Solar motor with light-sensitive plastics.

[nolsson]

This is my first post.  I love reading all the great ideas on this board.  Does anyone think the plastics referred to in this article might be used as a new kind of mechanical/solar motor for efficiently generating electricity?

Nat

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/smart-plastics.html

[Norm]

   Have you ever seen this one?

It was in Popular Science back in the 80's

Unfortunately the picture is missing ....

http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/demos/solar.htm

      Have fun!

          ( :>) Norm

 

[Kwazai]

the solar motor in the other post is like a 100 watt light powered rubber band motor I had seen on the net. the amount of power available is a function of the 'spring' applied at the radius of the 'motor'. my question would be how much would it cost to get a horsepower out of it- not whether it would work.

Plastics are really ,really cheap as recycled materials.

just my .02$

Mike

[nolsson]

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,67228,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

The above article has a little more information in it.  It looks like the prototype plastic resumes its shape way too slowly for my theoretical plastomechanicosolar generator.  I suspect there would also be not very much work produced by the plastic "muscles" contracting.

Nat