EP0136336A1 - Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements - Google Patents

Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements

Info

Publication number
EP0136336A1
EP0136336A1 EP84901077A EP84901077A EP0136336A1 EP 0136336 A1 EP0136336 A1 EP 0136336A1 EP 84901077 A EP84901077 A EP 84901077A EP 84901077 A EP84901077 A EP 84901077A EP 0136336 A1 EP0136336 A1 EP 0136336A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
concentrator
radiation
panel
set forth
shaped
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP84901077A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Juha Gabrielsson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ekono Oy
Original Assignee
Ekono Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ekono Oy filed Critical Ekono Oy
Publication of EP0136336A1 publication Critical patent/EP0136336A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
    • F24S23/00—Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
    • F24S23/11—Fluorescent material
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B10/00—Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings
    • Y02B10/20—Solar thermal
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers

Definitions

  • Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements.
  • the present invention relates to a panel-shaped con ⁇ centrator for concentration and conversion of solar radiation and " artificial light into electrical energy, heat or for transfer thereof as light to a point of application.
  • a panel-shaped concentrator is provided with radiation absorbing luminence centers which re-emit the radiation in another wavelength range.
  • An object of the present invention it to provide a simple system for effective exploitation of solar radiation, including diffuse radiation, said system also eliminat ⁇ ing the need of a tracking mechanism.
  • An apparatus of the invention is characterized in that a panel- shaped element is provided or coated with, radiation absorbing luminence . centers for re-emitting the radiation within another wavelength range, and that the emitted radiation is concentrated by means of total reflection, element design and/or coating on the radiation receiving part or parts of said panel- shaped element.
  • a radiation receiving means may be any prior known element, such as a solar cell or an optical fiber means or an absorption surf ⁇ ace or a like element in which radiation is converted into heat.
  • the emitted radiation arriving at a receiving means is of narrow band, it is possible to select a solar cell having optimum spectral characteristics relative thereto and thus operating at higher effic ⁇ iency.
  • a panel-shaped concentrator of the invention include e.g. roofs, windows and other surf ⁇ aces of buildings as well as protective glazings of
  • emitted in a concentrator is relatively narrow-band radiation, whereby it is possible to select for each application the most preferable solar cell ' for increased efficiency.
  • solar cells whose spectral characteristics are optimized for a certain type of concentrators or it will also be possible to employ various types of solar cells for absorbing various wavelength ranges. Since the wavelength ranges unfit for a given application have been filter ⁇ ed away, no waste heat or undesirable heating of a solar cell will be produced.
  • materials are not particularly expensive.
  • a radiation concentrated on a radiation receiving means can be converted into heat or electrical energy and, if such means is comprised of optical fibers, the concent ⁇ rated light is passed to a point of application.
  • a concentrator comprises a radiation permeable panel in which luminescent matter is distributed as a layer inside the panel or as a coating on the surface thereof.
  • a luminescent material usable for the application com ⁇ prises e.g. dyes used for dye lasers as well as rare earth metals.
  • An optimum luminescent material has a wide absorption range covering most of the solar spectrum as well as a narrow emission range having a somewhat longer wavelength.
  • the luminescent material absorbs incoming solar radiation and emits it at another wavelength. In this process, efficiency is very high, with some dyes nearly 100 %. Emission runs in all directions and those rays that meet the interface with an angle greater than the critical cone of total reflection remain inside the panel. It depends on the refraction factor of a panel how much of the radiation can be recovered in the panel.
  • Approximat ⁇ ely 75 % of the radiation can be recovered in glass whose refraction factor is about 1,5.
  • the share of recoverable radiation can also be increased by means of a reflective coating on one surface of a concentrator or by means of a selective coating which reflects the emitted radiation but is permeable to the radiation to be collected.
  • the radiation in a panel or plate can be concentrated e.g. in the edges of a panel. In order that the radiation would still find its way to the edge regions, neither collector material nor luminescent material may absorb emission radiation, in other words, absorption and emission spectra must be kept away from each other.
  • the efficiency of a panel-shaped concentrator of the invention can be increased by employing a plurality of concentrators combined together.
  • the solar spectrum can be subdivided into a plurality of wave ⁇ length bands and, according to said bands, also solar cells can be selected properly for each con ⁇ centrator.
  • this combined concentrator it is also possible to utlize and recover in a subsequent concentrator the losses possibly occureed in a pre ⁇ ceding concentrator.
  • the design of a concentrator can be varied according to whether it is desired to employ radiation receiving means on just one edge or several edges of a concent ⁇ rator or whether radiation receiving means are. to be positioned inside a concentrator.
  • the design of a collector panel has not a major practical significance.
  • those edges not provided with radiation receiving means are made reflective e.g. by using a metal foil or some other reflective coating.
  • Such a metal reflection results in a certain loss and thus, in view of toal efficiency, it is preferable to maintain the number of such reflections as low as possible.
  • a preferred design a rect ⁇ angular isosceles triangle in which the em ited rad ⁇ iation is collected on the edge region of hypotenuse, the result being just two reflections.
  • the surfaces can be preferably coated with anti-reflective coating.
  • the concentrator or collector material is e.g. glass or poly ethylmetacrylate (plexiglass or other suitable plastics) .
  • a luminescent material preferably used in connection with glass comprises rare earth metals, e.g. neodymium.
  • luminescent materials employed are preferably organic dyes.
  • a plurality of luminescent or fluorescent materials can be included in a single concentrator according to application.
  • a panel-shaped concentrator according to the invention can be used as a window structure of a building.
  • a panel-shaped concentrator can also be used in facade or roof structures and also in building elements and systems intended for these applications.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)

