Prof. Dr. Abdelsamie Moet

Fall 2012/13

Pharos University in AlexandriaFaculty of Engineering

HU 121 History of Engineering and Technology

Evolution of Solar Energy Engineering

Lect4

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ILOs

Knowledge of the various energy sourcesAppreciate the concepts of energy sustainability

and greennessLearn the major evolutionary engineering steps

in solar energy applications

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Food (e.g., agriculture, biotechnology)

Shelter (e.g., construction),

Water (e.g., supply and quality)

Energy (e.g., production, distribution)

Mobility (e.g., transportation)

Production (e.g., manufacturing)

Health (e.g., medical technologies)

Communications (e.g., Internet, satellite)

Contexts

Reflect issues relating to personal, societal and global concerns

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Themes

•Design (e.g., optimization, trade-offs, specifications)

modeling (e.g., representation and prediction)

•Systems (e.g., function, structure)

•Resources (e.g., materials, energy, information)

•Human values (e.g., sustainability, innovation, risk, failure, social interaction).

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Energy Sources

Wind Hydro

Biofuel

Nuclear

Hydrocarbon

Sustainable?

Green?

Sun

Fuel Cells

Geo-Thermal

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Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is thermal energy that is generated by and stored in the Earth.

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Solar Energy: Brief Timeline

1500 BC

1950s --

~ 1850Henry Bessemer

1839:19-year-old Edmund Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect

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Solar Energy: Timeline BC

~ 1500 BC Egyptian ruler Amenkotep III supposedly had “sounding statues” that emitted a tone when air inside was heated by the sun

~ 212 BC Archimedes used burning mirrors to set fire to ships

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Solar Energy: Timeline 18th Century

~1700 French scientist, George Buffon, made multiple flat mirrors to concentrate light to a point. He ignited a wood pile 195 ft away (wood ignites at ~250°C)

~1760 Swiss de Sanesure made a solar oven that reached 160°C

~1860 Bessemer made a solar furnace that melted copper and zinc

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Solar Energy: 19th Century

1868 John Ericsson built a

solar-powered 2.5 HP engine

using a parabolic reflector

1912 Prof. C.V. Boys & Frank Shuman built a 50 HP solar pumping engine at Meadi, Egypt

080130

HU121_Lect5_Solar 13http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Solar/Tesla/Experimentor_1916_Solar_Article.pdf

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PhotvoltaicsThe photoelectric effect was first noted by a

French physicist, Edmund Bequerel, in 1839: He found that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light.

• When sunlight strikes a PV cell, photons are absorbed and electrons are released causing an electric current (Voltage).

• The first photovoltaic module was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954.

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A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support structure or frame is called a photovoltaic module

Multiple modules can be wired together to form an array.

The larger the area of a module or array, the more electricity that will be produced.

They can be connected in both series and parallel electrical arrangements to produce any required voltage and current combination.

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DC-AC System

Photovoltaics produce direct current that usually is converted to alternating current for use in homes and industry.

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Physics/ Material Chemistry

• One Context: Energy• All Themes

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Efficiencyand

Cost

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http://solartribune.com/u-s-breaks-records-with-1-9b-solar-export-surplus-in-2010/

$1.9 Billion

and Economy

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