Solar Death Ray 10,000 suns 48" DIY Giant Archimedes Parabolic Mirror Reflector

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

This video took 40+ hours to produce/edit/voiceover. My higher production quality videos never seem to get many views compared to simple stuff? Oh well, it was a good experience.

[@boa9535]

GREENPOWERSCIENCE: it is a great experience on my end, too.

[@Ben-gg9in]

Hi GreenPowerScience, how can i get something to burn at 10,800 degrees F? Thanks!

[@HOLLYHOUSE11]

I think I love you.

[@johnconrad5487]

@@HOLLYHOUSE11 HE ALREADY HAS A WOMAN. SO BACK OFF WITH THE 'LOVE YOU' STUFF.....

[@HOLLYHOUSE11]

@@johnconrad5487 sounds like Maybe you need a nap.... And some Jesus or something... Or a cocktail... Relax.

[@EdgeRetro]

Your generosity in sharing is unparalleled. You're the king of highbrow lowtech!! Thanks yet again!!!

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Thank you for the nice comment. I thought this video would have been a bigger hit. Almost 9 months and total video views = what someone burning a cell phone gets in 2 days. Our videos are getting buried in search results for some reason. 94% of the views were driven by our website, or FB page and our KZbin homepage. Only 1,800 views from YT.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

The mylar has held up for 4 weeks so far with a vacuum. And when the vacuum is removed, the reflective surface is flat and near distortion free so it seems to hold up without expanding. The mylar can accept tight stretching when making. This prevents sagging.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Yes, then a thin spray of enamel paint to preserve it. The two I made are sitting outside in FL weather, while the humidity is lower than summers, they are both holding up well.

[@dfox344]

I believe that in ancient times someone suggested polishing shields and using the reflected energy of the sun to decimate an approaching fleet of wooden ships. I see now how this could have happened. Great video. Thank you for sharing.

[@justinklenk]

Archimedes!! 👍

[@executivesteps]

How far away are the ships? How big were the reflectors? We’re they flat or slightly concave. The story is theoretical possible but practically not likely.

[@dfox344]

@executivesteps obviously someone had the knowledge or else it wouldn't be history. Unfortunately, we weren't there but it was unlikely that it was a fiction writer testing the waters.

[@lonelyneuron]

Thanks a lot Dan, for taking time to answer. I take your solutions very seriously. Amazing and affordable.

[@bingosunnoon9341]

Really good video, full of useful tips. Excellent low cost collector. I made one of these reflectors forty years ago. Used commercially available ground and polished stainless sheet circle sheared. It worked OK, never measured it but I'm sure it would melt lead. College project in Phoenix. It was already 140 degrees on the roof of the engineering building.

[@TheKingofRandom]

Awesome video Dan. I love how you present your ideas on applied sciences and the results of your experiments from even 6 years ago! I'm always learning something new from you brother!

[@intermouse]

Whaa

[@flireferret3050]

F

[@masakikiriko13]

King of Random,salute,RIP.

[@o0Noctuabundus0o]

F

[@forloop7713]

8 years ago

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

The first surface mylar will oxidize if placed on the outside years of exposure. Place the conductive first surface side, inside and mist with enamel paint. This seals the aluminum exposed surface and it will last years without turning golden yellow. The mylar is inexpensive so the front can be re-stretched every year or so with extreme usage. I have mylar flat mirrors that have sat in the rain and Florida humidity for years and they are still good.

[@hansbraun2726]

you are such a great asset to anyone learning in the fields you cover. Thank you and keep up the awesome work😊

[@PhilippinesDarrellCheeks]

Thanks Dan, I live in the Philippines and this is going to be a big help in helping those in the villages to cook. I am home (USA) for the holidays. I just want to make sure I get the right blanket.

[@JD-iu2xh]

Gotta love this guys "fashion sense". Truly a Florida Man!!!

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

I will have a video on a round mirror. I just made one in 15 minutes:-) It is like a drum and a near perfect parabola/spherical shape. The mirror flat is distortion free, vacuum it casts really good images on the wall. May be a first surface telescope option too. Will test with the moon tonight if the clouds go away! With a little trick, the wrinkles go away.

[@Research0digo]

Tesla's great grandson. :D

[@philcampagna1680]

Entertaining and informative. I can see so many potential applications for this.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Les has a good TV show, the water bottle trick and clear plastic water lens would be a perfect fit. Happy Holidays!

