Bill Gates startup may have hit a breakthrough in solar energy

RE: Bill Gates startup may have hit a breakthrough in solar energy

dubbie — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 12:02:35 GMT

You might need more mirrors in the UK. Currently it is cloudy, about to rain and probably only 10 Centigrade. We might be better off with geothermal.

Dubbie

RE: Bill Gates startup may have hit a breakthrough in solar energy

mp2100 — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 20:55:43 GMT

I'd like to hear more about how this is an improvement of the old systems during the 70s/80s fuel crises.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_tower

OK, it uses AI to focus the sun's rays, that's new, but they were able to aim mirrors before we had AI. I looked (well, googled) and didn't find what maximum temperature was achieved back then, compared to this 1832 deg F.

RE: Bill Gates startup may have hit a breakthrough in solar energy

Sean_Miller — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 19:54:55 GMT

This tech will be a major positive for the refining industry as well.

Today, fuel oil, which is a heavier compound that comes in the raw crude, is separated and used to fuel furnaces used in just about every other refinery process. Since its a combustion process, that has a carbon footprint that must be permitted. In addition, it's putting a useful compound up in smoke.

For example, Coke Drums crack the heaviest of residual materials left over after crude by preheating the crude to 1000F. This takes furnance tube skin temps up to ~1400F. Today, fuel oil or natural gas are used to fire the furnaces.

At the front end of the process, the raw crude needs heated up before going into its first separation column after it comes out of the desalters. This, too, takes fuel oil or natural gas.

At first, I thought, how can you make any money if you are burning your material to pre-heat your material. I found that refining makes money on the volume gain they get by refining it into other compounds - not mass refined.

So, solar furnaces could eliminate destroying that fuel and allow it for other processing. This will give it a few more decades of longevity and reduce the refinery's carbon foot print and permitting woes.

If any one can do it, Bill can. :-)

See ya',

Sean

RE: Bill Gates startup may have hit a breakthrough in solar energy

michaelkellett — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 17:59:16 GMT

What the French were doing in 1970 !

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_furnace

I'm hoping Bill's money isn't being wasted here and that there is some new twist !