Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"The point sticks in your head: physics rules. Virtue does not triumph unless the physics allows it."
- Larry Niven
 |
| Solar Power Apparatus | ||
| An ingenious device to gather solar energy, melt water, power a turbine and get hydrogen and oxygen fuel from ice. |
Ingenious idea for getting unlimited electric power on the moon, without complicated electronic solar panels.
| The engineer had judged correctly for the ground on which the space ship had landed consisted of ice...
"...Now be quick, get out the solar power apparatus and send it down to us from the air-lock by the crane."
 A huge parabolic mirror built of light sheet silver collected the intense heat of the sun and first melted a small amount of ice in a closed container. The water thus formed - which cannot exist free on the airless moon - was heated to boiling, and provided the steam for a little turbine. This was connected with a generator of electric energy, whose current was used for the electrolytic dissociation of melted ice in special containers. The entire system was of such dimensions that in four terrestrial days it would exactly fill the tanks of the ship with liquid hydrogen and oxygen in the right proportions. |
| From A Daring Trip To Mars,
by Max Valier. Published by Wonder Stories in 1931 Additional resources -
|
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from A Daring Trip To Mars
More Ideas
and Technology by Max Valier
Tech news articles related to A Daring Trip To Mars
Tech news articles related to works by Max Valier
Solar Power Apparatus-related
news articles:
- TransAstra Lunar Mining Idea Was Max Valier's In 1931
- Chang'e-5 Lunar Lander Seeks Water
| Star Trek Voyager Replica Tricorder And Galaxy Quest |
| Chang'e-5 Lunar Lander Seeks Water |
| Apollo 8 Astronauts Pass The Equigravisphere |
| China Treating Helium-3 On The Moon Seriously |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'They designed those controls after watching you...take her out!'
'... get out the solar power apparatus and send it down to us from the air-lock by the crane.'
'And science goes on, with scientifiction as its searchlight.'
'The dragon is a skin computer... People put it on their arms and exchange personal data.'
'George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs...'
'...coherent beams at precise wave-lengths passing through her flesh to zap foreign molecules within her body.'
