Sunstone Theory: Sunstones in Practice

stefan de velociraptor
sunstone theory: sunstones in practice
Sun Feb 16 21:50:09 2003
 

Though there are few sunstones in Dinotopia, those that have been recovered have proven of incalculable value to Dinotopian society. the ability to provide both light and energy with no pollution is an amazing benefit.
Most devices that use sunstones use what Dinotopians have nicknamed an 'atlas cradle' or 'sunrise bowl' this is basically a titanium cradle into which the sunstone fits snugly. inside the cradle there is a small cache of non-reactive, non-flammable gas, such as helium. when the sunstone is placed in the cradle and the gas is pumped in the radiation expelled by the stone heats the gas to an alarming extent. temperatures inside the titanium rod and the ball under it can reach up to 2500 degrees centigrade. the metal is then lowered into a stream and the steam produced is used to power a turbine. this procedure produces both electricity and steam (for both heat and pure water). unfortunately the smallest atlas cradle and adjoining generator is too big for humans to carry and weighs around 100 kilos. this is obviously no problem for sauropods however.

atlas cradles are used to heat the pools of The aqua stadium in Waterfall City as well as provide hot showers and lighting to the building. however the power can only be used for 18 hours per day as after this the sunstone needs to be taken outside and recharged in the solar rays still generated at night.

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