太陽能技術(shù)又有重大突破,能量高到能煉鋼
作者:Science Alert
2019-12-05 18:54
A new startup backed by Bill Gates says it has managed to harness solar energy to greater effect than ever before, generating enough heat from a field of mirrored panels to drive the production of cement, steel and glass – processes that are usually reliant on fossil fuels.
一家比爾·蓋茨支持的新公司稱對(duì)太陽能的利用又上了一個(gè)新臺(tái)階,鏡面板產(chǎn)生的熱量足夠用于生產(chǎn)水泥、鋼和玻璃,而這些生產(chǎn)過程通常依賴化石燃料。
In keeping with our modern age, this extra heat and efficiency has been made possible through artificial intelligence: computer software that can perfectly position the mirrors to concentrate sunlight in the most intense way.
由于現(xiàn)代科技的發(fā)展,這些額外的熱量和效率依賴人工智能實(shí)現(xiàn):計(jì)算機(jī)軟件可以完美地定位鏡子,收集最強(qiáng)的陽光。
The company, called Heliogen, claims that its focussed beams of light are able to create a solar oven reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit), something that hasn't been done before in a commercial setting. That means solar power could replace fossil fuels for a host of industrial jobs, not just providing electricity.
這家名為Heliogen的公司聲稱聚焦的光束能夠產(chǎn)生高達(dá)1000攝氏度(1,832華氏度)的太陽能烤箱,從未有這樣的技術(shù)用于商業(yè)用途。這意味著太陽能可以替代化石燃料進(jìn)行大規(guī)模工業(yè)生產(chǎn),而不僅僅是用于發(fā)電。
"The world has a limited window to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions," says Bill Gross, CEO and founder of Heliogen. "We've made great strides in deploying clean energy in our electricity system. But electricity accounts for less than a quarter of global energy demand.
Heliogen公司首席執(zhí)行官兼創(chuàng)始人Bill Gross說:“全球大幅降低溫室氣體排放的方法有限,我們?cè)陔娏ο到y(tǒng)中對(duì)清潔能源的利用成效顯著,但電力需求在全球能源需求中所占比例不到四分之一。”
"Heliogen represents a technological leap forward in addressing the other 75 percent of energy demand: the use of fossil fuels for industrial processes and transportation. With low-cost, ultra-high temperature process heat, we have an opportunity to make meaningful contributions to solving the climate crisis."
“Heliogen公司代表了在解決剩余75%的能源需求方面的技術(shù)飛躍,其中包括工業(yè)生產(chǎn)和交通中用到的化石燃料?,F(xiàn)在有了低成本、超高溫的生產(chǎn)用熱量,我們有機(jī)會(huì)為解決氣候危機(jī)作出有意義的貢獻(xiàn)。”
Energy production through these concentrated solar power plants isn't a new idea, but Heliogen has been able to get its systems to reach temperatures close to double what's currently possible, which opens up a host of new opportunities.
通過集中式太陽能發(fā)電廠生產(chǎn)能源并不是新想法,但Heliogen公司已經(jīng)能夠利用它的系統(tǒng)達(dá)到比目前可實(shí)現(xiàn)溫度高出近一倍的溫度,為我們帶來了很多新的可能。
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翻譯:菲菲