Abstract

Concentrateur en forme de panneau pour collecter des radiations solaires directes ou diffusées. Un élément en forme de panneau est pourvu ou revêtu de centres de fluorescence ou de luminance absorbant les radiations pour la réémission des radiations dans une autre fourchette de longueur d'onde; les radiations émises, grâce à une réflexion totale, au design de l'élément et/ou au revêtement, sont concentrées sur l'organe ou les organes de réception des radiations dudit élément en forme de panneau.Panel-shaped concentrator for collecting direct or scattered solar radiation. A panel-shaped element is provided or coated with fluorescence or luminance centers absorbing radiation for the re-emission of radiation in another wavelength range; the radiations emitted, thanks to a total reflection, to the design of the element and / or to the coating, are concentrated on the organ or organs for receiving the radiations of said element in the form of a panel.

Description

Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements.
The present invention relates to a panel-shaped con¬ centrator for concentration and conversion of solar radiation and "artificial light into electrical energy, heat or for transfer thereof as light to a point of application. A panel-shaped concentrator is provided with radiation absorbing luminence centers which re-emit the radiation in another wavelength range.
Conversion of solar energy directly into electrical • energy is in principle possible by means of solar cells. Such cells represent high-level technology which also means that manufacturing costs will be remarkable. Thus, the aim in exploitation thereof is to maximize the output of said cells. -Also, use •is made of cheapter materials and less sophisticated manufacturing methods, although at the cost of efficiency, A third alternative is to exploit sunlight as effectively as possible by concentrating and focusing radiation on a solar cell by means of an array of reflectors and lenses. Thus, the share of costs induced by solar cells is reduced, facilitating the use of high-quality expensive solar cells. However, this type of system includes a complicated and expensive sun tracking mechanism.
An object of the present invention it to provide a simple system for effective exploitation of solar radiation, including diffuse radiation, said system also eliminat¬ ing the need of a tracking mechanism. An apparatus of the invention is characterized in that a panel- shaped element is provided or coated with, radiation absorbing luminence . centers for re-emitting the radiation within another wavelength range, and that the emitted radiation is concentrated by means of total reflection, element design and/or coating on the radiation receiving part or parts of said panel- shaped element.
One of the advantages of a luminescent concentrator over other focusing systems is its capability of utilizing also diffused radiation which,e.g. in Fin¬ land's conditions, makes up approximately half of total radiation, as well as its operation without an expensive tracking mechanism. A radiation receiving means may be any prior known element, such as a solar cell or an optical fiber means or an absorption surf¬ ace or a like element in which radiation is converted into heat.
Since the emitted radiation arriving at a receiving means is of narrow band, it is possible to select a solar cell having optimum spectral characteristics relative thereto and thus operating at higher effic¬ iency.
Also possible are multi-layer designs for reducing losses and improving the system efficiency. The manufacturing process of a panel-shaped concentrator is simple and economical and, by virtue of concentrat¬ ion function, the price of solar cells is only a minor part of the total costs of the system.
The applications of a panel-shaped concentrator of the invention include e.g. roofs, windows and other surf¬ aces of buildings as well as protective glazings of
CMPI solar collectors.
As pointed out above, emitted in a concentrator is relatively narrow-band radiation, whereby it is possible to select for each application the most preferable solar cell 'for increased efficiency. Thus, it will be possible to employ solar cells whose spectral characteristics are optimized for a certain type of concentrators or it will also be possible to employ various types of solar cells for absorbing various wavelength ranges. Since the wavelength ranges unfit for a given application have been filter¬ ed away, no waste heat or undesirable heating of a solar cell will be produced. There are available even today mass-production plants which can be operated for manufacturing panel-shaped concentrators of the in¬ vention. Furthermore, materials are not particularly expensive.
