Efficient solar antenna to tune in to the sun

Link to Article Source

So this fellow Brian Willis says he has an efficient method for solar power harvesting. 70% efficiency is the claim. I am thinking that between this technology which is a super efficient Rectenna for energy harvesting and the new nano-graphene super capacitors set to replace batteries solar might just shape up to be the game changer energy tech we all hoped it could become.

reply to post by endats01

Exciting news and I am with you, coupled with the advent of graphene, perhaps we can finally usher in a new era of energy. Hopefully we can successfully side track the existing energy barons, or they can implement this tech into society while still generating profits. But, the tech has to also save the consumer(s) some serious cash.
I look forward to this story's development.

Peace

ETA: More on the story:

"We've already made a first version of the device," says Willis. "Now we're looking for ways to modify the rectenna so it tunes into frequencies better. I compare it to the days when televisions relied on rabbit ear antennas for reception. Everything was a static blur until you moved the antenna around and saw the ghost of an image. Then you kept moving it around until the image was clearer. That's what we're looking for, that ghost of an image. Once we have that, we can work on making it more robust and repeatable." Willis says finding that magic point where a rectenna picks up maximum solar energy and rectifies it into electrical power will be the champagne-popping, "ah-ha" moment of the project.

Read more at: phys.org...

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Hmm a method in which the filthy rich will lose their filthy money?
I don't see this getting very far..

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


Years ago a friend and business partner of mine and I discussed this possibility for energy harvesting from beta decay isotopes. This patent confirms what we had thought possible but the application is light instead of beta decay. I have researched the science he is using so I know that not only will this work it can be used for harvesting energy from other sources even radiant heat or waste heat.

We are going into a very exciting period. Nanotechnology is just starting to take off. The applications like this one and the graphene supercaps are going to change portable technology as well as larger systems for production.

The cost for production using this selective area atomic layer deposition type of fabrication they are using for this is very good.

reply to post by endats01


Think of the scale one/some of these rectennas could be built at too, plenty of energy conversion perhaps. On a solar side note, I have often wondered why magnifying glass have not been coupled with solar panels, like small individual or one plate of magnifying glass positioned over the cells would created exponentially greater input. Maybe this would create more heat than photonic energy, but maybe both?

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


That is done. I have build them for clients in the past. It is not that hard but the cells get cooked unless you heat sink them and that ups the cost. It also works best on poly-crystal cells that are set up on a sun tracker. The power can be doubled. The cost to double the power for poly-crystal cells is just barely less than going with cheaper amorphous cells deposited on glass. The surface area works out nearly the same as amorphous when you add the wider pattern of cell placement required.

It is just barely worth doing when you pay for labor to set it up and maintain the sun tracker and all.

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by speculativeoptimist

 

Years ago a friend and business partner of mine and I discussed this possibility for energy harvesting from beta decay isotopes.

To harvest energy from "beta decay isotopes", you need to have "beta decay isotopes". That's the sticky part. To get a viable energy source, you'll need hell of a lot of radioactive source. It's actually done on some spacecraft, but the technology does not scale well in the civilian environment.

Besides, I don't see much commonality between beta (which are actually fast traveling electrons) and the electromagnetic radiation discussed in the article.

reply to post by buddhasystem


If you have read the research papers and patent about this technology they indicate that the fabrication technology can be altered and optimized for various frequencies including radio frequency and various other frequencies of energy. The beta decay emitting isotope source we have is a by product of one of our processes for energy production.

We were looking for something to do with it that would be cost effective and thought of nano-rectenna arrays with nano scale films of the isotope. This would be layered with a kind of radiation self healing polymer to form energy producing self recharging supercaps. The application would just be for energy production for our own internal use. We have no plans for public sales of this tech. We are just trying to recycle a waste from another energy production system that still contains usable energy if we can figure out how to use it.

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

If you have read the research papers and patent about this technology they indicate that the fabrication technology can be altered and optimized for various frequencies including radio frequency and various other frequencies of energy. The beta decay emitting isotope source we have is a by product of one of our processes for energy production.

a) What do "frequencies" have to do with beta radiation?

b) it really doesn't matter how you obtain the isotope, it's the amount that matters. You statement is curious though, because it almost sounds like you own a nuclear reactor.

