|
|
|
|
|
|
by pbmonster
1035 days ago
|
|
|
No. [0] Counter-intuitive for most people, but it cannot be done. The explanation is a mixture of heat flowing both ways, and a law called "conservation of étendue" (you cant focus light beams down as much as you'd think). The link explains the details much better than I could. [0] https://what-if.xkcd.com/145/ |
|
|
I'm still convinced the electrical energy collected on a few acres of solar panels fields, could be used to heat a small piece of metal hotter than the surface of the sun. Or am I understanding this problem entirely wrong?
I mean, I do understand why a large array of mirrors and/or lenses won't heat a surface up more than the source. But if we convert and then "upgrade" it (probably with a lot of efficiency loss) i'd think it possible.
And if we collect over time and store that (e.g. as hydrogen, or in batteries) I'm pretty sure we can get it even hotter.