Solar Power Without Solar Cells: A Hidden Magnetic Effect of Light

A dramatic and surprising magnetic effect of light discovered by University of Michigan researchers could lead to solar power without traditional semiconductor-based solar cells. The researchers found a way to make an "optical battery," said Stephen Rand, a professor in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Physics and Applied Physics. In the process, they overturned a century-old tenet of physics. "You could stare at the equations of motion all day and you will not see this possibility. We've all been taught that this doesn't happen," said Rand, an author of a paper on the work published in the Journal of Applied Physics. "It's a very odd interaction. That's why it's been overlooked for more than 100 years."

Source

Interesting, help me out what do we so as some of the ramifications of this?

Sounds very interesting especially when it comes to producing new type of solar panels, but one part makes me doubt that they will have any new tech (at least commercial one) out of this anytime soon.

The light must be shone through a material that does not conduct electricity, such as glass. And it must be focused to an intensity of 10 million watts per square centimeter. Sunlight isn't this intense on its own , but new materials are being sought that would work at lower intensities, Fisher said

reply to post by Thill


I don't disagree one bit. I suppose I just enjoy seeing something in its infancy and speculating as to what might come of it.Thanks for the reply high from me to all the young minds out there hard at work..

reply to post by Thill


Maybe the could use this!

Great find , the potential here is astounding. If they can find the proper substance for this, the ramifications could be amazing. Check the link to the scientific paper at the bottom of the link you posted.S&F

Seems awesome! The only downside, is:

The university is pursuing patent protection for the intellectual property

I doubt humanity will benefit as much as they could, if at all, from this. Watch the patent get bought by a big oil company or something.

reply to post by againuntodust


Big Oil will have its day of reckoning. The future is golden don't loose hope

reply to post by againuntodust


You can't lock things down in a patent. For one - you tell everyone exactly how to make what you did. For another - China will for damned sure make it and sell it, and no one is going to do anything to stop it.

reply to post by superman2012



Awesome lens but I am fairly sure it costs awesome amounts of money to be build So yea they could probably use it to focus the sunbeam (or melt the panels ) , but I doubt it would be cost efficient , at least for now

But I am all for them working on this tech and perfecting it , I am all for solar energy

reply to post by superman2012


That is freaking amazing!
The melting bolt was nuts!
But where is the suns beams coming from, it's upside down, inside a building?
I can't figure the source of sunlight.

Focused sunlight, we can do things with that.

reply to post by Thill


All you need is a satellite dish and small mirrors to reflect the sunlight into one focal point,
shouldn't cost you more than 500$. This is how solar furnaces work,
basic steam engine principle, except you got the sun heating the water as opposed to
coal, oil or wood.

Originally posted by Radekus
reply to post by Thill

 

All you need is a satellite dish and small mirrors to reflect the sunlight into one focal point,
shouldn't cost you more than 500$. This is how solar furnaces work,
basic steam engine principle, except you got the sun heating the water as opposed to
coal, oil or wood.

Didn't know that , thank You for clearing this up for me , well in that case I guess the breakthrough might produce some new tech sooner than I thought ,that is very good news then

reply to post by Thill


Technology is already being used.

Look up solar furnace.

Build these in deserts where there's not many clouds
and you can power the entire north American continent.

reply to post by Radekus

However, there is a way to “boost” solar power to make it more affordable: Instead of converting sunlight to electricity, solar thermal power plants, also called concentrated solar power (CSP), harness the sun’s energy by converting it — with the help of mirrors that focus the intense energy — to heat. There are several different configurations of mirrors that CSP plants can use. Some plants — such as the California SEGS plants — use “parabolic troughs,” curved mirrors that focus the energy onto pipes containing circulating oil, which absorbs the energy and uses it to heat steam to power a standard generator. Another kind of concentrating solar technology, solar “power towers,” uses a large field of sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats that face a central tower and focus the solar energy onto a receiver on its top. The intense energy concentrated onto the tower produces temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,732 degrees Fahrenheit). That thermal energy then heats up water, producing steam that drives a turbine to produce electricity.

Maybe you could use both the more traditional heat to steam and this new magnetic effect at the same time?

reply to post by iforget


Lots of new tech is being discovered every day. The other day I read about materials that absorb radiation and convert it into electric current. The only problem with the state of affairs in our present world is governments, we should abolish political parties and instead of voting for leaders we should vote on laws. That would be true democracy in my opinion. Then and only then would things work out for the best.

reply to post by Radekus


Do you have a link to that article? sounds like something I might like to read.

I was going to add that anyone who has used a simple magnifying glass to ignite fires with knows that it's not all that complex to concentrate light into a very powerful beam of light containing a significant amount of energy using even a small plastic lens.

Fiber optics can do the same thing AND transfer the light energy with minimal losses to a concentrator lens as well.

reply to post by iforget


You won't find it anywhere because I came up with it, after years of surfing left wing and right wing dogmas, I came to the conclusion that we can't have anyone ruling over anything. It has to be a bureaucratic system (governments run off bureaucracy anyways, leaders just pass laws and make decisions) that is governed by the people. How else to make it possible than to have people vote on issues. I'd expect a higher rate of votes if people had a direct say in everyday governance. Of course limits on income as well as business growth would have to be imposed to avoid corporate take over, banks would have to be nationalized, resources as well, this would fund free education and free health care, as well as financial incentives for small businesses to flourish and policies aimed at medium businesses that allows them to remain competitive. Find alternative energy sources, release all suppressed technologies and information regarding our every day life, such as, but not limited to, discovery and immediate use of alternative energy sources, alternative propulsion systems, and any information pertaining to Extraterrestrial contact, full and absolute disclosure. Full and absolute transparency regarding Government spending, to the cent. Formation of a civilian anti-corruption bureau aimed at stamping out government corruption. Immediate withdrawal of ALL military personnel from around the world to secure our borders. Mandatory military service. An expansion on the second amendment, make it so no one can infringe on the god given rights for you, your neighbor and his dog to own a rocket launcher. When governments fear the people, there is freedom, when people fear their government there is tyranny. Voting would occur on the city level, the state level, and the federal level. Oh, almost forgot, eliminate credit cards and criminal records. Anyone who does petty crime shouldn't be handicapped by a criminal record and unable to find work.
I believe that anyone can change if given the opportunity, of course then there's the odd ball wacko, again, I mentioned petty crime right?

reply to post by Radekus


Ok i was just curious . Your post I guess is a whole new subject, though I wouldn't say I disagree with many of your principals.

reply to post by iforget


well, we could open up a new thread if you want.
Could call this new form a governance Legislative Social Democracy.