I don't suppose you will tell, but what isotope are we talking here?

reply to post by buddhasystem


I have a system for making energy from a nuclear reaction and it produces the isotope K-40 as a by product at about 96% of total materials produced in the reaction. 2% is hydrogen, the rest are Li, B, and the like.

We do not produce anything controlled by the government and do not consume any products controlled by them either. There is no classification on K-40 because it is not found in nature above .017% concentration and it is such a low activity beta decay producer that you could hold a kilo in your hand and still meet NRL regulations.

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

I have a system for making energy from a nuclear reaction and it produces the isotope K-40 as a by product at about 96% of total materials produced in the reaction. 2% is hydrogen, the rest are Li, B, and the like.

We do not produce anything controlled by the government and do not consume any products controlled by them either. There is no classification on K-40 because it is not found in nature above .017% concentration and it is such a low activity beta decay producer that you could hold a kilo in your hand and still surpass NRL regulations.

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

I have a system for making energy from a nuclear reaction and it produces the isotope K-40 as a by product at about 96% of total materials produced in the reaction. 2% is hydrogen, the rest are Li, B, and the like.

We do not produce anything controlled by the government and do not consume any products controlled by them either. There is no classification on K-40 because it is not found in nature above .017% concentration and it is such a low activity beta decay producer that you could hold a kilo in your hand and still meet NRL regulations.

Thank you! What is the nuclear reaction that produces the potassium? I'm very curious.

I would like to point out again the following - if it's a low level source, it will suck as a driver for energy generation.

reply to post by buddhasystem


www.panacea-bocaf.org...

I would point out that we are not currently working on any of his technologies. It would not be prudent at this time.

reply to post by endats01


Right, but was is the specific nuclear reaction you said you were using? You already mentioned potassium, but what reaction leads to its production?

reply to post by buddhasystem

Trans-mutational Processes: Processes, between solid metals, which involves a ‘nuclear catalyst’ and which are placed within a hydrogen plasma environment. Energy becomes available in the form of heat and or electricity, if use is made of plasma vortexes. These processes show substantial energy ‘over-unities’.

The plasma vortex technology uses a hydrogen plasma to erode a light metal anode that is composed of the elements to be fused. These can include any of the metals in the dip in the abundance curve of the elements which includes Li, B, Be, and others.

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

Trans-mutational Processes: Processes, between solid metals, which involves a ‘nuclear catalyst’ and which are placed within a hydrogen plasma environment. Energy becomes available in the form of heat and or electricity, if use is made of plasma vortexes. These processes show substantial energy ‘over-unities’.

The plasma vortex technology uses a hydrogen plasma to erode a light metal anode that is composed of the elements to be fused. These can include any of the metals in the dip in the abundance curve of the elements which includes Li, B, Be, and others.

I see. So you are saying that you in fact have a working thermonuclear reactor that produces energy. This is fascinating. It seems certain that such a discovery will result in a Nobel Prize. How come it's not happening yet?

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by endats01
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

Trans-mutational Processes: Processes, between solid metals, which involves a ‘nuclear catalyst’ and which are placed within a hydrogen plasma environment. Energy becomes available in the form of heat and or electricity, if use is made of plasma vortexes. These processes show substantial energy ‘over-unities’.

The plasma vortex technology uses a hydrogen plasma to erode a light metal anode that is composed of the elements to be fused. These can include any of the metals in the dip in the abundance curve of the elements which includes Li, B, Be, and others.

I see. So you are saying that you in fact have a working thermonuclear reactor that produces energy. This is fascinating. It seems certain that such a discovery will result in a Nobel Prize. How come it's not happening yet?

Dude, can you either deny or confirm what you said? Because it sounds like a tremendous achievement and a discovery. We can debate how an ingenious "rectanna" can add in picking up energy from beta decays (still not clear to me, but you said it would be possible), but for starters I would really like to know how you operate that cool thermonuclear reactor.

Thanks.