[@MisterDivineAdVenture]

Okay - one trick you missed (besides using decent plywood for a back) is once you have it stretched, to go ahead and do a pass with a hair drier. I THINK this will remove the last vestiges of creases - unless the blanket was heat-pressed, which I don't know why it would be. Mylar is apparently a good memory material and returns to its original shape with just a bit of heat. The sun won't heat that mylar up, but hot air will.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

All mirrors are 2 way mirrors. All glass mirrors when coated have a first surface side but grey paint is added to cover the aluminum for protection in household mirrors. Get a good mylar blanket and stretch it flat. The side with the most light will be a mirror, the darker side = cloaked 2 way view. You need a brighter side like cop movies. Detectives in a dark room, interrogation is a well illuminated room. Either side will work, the light makes the difference. Swap the light swap the effect.

[@arthurmunoz3597]

Pretty stright foward and great instructor skills, that you Mr. Rojas.

[@Stain3610]

Hi Julie, im unsure about the electrical part myself, but the shut off valve / vacuum 's function is to change the focal length, ie: focus/ concentrate the light, so yes to use this to cook, you'd want to focus the suns light on the pot / pan, you will need to do the vacuum / shut off valve bit. The electrical part probably just makes the surface a bit more reflective, but maybe not 100% necessary

[@warrenscott2044]

I like this concept ,it is the method that I have been looking for..Back in 1992 I polished an 8 ft diameter Cband satellite receiver dish to be used as a solar collector .The polishing of this dish took a long time and the reflectivity was only around 75% at the best .It did set lumber on fire.

[@PhysicsExperiments_dot_org]

Dear GREENPOWERSCIENCE Is you mirror really a good parabole? Or is it maybe somewhere in between parabole and spherical shape??? Schlierenphotography requires a good parabolic mirror. But those mirrors are very expensive. Could you please run a test with your mirror to see if you can achieve Schlierenphotographie?

[@georgecrabtree2013]

Your paintings were fantastic! I had no idea you both were so talented!

[@sykoteddy]

It's always fun until someone gets hurt, then it's hilarious! I absolutely love Denise reaction at 08.15

[@arminvonnamberch3489]

8:15

[@skybike89]

Very well produced, thank you for taking the time to make this for us.

[@drobgyn5615]

R u still alive bro 10yrs later

[@CyberMacGyver]

Dan, you my favorite backyard genius... still 👊

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Thank you Cyber MacGyver. 👊

[@soulsaucegoodwin319]

I second

[@vorox7658]

I third

[@colinmartin2974]

Very nice work, this can also be used with an old font (cast iron) radiators, mounted in a frame and a clear plastic cover to protect the radiator from the cold air. filled with water and connected to a storage tank of 200lt - 400lt. by fitting a pressure release valve and a central heating pump the water in the tank can be heated to 40-50 deg during the day. this tank can be placed in line with the other tank electrically heated to supply your bath or shower etc. by placing the new tank vertically and feeding in cold water at the bottom and taking the hottest water from the top, to feed your electrically heated water tank.. your ability to supply hot water is now doubled as you will be feeding the normal tank with hot water or well warm water rather than cold water direct in from underground.. result is you can take longer showers, fill a bath tub and still have gallons of hot water left.. the amount of electricity required every day to reheat the tank will decrease. and you save a fortune....

[@jounik8980]

Money cannot be saved, but nature and electricity can

[@cosmefulanito5933]

Metric System please.

[@hughjanus7131]

Learn imperial sir

[@a_asp829]

No​@@hughjanus7131

[@whatsupwalbany9218]

convert it yourself

[@a_asp829]

Yes ⠀

[@BastianQPagh]

Si units rise up

[@jacobopstad5483]

Something I've been wondering about for a while now is whether this would work with reflective plastic packaging from things like potato chips. If so, it would be a great way to repurpose it since supposedly it can't be recycled.

[@0penEyesAndMind51]

That is mylar, it works! 👍

[@jacobopstad5483]

@@0penEyesAndMind51 Oh, thanks!

