

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Rick... (The other Rick)

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