New Colony Design Proposal

But I'm not proposing sending the light down the center of the the
cylinder! I've read that thread and agree with your statements. As
the light is split into multiple seperate paths after entering the
cylinder endcap its intensity will diminish. Also, we can design for
the light that's entering to come in via a number of light paths,
each of which doesn't stress existing material limits. We're just
bounded by the area of the endcap we want to devote to the light
paths entering the cylinder. This area can handle multiple light
paths.

> > ...
> > I propose that a scheme in which there is only one cylinder that
> > doesn't precess with the sun. An exterior mirror framework will
> > follow the sun by rotating around a central axis. The mirrored
> > structure can work with one of two technologies 1.) reflecting
> > mirrors; 2.) fiber optic cables.
> >
> As has been discussed before the problem with pipeing the light
energy
> down the center of the cylinder is the intensity of the beam. The
center
> window material requirements exceeds any known material. If the
center
> is kept evacuated and the windows align the axis then the reflector
> material has the same sort of requirements. The nice thing about
the
> windows on the outside design is that it does not require
unobtainium.
> The goal is to keep all parameters within bounds of known
materials. My