SINGAPORE: What looks like a crystal ball in a transparent glass case could soon be used to light up underground spaces in a sustainable way.
READ: As the buying and selling of solar energy becomes reality, Singapore could gain further ground on solar targetJust like a magnifying glass, the acrylic ball acts as the solar concentrator, focusing rays of sunlight to form a sharp focus at its opposite side.The focused sunlight is then collected into one end of the fibre cable, and transported to another end that is deployed underground.
"The NTU device, however, is designed to use the round shape of the acrylic ball, ridding the system of heavy-duty motors to align with the sun, and making it compact."To protect the acrylic ball from environmental conditions, the researchers also built a 3mm-thick polycarbonate dome-shaped cover. NTU researchers have found that the device boasts a higher luminous efficacy - the measure of how well a light source produces visible light using 1 watt of electrical power - compared with commercially available LED bulbs.
“The luminous efficacy of our low-cost device proves that it is well-suited for low-level lighting applications, like car parks, lifts, and underground walkways in dense cities,” added Dr Charu.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.