Solar pendulum

This solar pendulum demonstrates different scientific principles :

• Concentration of sunlight rays with reflectors
• Greenhouse effect and absorption of solar radiation by dark colours
• Expansion and contraction of water due to temperature changes
• Transformation of solar thermal energy into motion

This project is a very simple solar engine. Even if it doesn't produce electricity, it is a good illustration of how solar power plants work. To boil water in a closed tank, these plants concentrate the sunlight rays in a single point by using a field of mirrors. The pressure of the steam in the tank is then freed to rotate a turbine combined to an electric generator.