[@ibewgypsie]

Yeah that barrel comment, well.. use the top 8-12 inches from a plastic barrel, use the Mylar blanket as this time, on the open back side make a air tight diaphragm of a stronger material like a pond liner, a lever connected to the center, a hand grip, squeeze the handgrip and lever to focus, on the opposite side a loop handle to steady aim.. instant focus mirror. Real-death ray. Add a HID LED and you got a hand held stage light. What a cutie.. (and I mean Denise) I enjoy the videos.

[@rldabomb33]

Will it work to heat up a pool?

[@phillytechclub7089]

Love your Experiments ! Started watching years ago. 🔥 I have to make a solar water distiller to make drinkable water and also to cook with. This is the way 😎

[@owenstiles1287]

P

[@966396631]

Very knowledgeable and obviously sincere dedication to the art and science of the craft!! generous sharing of hard earned expertise. Thank you.

[@steealsfreek]

What about doing a cone copper coil that tightens with the beam. Increased surface area might increase output

[@ericbarnes3829]

Consider the shape of the square lens vs the round. There is little parabolic shape on the square.

[@anderwan]

I was so totally expecting Dan to make all of Denise's 2 foot long hair stand on end with the charged mylar!

[@kistuszek]

Hi Dan! I made a smaller scale version of this a while back. I used tin foil instead of mylar. But it seems that the material stretched under the pressure constantly, so a few days later it hit the bottom and become useless. Does mylar stretch similarly?

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Hi, The channel is ROJASDAN ON KZbin but there is no art on it right now. Just some stretching methods for canvas and some dog rescues. Denise's older art page including some commissioned paintings is at DENISEROJAS. com

[@DownTheRabbit-Hole]

Note: Silicon is a waxy rubber gasket that never completely seals to any surface. I recommend using polyurethane if you want a permanent aittight seal.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

It is less than 1 mil. Thicker mylar works but does not stretch well. Look for mylar blankets. They are cheap and thin.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Yes, our Level 2 lenses will be ready soon. They are almost ready.

[@pacerodi]

Hi Dan, did you ever try to heat up the tip of a Magnetron with your lenses, to check if you can get any juice out of it?

[@davidbostock6776]

Your videos are great. I like that you put numbers to your projects and for this one show the square version has practicle precision. If I were to do one I think a 6 or 8 sided one would be almost as easy to build. Probably round over the inside edges with a router. For me practicle solar reflector applucation will be soil / mulch sterilizer of 55 gallon steel drum with aluminum foil over scavanged coroplast reflector. Don't know if Anyone has done this or not, seems obvious. Another low cost / low fabrication / universal parts availability solar cocentrator design uses a 4'x4' piece of masonite cut in a spiral with aluminum foil glued to it attached to 1x2 crosspieces cut to angle the around 2" wide spiral into a fresnel reflector. Use search term - steenblik spiral fresnel - redrok is an interesting hit. I think wind will be less of a problem with this design than solid designs.

[@WhatAWondWorld]

It is interesting. Excellent method! Thanks

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Inside before you seal the back on. once the mylar is stretched.

[@ChesterofBanora49]

Thanks for all your inventions and projects Dan ! I really enjoy your channel .....good stuff Much more honest and down to earth than Myth B.....s :)

[@rightsidelanechoice7702]

If you look into re felting a pool table from a company called Game Cloth they have an instruction form on attaching the cloth at given points to give it consistent grain and be equally tight in all areas.

[@CB-kl5ew]

I have been looking, looking, looking for cheap reasonable solution for a green energy stainless steal boil tank. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!!

[@dr.rajasaurusandunclebonec6526]

Archimedes would be proud

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Denise thanks you for the comment too:-)

[@utenzil]

I would like to create a parabolic mirror based swimming pool heater to extend the swimming season.This is for a pool in US mid Atlantic region where sunlight is fairly abundant in the early summer and fall, but because the temp drops at night the water stays cold. I'm thinking of something that focuses the light on a set of black pipes. There would be no pump, I'm thinking the water could get very hot and cause flow thru the pipes.

[@corpsie666]

Yet another awesome video. :) I hope you two are still involved in the art world too.

[@scootermadman4325]

Another Fantastic production! Thank you for this and all your videos.

[@BelieveItOrNottt]

for the small scale competition, I don't think the boys won fair and square. They can't use some technology that was not available to Archimedes. For the large scale, they accomplished the death ray but at 75 feet, it couldn't be that effective in a battle since the archers could easily target the mirrors from that distance. Nonetheless, Archimedes had the resources, manpower and money of a King defending his country so whatever apparatus he had must have been on a very large scale.

