Ever Wondered What The World's Largest
Artificial Sun Looks Like?
Science & Technology
In an effort to help save our planet, scientists in Germany have created a man-made sun-like device in order to
produce an alternative clean energy source which won’t add to global warming.
Read on to find out more.
Synlight.
According to abc.net.au, the artificial sun is a “giant honeycomb-like setup of 149 spotlights — officially known as
"Synlight". [It] uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight that's often in
short supply in Germany at this time of year.”
The reason behind the concept.
By focusing all the 149 spotlights of Synlight on a single 20x20 spot, scientists will be able to produce ten
thousand times more solar radiation than what normal natural sunlight shining on the same spot would. According to Bernhard Hoffschmidt, who is the director of DLR’s Institute for Solar Research, creating such
extremely hot conditions (with temperatures that reach up to around 3000 degrees Celsius) is the key to
producing hydrogen.
But why hydrogen?
Why scientists are so keen on producing hydrogen is because it makes a super clean energy source in that it
does not produce any carbon emissions when burned, meaning no added global warming effects.
So rare yet so important.
As per Wikipedia, “hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe”, however on earth, it is quite scarce.
What makes the Synlight project and its creation of hydrogen so important is that it could create a future world
in which everything from cars to airplanes can be powered by the zero emission fuel (hydrogen).
The risks.
The project is however not without risks as Bernhard Hoffschmidt stated to The Guardian in a recent interview. “
If you went in the room when it [Synlight] was switched on, you’d burn directly” he said.
The costs.
It is said that powering up the device (Synlight) is very expensive in that just running it for four hours uses up as
much power/electricity as what a family of four people would use up in one entire year!
Time is of the essence .
According to Hoffschmidt, billions of tons of hydrogen would be needed to reach the planet’s clean fuel goals of
powering all man-made vehicles with CO2-free hydrogen fuel; and since global warming and climate change is
steadily on the rise, this innovation would need to be implemented as soon as possible.
Debbie Nel