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https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-successfully-test-underwater-solar-cells-32-feet-below-the-south-china-sea>
"Under the ocean, things aren't quite so bright.
Much of the Sun's rays bounce right off the ocean's surface, and the ones that
do penetrate the water are absorbed and scattered over much shorter distances
than they are in air.
That's why, the deeper you get, the darker it is.
As such, 32 feet (10 meters) underwater is a pretty unexpected place to put
solar panels, of all things.
And yet, a team of scientists from Yunnan University in China has done just
that.
Their submarine solar cells, mounted 10 meters (32 feet) below the surface of
the South China Sea, were able to collect enough energy to charge lithium-ion
batteries in just two hours.
"Very few studies have been reported on underwater solar cells, and all of them
are focused on very shallow water depths of only two meters or less, a scenario
far from catering for requirements of practical application," says Wen-Hua
Zhang, of Yunnan University.
"This work presents the first functional validation of submerged solar cells
practically operating at a water depth of up to about 10 meters, greatly
broadening their application scope."
They estimate the solar cells could operate for around five and a half years
and could soon be a viable way to power underwater sensors, cameras, and
communications systems."
Via Susan ****
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