A radiation concentrated on a radiation receiving means can be converted into heat or electrical energy and, if such means is comprised of optical fibers, the concent¬ rated light is passed to a point of application.
In its most simple embodiment, a concentrator comprises a radiation permeable panel in which luminescent matter is distributed as a layer inside the panel or as a coating on the surface thereof.
A luminescent material usable for the application com¬ prises e.g. dyes used for dye lasers as well as rare earth metals. An optimum luminescent material has a wide absorption range covering most of the solar spectrum as well as a narrow emission range having a somewhat longer wavelength. Thus, the luminescent material absorbs incoming solar radiation and emits it at another wavelength. In this process, efficiency is very high, with some dyes nearly 100 %. Emission runs in all directions and those rays that meet the interface with an angle greater than the critical cone of total reflection remain inside the panel. It depends on the refraction factor of a panel how much of the radiation can be recovered in the panel. Approximat¬ ely 75 % of the radiation can be recovered in glass whose refraction factor is about 1,5. The share of recoverable radiation can also be increased by means of a reflective coating on one surface of a concentrator or by means of a selective coating which reflects the emitted radiation but is permeable to the radiation to be collected. Thus, the radiation in a panel or plate can be concentrated e.g. in the edges of a panel. In order that the radiation would still find its way to the edge regions, neither collector material nor luminescent material may absorb emission radiation, in other words, absorption and emission spectra must be kept away from each other.
The efficiency of a panel-shaped concentrator of the invention can be increased by employing a plurality of concentrators combined together. Thus, the solar spectrum can be subdivided into a plurality of wave¬ length bands and, according to said bands, also solar cells can be selected properly for each con¬ centrator. With this combined concentrator, it is also possible to utlize and recover in a subsequent concentrator the losses possibly occureed in a pre¬ ceding concentrator.
The design of a concentrator can be varied according to whether it is desired to employ radiation receiving means on just one edge or several edges of a concent¬ rator or whether radiation receiving means are. to be positioned inside a concentrator. In the latter case, the design of a collector panel has not a major practical significance. In the former case, those edges not provided with radiation receiving means are made reflective e.g. by using a metal foil or some other reflective coating. Such a metal reflection results in a certain loss and thus, in view of toal efficiency, it is preferable to maintain the number of such reflections as low as possible. In this respect, a preferred design a rect¬ angular isosceles triangle in which the em ited rad¬ iation is collected on the edge region of hypotenuse, the result being just two reflections.
For reducing the reflection losses occurring on the surface of a concentrator as well as between its edge and a solar cell, the surfaces can be preferably coated with anti-reflective coating.
The concentrator or collector material is e.g. glass or poly ethylmetacrylate (plexiglass or other suitable plastics) . A luminescent material preferably used in connection with glass comprises rare earth metals, e.g. neodymium. When the actual raw material is plastics, luminescent materials employed are preferably organic dyes. A plurality of luminescent or fluorescent materials can be included in a single concentrator according to application.
A panel-shaped concentrator according to the invention can be used as a window structure of a building.
A panel-shaped concentrator can also be used in facade or roof structures and also in building elements and systems intended for these applications.
Other applications include protective glazings of con¬ ventional solar collectors and individual or extensive solar collector systems based on the use of a concentrator of the invention.

