Solar Park South - International Online -  project 73 of 201	browse projects: prev | next
Y-P-Dub Architecture	page 1 (page 2)
yan-ping wang (united states)
New and lightweight light-harvesting materials have captured the imaginations of scientists, engineers, and artists who envision purely solar-powered airborne vessels. Flight by Sunlight takes inspiration from regional history and harnesses renewable technologies to boldly leap into the future – reviving the Archimedes Heat Ray to make fuel-free flight a reality. Hot-air balloons are powered by arrays of computer-controlled heliostats that focus reflected sunlight onto the balloon surface. Concentrated solar radiation heats air inside the balloon. Thin film solar cells convert sunlight to electricity stored on-board. Viaduct sections are expanded to serve as launch stations that double as scenic vistas. Heliostats arranged around stations high on the viaducts which offer ideal focal points for reflected sunlight. Arcs of mirrors beam balloons into the sky, linking the coastal villages and mountainous territories to existing infrastructure.