Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Solar Blimp
just a little faster than a balloon...
  (+9, -1)
(+9, -1) 		  [vote for,
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Build a blimp with a huge black air chamber on top. The chamber should cover the entire upper area of the envelope and have valves at the front (spring loaded, so air can get in but not out) and at the rear (also spring loaded, so it opens when chamber pressure rises above a certain level and closes when the chamber is empty. As soon as the blimp is in motion, air enters the chamber through the front valve until the chamber is full. The trapped air heats up in the sun until the rear valve opens, propelling the blimp forward slowly. When the chamber is empty again, the whole process is repeated. (Several chambers could be used to give a smoother ride)
RaoulDuke, Aug 17 2005


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       The blimp is in motion when the rear valve opens, but that very motion causes the front valve to open, hence both valves are open at the same time?
If the valves were motorised, then it would work better, I think. Gulp, heat, fart.
Ling, Aug 17 2005
   

       I´m not sure if both valves need to be motorised. The front valve won´t open during the power stroke, because the chamber pressure is above atmospheric pressure.
RaoulDuke, Aug 17 2005
   

       .._
( + )
.\ /
..I		   

       Not exactly a stirling engine, because the air is not cooled inside the engine. More like a solar heated pulse jet engine. I think the intake should be at the bottom of the blimp, so rising hot air will make the engine self-starting.
RaoulDuke, Aug 18 2005
   

       //pulse jet// ... er, more like "peristalsis". Very nice, bun for you. Get there before sundown!
lurch, Aug 18 2005
   

       Assuming you have a destination in mind, how you gonna steer this thing?   

       Don't care where you're going? Then why worry about making a little extra groundspeed?   

       Pretty interesting, though.
bpilot, Aug 19 2005
   

       The blimp has a rudder and an elevator. Maybe the exhaust valve should be at the end of the rudder for faster turns. The whole thing could be made from a flexible material like a paraglider.
RaoulDuke, Aug 21 2005
   

       You'll not get anywhere fast, but for the idea of pootling around under the power of solar farts, bun.
moomintroll, Aug 21 2005
   


 
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