[@V8VRUte]

as soon as i get paid, im going to the hardware shop, i just made one of these stretching it over a medium bowl, managed a slight parabola by putting it in the freezer for a few mins and then was able to light a leaf with heavy cloud cover, i want to make one i can pull a propper vac on now

[@pgalaxy]

Greetings, I bought one of your lenses, arrived safely- but have not worked out how to use it to make a fire, can you provide some explanation please?

[@alejoramirez5846]

Six minutes and 5 commercials, just take away the desire to continue watching this great video

[@JohnSmith-nh3bc]

Gonna try that stretched mylar mirror in my aquaculture 3 in 1 root electrified hydroponic enclosure. Thanks man！

[@umwoods]

I’m curious if you have footage of the Mylar with electrical current running through it in the dark? Might be a fun short video :)

[@vodious]

Thanks for the videos! Could using hula hoops some way with this type of design yield a better parabolic shape and a better focal point?

[@toamaori]

flexible glass with a mirror finish similar to what corning has developed would be an ideal material to experiment with

[@7pines77]

I wonder if you were to leave some slack in the Mylar instead of stretching tightly, then vacuum . would you have a concave that would give a more focused light?. I’d be interested in trying to make a heat treating oven or forge using this technique

[@srinivassiddarth]

Your contributions to experimental science involving green energy are highly commendable and thanks a lot for sharing all your beautiful and practical videos. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@trmwyldshade1482]

Instead of using a vacuum to distort mylar, do you think a bit of string glued to the backside, center of the mylar sheet and then pulled to distort the mylar would work or do you think it would tear out to easily? Maybe if the mylar was laminated to a heavier fabric, it might work? It would eliminate need for a vacuum mechanism.

[@maituub]

The box is totally sealed, so after pulling the vacuum close the valve & you can go on with the mirror without permanent using a vacuum cleaner or pump.

[@godblessamadi3269]

thanks for transfering this great knowledge i love physic power

[@jeffreycoronel6595]

heat can be stored to thermos collection as water heater or could turned into mechanical energy or steam energy

[@luctheriault4792]

I’ve been wanting to try something like this. So many questions.. focal length variability, auto trackers (raspberry Pi), hydro turbine power source? Multiple mirrors focused to increase temperature.. melt aluminum for casting art pieces? Guess I’ll subscribe to get some answers.

[@noutram1000]

If you were to inlay some sort of circular former into the square frame before suction it would form a circular concentrator albeit with a smaller area than the square -would there be any advantage to a circular concentrator? (E.g. more precise focal point perhaps...)

[@PhilippinesDarrellCheeks]

Hi Dan, you may have covered this, but I missed it - what is the thickness of the mylar and does it matter ? Thanks in advance

[@Abbje56]

So you could use this to create steam to turn a wheel to charge a battery for free energy?

[@6027jkl]

Hello Dan, I love your videos, they're very informative. Have you ever tried this using a round form for your vacuum frame? It may not be worth the effort, but it seems like you could get a very precise focus. Since you use coroplast material, you could build the whole thing out of it. Using a few thicknesses to beef up on the sidewall , would increase the thickness of the side wall, making it strong. Just a thought. Thanks for the great video.

[@bloodsweatandtearsforeverl9833]

Please focus the beam with a secondary magnifying lens, that's the part Archimedes neglected to mention

[@M.Huling]

That’s really neat, I’m into astronomy and I pondered the idea of making a parabolic mirror for a telescope. Something roughly about the size of that round mirror. Do you think that I could possibly do that? And if so, do you have a video on how to do that? Thanks and I really like your video

[@FixItYerself]

he sells giant paralyzed mirrors in his store. it would interesting to see a telescope made with one for sure! hope you video it!

[@federicomachon8841]

A BIG THANK 😊 🙏 I live in guatemala this will be a LOT of help

[@windycityl]

I have a question can you use that to position the sun to your solar panels or will they get too hot and mess it up ?

[@chimpchowder5774]

That's an awesome idea. Bet if you did that to the top of a 55gallon drum you could easily cook with the focal point!

