This is our first attempt at a useable Heliostat for our Fresnel Lenses. In future videos I will have all the information for a DIY system using very easy to find materials. We are developing a controller that is simple to program and can control any type of DC or even AC motors. Once completed I will share some open source information.
Duration : 0:3:29
Youtube added a …
Youtube added a space in album and telescope in the link. Remove them. Also (of course) replace (dot) with a period.
Here’s my freznel …
Here’s my freznel cooking some chicken. It’s a very similar setup to Dans.
img(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/v606/Cyberdactyl/Telescope/Cookin.jpg
img(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/v606/Cyberdactyl/Telescope/lens1.jpg
img(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/v606/Cyberdactyl/Telescope/lens2.jpg
November 16th, 2008 at 6:44 amRe: Cloud cover …
Re: Cloud cover affecting a phototransistor system. These always look for a balance of light. The ones that keep moving simply have not been designed with a setpoint that would tell them movement isn’t worth it at the time. When correctly designed they will only move every 10 mins or so under bright sun, as the setpoint is exceeded.
Your nephew will probably have a very good idea of how to build in this differential, as well as other improvements. BEAM robotics also point the way.
I have a solar oven …
I have a solar oven and recently took a stepper motor out of a copying machine which I thought of hooking up to a ac timer device to turn on and off the motor now and then would be nice to move the oven. the motor I have and there are different configurations is a reversing polarity type which pos and neg is alternated for the motor to move a step. well, maybe relays with batteries and diodes would do the trick. I have to think it over more. nice job there.
I’d figured some of …
I’d figured some of this out on my own, but the dual heat sinks are brilliant. Thanks for the tip.
Make your system …
Make your system self contained. Put the driver and motor in a sealed box along with a gel cell battery. Some of the produced power can keep the battery charged. Heat sinks can be mounted inside and outside and bonded with brass screws through the box (seal with RTV) to keep the internal temperature at the same as the outside temp without circuilating moist air inside the box. I designed my first heliostat in 1977 - Cheers 
Now you must build …
Now you must build the moovement who follows the earth rotation Est to West.This will allow the machine to focus sun permnently.This moovement is in the order of a quarter of degree per minute,such a demultiplication!!!!The last step of your work is a rotating base adapted to the aparatus you show in the video.This way,you will obtain permanent focusing!
Congratulations for this work.Go ahead!!!
Thank you very much …
Thank you very much for the nice comments:-)
Dear Dan and Denise …
Dear Dan and Denise:
We are really proud of your experiments. Solar concentration through optical devises are very promising tehcnologies. We think that the HELIOSTAT SUN TRACKER its very important, in order to capture and profit the most sunlight as possible!!
Good luck with your future developments!
Thank you. You have …
Thank you. You have some nice Stirling Engine Videos.
Stepper motors are …
Stepper motors are the best for this aplication.
Congratulations GPS!
Well yeah, I was …
Well yeah, I was thinking a rubbermaid container. But there’s always leaks and such, especially where the power cord comes out. (It has to have a power cord for the motor.)
I’ll think of something, though. I should really post a video or at least a blog entry detailing what I’ve done with your acrylic mirror idea.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:44 amCOOL! Take some …
COOL! Take some thin plastic or acrylic. Make a rough mold out of clay or cement of the interior components. A block of wood will work too. USe a heat gun to mold the acrylic. Or find a plastic jar/container.
No way! I just …
No way! I just programmed an Arduino to control a stepper to do this same thing LAST NIGHT.
The biggest question I have is how to waterproof the whole thing for being outside full time.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:44 amYou keep doing the …
You keep doing the good work! I want this technology. As soon as i get my trough built I will call.
I think defining …
I think defining the word “heliostat” would have made it easier for me.
The only problem …
The only problem with this video, guys - and I gotta be honest - is that I have no idea what the implications of this device are until about the 2:30 mark, and I was payin attention. The ONLY reason I could sort out what this thing might be good for is because I’ve seen those flat lenses.
I ume you’ll be able to focus the energy of the sun onto the same receptor throughout the span of an entire day if you program the device to move at the same rate the sun travels… needs better explaining
November 16th, 2008 at 6:44 amThank you UKBB. …
Thank you UKBB. Watch for the mouth of Tampa Bay…..
Will make a great video. We are ready. Made major revisions after the 2004 season. Hurricane Charlie would have destroyed Tampa and we personally were sitting ducks. Jeanne knocked our power out for 5 days. We now have generators and 2 storm shelters made out of reinforced concrete.
Batten down the …
Batten down the hatches Dan, the map I saw shows that hurricane coming straight up Florida.
Yes!!!!!!!!!
If I …
Yes!!!!!!!!!
If I can just get some sun. Central Florida has had 73 hours of useable sunlight in the past 67 days. Weird. Maybe after the Hurricane.
November 16th, 2008 at 6:44 amso you could …
so you could distill water all day, sounds like a money making idea!
Just a nit pick:
What you have built is not a heliostat.
It is simply a lens.
HELIOSTAT or CENTRAL RECEIVER SYSTEM:
1. A heliostat is a two axis solar tracking mirror that reflects sunlight onto a fixed receiver.
2. Furthermore, the geometry between the Sun, Mirror, and Receiver are constantly changing throughout the day. (There is a special case, the coelostats, where light is sent along the polar axis and where the geometry is approximately fixed throughout the day.)
3. In general the mirror is aimed normal to the bisector between the sun and receiver.
Here is a stepper motor driver:
http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#jamesley
http://www.redrok.com/images/led7.gif
Or another way:
http://www.redrok.com/beamcircuits.htm#7e2
Duane
January 3rd, 2009 at 12:30 pmI’m not sure if this will get to you, but if Dan Rojas is reading. Thankyou so much for your videos there great! I share your love for off the grid alternative energy. And have enjoyed all your videos. I’ll be watching from here on out to see if any new videos pop up.
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:15 pm