[TheForge] How to melt steel with sunlight: 2

[James Binnion]

I think it was the one at Odeillo in the Pyrenees-Orientales that one dates back to the early seventies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_furnace
see
On Nov 29, 2010, at 8:37 PM, Mike Spencer wrote:

> 
> I recall seeing a magazine article back in the 70s about an aluminum
> smelter (foundry?) in (I think) Italy.  The melting pot (?) was in a
> pod at the top of a tower.  In a field below was an array of big
> parabolic mirrors.  What's the geometric term?  The shape you get by
> translating a parabola perpendicular to the plane it's drawn in rather
> than rotating it.  Shape like a sagging sheet of paper, not like a
> candy dish.  That kind of parabolic mirrors.
> 
> The mirrors could all be synched to the sun with some kind of
> electronics.  And there was a big heat-proof door in the pod.  Synch
> in the mirrors, open the door and the pot of aluminum melted real
> quick.  Used enough power to drive the mirror servos versus enough to
> operate a gigaundice arc furnace.
> 
> Time Magazine maybe? Circa 1971?
> 
> 
> FWIW,
> - Mike
> 
> -- 
> Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
>                                                           /V\ 
> mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^
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James Binnion
jbin at well.com