[@lemilemi5385]

would a circular cut out to begin within a cylindrical vacuum create a sharper focal point? Oh I just got to 2:40 !

[@Paxmax]

Haha, love the reaction of wife, doesn't get mad but will probably get even soon! That is the spirit.

[@michaeltheoret8913]

It would have been even funnier if Her hair stood up and got all fuzzy .

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

My Snowball microphone for the mac does that. I am getting a Shure soon.

[@orawal]

Focusing solar energy for explosive results. I wonder if this was ever thought of/used for war purposes

[@Bushcraft-xz6xd]

Look up Archimedes.

[@robertszymanski717]

Watching this reminds me of a 1961 Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-fi ", Atlantis the Lost Continent". A dictator mad scientist has a giant mirror covered with crystals is powered by the sun and shoots a giant laser like Ray! Cool sci Fi effects! He fights with the hero in the movie and gets zapped into a skeleton by his own device that's swinging side to side by an Earth quake......

[@reginaldhuckstable9797]

Phenomenal video. Great quality and very well put together. Keep it up

[@shwethakashyap5207]

Wow! You've explained it so well!

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Noted, and added to the title:-) THANK YOU!!!

[@readerbenjamin]

lmao. "You can make your own seizure ray".... had me laughing. Good stuff!

[@prakharmishra3000]

Mylar is also used to make AC capacitors

[@boblewis5558]

Would it not be an idea to make longitudinal reflectors so that the bulk of the parabola lies along the length of a long narrow box and having a short focal length then place one or more of these BEHIND pipes containing suitable fluid (not necessarily water, but if so with a dosage of antifreeze for winter). Heating from solar is WAY more effective and efficient when the heat is collected directly rather than using solar PV for electrical heat. Thoughts? Suggestions? Other uses?

[@tzkelley]

Dan, can this technique be used to make a two-way mirror? I'm in need of a cheap one for Halloween and your comment about being able to see through the non-silvered side makes me think it might work.

[@scurling2993]

Just subscribed...! Great detailed video. I'm searching for ways to heat water for my outdoor pool. So, what is the minimum focal length on this specific mirror device? I'm thinking it may be a little too long for my needs, and may want to start with a 2x6x48 frame.

[@practicaltactical1336]

Can light intensity (lumens)be increased without the heat? Thanks

[@charronfamilyconnect]

What do you layer the surface of your custom solar mirrors with? Is it aluminum, Silver? Thanks fro the video!

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Thank you Mike.

[@alexandromigueldominguez8226]

wow! Dan're fantastic, you know I want to know what kind of material you use to make those parables I mean the reflective material, please'm very fond of this kind of thing, I hope your answer brother.

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Made a few more.

[@GianfrancoFronzi]

Good one Greenpowerscience .

[@manushag1760]

Guys I just found a good website which gives you free_xbox_live_gold_c0des plus.google.com/105285816099913202128/posts/Ex5SZzrFiBd Solar Death Ray 10,000 suns 48" DIY Giant Archimedes Parabolic Mirror Reflector

[@GianfrancoFronzi]

Good stuff Greenpower .

[@lukewarmwater6412]

could the beam be focused even more with a lense? seems like a fresnell lense might focus it tighter, making it more of a solar laser. not that this isn't really really cool, it absolutely is.

[@chuffpup]

Fun factoid: I made a balloon from mylar, by cutting two big circles (2 blankets) taping the edges with double sided tape. In the center of one I cut a small hole and hot glued a short length of thin plastic hose, this was for filling it with helium.Filled with a helium/air mixture and plugged, it looked like a giant chrome peppermint.Plasticene (ballast) on the hose to weigh it down, so it didn't shoot up in the sky, just floated gently up. A perfect ufo! It's like the parabolic thing, in reverse. This was in the 80s, in New Zealand.

[@leehaelters6182]

I would like to know why the curve achieved is described as parabolic and not spherical. If the material was stretchy enough, and continued to be sucked into a much, much larger chamber, it would begin to form into a spherical bubble, no?

[@JouniKyyronen-nv1ep]

Best reflector solarpanel. U can easily take seawater and boil it to make driving water in pipe

[@edstewbob]

Excellent detailed instructions. Thank you very much.

[@tzkelley]

Thanks, Dan!

[@GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Thank you for the nice comment!

[@evolopterus]

What an AMAZING channel!