Solar Power Air Compressors
Air compressors, sometimes referred to as gas compressors,
are devices or tools that reduce the volume of a gas thus
creating pressure and heat in the gas being compressed.
The most common application of this
technology is the common or garden air compressor that you
might have at home for inflating tires or using with a spray
painting tool. However, the technology is applied in many
fields, especially the gas and oil companies, where the
compressed air is used to drive large drills or transport gas
or liquid substances.
Solar power has been applied to air compressors as many of
the regions where gas and oil companies drill is remote and
doesn't have a reliable source of power. It seems kind of
ironic that oil and gas companies might be using solar power to
drive their drill rigs and then selling the oil and gas they
produce to be made into electricity for consumers. Why don't
the consumers use solar power to create electricity in their
own homes. It would probably work out cheaper and the
electricity that was created would be from a renewable source
rather than dwindling fossil fuels. Anyhow, that's another
issue.
Solar power air compressors are the application of
solar power technology to power the compressing of air that
powers a drill or other device. It is the classic theory of
conservation of energy, where one form of energy is transformed
into another.
The basic set up of a solar power air compressor is a number
of solar panels that are made up of photovoltaic cells. The
cells create direct current electricity through the reaction of
photons with silicon dioxide. This direct current is used to
power a motor that works the compressor unit. It can also be
used to charge a battery bank that can be used as a backup when
the sun is not shining or at night.
In terms of non industrial solar powered air compressors
there are a number of portable devices that can be used for
camping or traveling in the outdoors. You can use the device to
inflate a punctured tire or put up a tent. The device can also
be used at home but it would have to be placed outside for a
while to allow the unit to generate power. Solar power air
compressors for home use are made small enough and inexpensive
enough for more mundane uses such as charging up cell phones or
laptops, running pneumatic tools, a source of emergency power
and a number of other uses. They vary in size and
price.
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