Revolutionary method to generate steam:

http://phys.org/news/2012-11-major-advance-sunlight-steam.html

This will be a really big deal if it works out commercially.

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://phys.org/news/2012-11-major-advance-sunlight-steam.html

This will be a really big deal if it works out commercially.

That's remarkable. Electricity generation as it's done today is in the distant future - we use 2250 psi steam - but for drinking water and cooking, this could change the world.

Originally posted by sasquatch672
That's remarkable. Electricity generation as it's done today is in the distant future - we use 2250 psi steam - but for drinking water and cooking, this could change the world.

Wow, 2250 PSI, 150 atmospheres! What temperature do you have to get the steam up to to generate that kind of pressure? We have what we call the "Bomb", which is a small high pressure test vessel that can generate 10,000 PSI with steam heating, using DI water, something like 100 ml, the inside is about the size of a lunch thermos bottle but of course the skin is 1/2 in thick SS.

It has an electric heater to heat up the water and pressure gauges and temp gauges but we never used it more than a couple atm pressure, 30-40 psi.

So what temp do you have to get to for 150 atmospheres?