Energy Sources Part A-recovery Utilization and Environmental Effects, Vol.38, No.8, 1089-1095, 2016
On the possibility of direct conversion of solar energy to mechanical work
The original nature of sunlight as some sort of mechanical energy is being emphasized here. By introducing a schematic engine, called the opto-mechanical engine, the mechanism of direct conversion of nearly the entire received solar energy into mechanical work is formulated, while the feasibility of such conversion is discussed precisely. Presently, the main challenge in the realization of engines of these kinds is the needed mirrors, which should be highly reflective.