Claims

Claims
1. A panel-shaped concentrator for collecting direct or diffused solar radiation c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a panel-shaped elem¬ ent is provided or coated with radiation absorbing luminence or fluorescence centers for re-emitting the radiation within another wavelength range, and that the emitted radiation, by means of total reflect¬ ion, element design and/or coating, is concentrated on the radiation receiving member or members of said panel-shaped element.
2. A concentrator as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said panel-shaped element is selective, i.e. reflects the emitted radiation, but permeable to radiation to be collected.
3. A concentrator as set forth in claim 1 or- 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said radiation receiving member is a solar cell.
4. A concentrator as set forth in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said radiation receiving member consists of optical fibers for passing the radiation as light to the site of applic¬ ation.
5. A concentrator as set forth in claim 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said radiation receiving member is positioned inside the concentrat¬ or, on its edge regions or on at least one end surf¬ ace of said concentrator.
6. A concentrator as set forth in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the emitted radiation is converted in said concentrator or on its edge regions into heat.
7. A concentrator as set forth in any of claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the edge or edges of said panel-shaped element reflect(s) emitted radiation.
8. A concentrator as set forth in any of claims 1-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two or more panel- shaped concentrators are arranged successively in the incoming direction of radiation.
9. A concentrator as set forth in any of claims 1-8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said concentrator is a windowpane, a facade or roof cover plate or a solar panel.
10. A window design provided with one or more Window- panes with frames and casings, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that at least one windowpane is a concentrat¬ or set out in any of claims 1-8.
11. A planar structural element or system having a panel-shaped surface and its frame, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the outermost surface is made of a concentrator set out in any of claims 1-8.
EP84901077A 1983-03-10 1984-03-09 Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements Withdrawn EP0136336A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI830802 1983-03-10
FI830802A FI830802L (en) 1983-03-10 1983-03-10 FLUORESERANDE KOLLEKTOR OCH DESS TILLAEMPNING I FOENSTER, FASADER OCH ANDRA BYGGNADSELEMENT.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0136336A1 true EP0136336A1 (en) 1985-04-10

Family

ID=8516870

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP84901077A Withdrawn EP0136336A1 (en) 1983-03-10 1984-03-09 Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0136336A1 (en)
FI (1) FI830802L (en)
WO (1) WO1984003553A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6285495B1 (en) * 1996-05-22 2001-09-04 Tropiglas Pty Ltd. Optical transmission element for capturing and redirecting incident radiation
GB2454861A (en) * 2007-05-11 2009-05-27 Pitacs Ltd Radiator of a water circulation central heating system
JP2010531067A (en) 2007-06-22 2010-09-16 ウルトラドッツ・インコーポレイテッド Solar modules with increased efficiency through the use of spectrum concentrators
US8664513B2 (en) 2007-10-12 2014-03-04 OmniPV, Inc. Solar modules with enhanced efficiencies via use of spectral concentrators
GB2476300B (en) 2009-12-18 2012-11-07 Eastman Kodak Co Luminescent solar concentrator

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2629641C3 (en) * 1976-07-01 1979-03-08 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V., 8000 Muenchen Device for converting light energy into thermal energy
US4149902A (en) * 1977-07-27 1979-04-17 Eastman Kodak Company Fluorescent solar energy concentrator
US4306542A (en) * 1980-02-19 1981-12-22 Solarein, Inc. Solar greenhouse
US4292959A (en) * 1980-02-25 1981-10-06 Exxon Research & Engineering Co. Solar energy collection system
US4412528A (en) * 1980-04-11 1983-11-01 Exxon Research And Engineering Co. Heat storage window

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO8403553A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1984003553A1 (en) 1984-09-13
FI830802L (en) 1984-09-11
FI830802A0 (en) 1983-03-10

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4520794A (en) Solar energy concentrating slat arrangement and collector
AU759763B2 (en) Solar energy plant
US4292959A (en) Solar energy collection system
US4209222A (en) Installation for utilizing solar energy with wavelength selective reflector
US4723535A (en) Solar trap
US6087579A (en) Method and apparatus for directing solar energy to solar energy collecting cells
EP1928028A1 (en) Photovoltaic roof tile system based on a fluorescent concentrator
US4498455A (en) Glazing material
US4222372A (en) Solar collector assembly
US20120024346A1 (en) Receiver for pv/t solar energy systems
GB2054829A (en) A focussing solar collector
WO1979000276A1 (en) An improved solar energy collector
CN101189480A (en) Solar concentrator
US4136673A (en) Multimode solar energy collector and process
Paul Application of compound parabolic concentrators to solar photovoltaic conversion: A comprehensive review
KR20110067118A (en) Photovoltaic cell apparatus
US4409963A (en) Solar optical energy collector
CN117957762A (en) Photovoltaic system for low solar elevation
US12051759B2 (en) Photovoltaic solar collection system and natural illumination apparatus for building integration
Uematsu et al. Static concentrator photovoltaic module with prism array
RU2133415C1 (en) Solar photoelectric module (options)
WO2009148344A1 (en) Quasi-stationary solar concentrators with vacuum tubes or fins and non stationary optics
EP0136336A1 (en) Luminescent concentrator and adaptation thereof in a window, facade and other building elements
AU5471800A (en) Panel-like structure for collecting radiant energy
WO1996024954A1 (en) Non-tracking solar concentrator heat sink and housing system

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB LI LU NL SE

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19850213

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: GABRIELSSON, JUHA