The world’s first artificial sun has gone online in China – and its inventor says the technology could replace fossil fuels within decades. A device called the Solar Tower collects sunlight and transforms it into heat, which is used to boil water and create steam, generating electricity via a steam turbine. According to the inventor, it can produce more than 100 megawatts of power – enough to supply 10,000 homes with electricity, even on an overcast day.
The reason behind building an artificial sun:
As was highlighted during China’s recent 19th National Congress, in March 2017, when Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward his China dream for turning his country into a great modern socialist country by 2035 and creating a new world order. The aim of making an artificial sun is to fulfill that dream. And after reading its description above, doesn't it look like they've already made their first step towards achieving that goal?
How does it work?:
China’s artificial sun generates power using fourth-generation solar-thermal technology, which is known as concentrated solar power. Unlike photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, solar thermal generators use lenses or mirrors to focus energy onto a central point. This focused energy then heats a fluid that produces steam and ultimately powers a generator.
What are its benefits?
For centuries, we have been able to use solar power, but we have never had a large-scale artificial source of it. This experiment could help revolutionize renewable energy and eventually replace fossil fuels altogether. The biggest benefit is that it can provide continuous power, 24 hours a day; as soon as there is sunlight in one location, another part of Earth will be in darkness and vice versa. The machine can also be scaled up or down depending on where and how much energy is needed.
The impact of an artificial sun on earth:
If a Chinese scientist successfully creates an artificial sun, it would make him one of only three people in history to do so. Controlling such a powerful source of energy could significantly help scientists research how technology can be used to simulate conditions on earth that would otherwise not exist. And while many critics are skeptical that He will be able to pull off his experiment anytime soon, there is no doubt that if he did succeed in creating an artificial sun, it would mean huge things for both science and technology as we know it.
China’s artificial sun digital-transformation generates power using fourth-generation solar-thermal technology
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