EP2052195A2 - Capteurs solaires - Google Patents
Capteurs solairesInfo
- Publication number
- EP2052195A2 EP2052195A2 EP07805251A EP07805251A EP2052195A2 EP 2052195 A2 EP2052195 A2 EP 2052195A2 EP 07805251 A EP07805251 A EP 07805251A EP 07805251 A EP07805251 A EP 07805251A EP 2052195 A2 EP2052195 A2 EP 2052195A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- prism
- solar
- solar collector
- collector according
- refractor
- 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- Withdrawn
Links
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 230000001154 acute effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N acrylic acid group Chemical group C(C=C)(=O)O NIXOWILDQLNWCW-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 229920002223 polystyrene Polymers 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000004793 Polystyrene Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 7
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920003229 poly(methyl methacrylate) Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000004926 polymethyl methacrylate Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920000915 polyvinyl chloride Polymers 0.000 description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000003491 array Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000006185 dispersion Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000004811 fluoropolymer Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002313 fluoropolymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000020169 heat generation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000032258 transport Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/054—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
- H01L31/0547—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
-
- 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
-
- 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
- F24S23/10—Prisms
-
- 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
- F24S23/30—Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors with lenses
- F24S23/31—Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors with lenses having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S30/00—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules
- F24S30/40—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement
- F24S30/42—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement with only one rotation axis
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S50/00—Arrangements for controlling solar heat collectors
- F24S50/20—Arrangements for controlling solar heat collectors for tracking
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/052—Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells
- H01L31/0521—Cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. integrated Peltier elements for active cooling or heat sinks directly associated with the PV cells using a gaseous or a liquid coolant, e.g. air flow ventilation, water circulation
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/054—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means
- H01L31/0543—Optical elements directly associated or integrated with the PV cell, e.g. light-reflecting means or light-concentrating means comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- H02S40/00—Components or accessories in combination with PV modules, not provided for in groups H02S10/00 - H02S30/00
- H02S40/40—Thermal components
- H02S40/44—Means to utilise heat energy, e.g. hybrid systems producing warm water and electricity at the same time
-
- 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
- Y02E10/44—Heat exchange systems
-
- 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
- Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking
-
- 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
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E10/52—PV systems with concentrators
-
- 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
- Y02E10/60—Thermal-PV hybrids
Definitions
- THIS invention relates to solar collectors.
- the function of the solar collector is to concentrate the radiation onto relatively small photovoltaic (PV) cells, while in the case of heat generation, the function of the collector is generally to concentrate the radiation onto a conduit or container conveying or storing a fluid, such as a liquid or gas, the temperature of which is to be elevated.
- PV photovoltaic
- Concentrator systems that employ focussing lenses for primary concentration require either biaxial tracking, i.e. both N-S and E-W, or a secondary tracking system that varies the position of the lens or target in order to ensure that the collected radiation is focussed correctly on the target, i.e. PV cells or fluid conduit or container.
- the latter type of system frequently referred to as a 1.5 times tracking system, typically moves the assembly of lenses, associated reflectors and/or target either individually or in arrays.
- the apparatus required to achieve such movement can however be expensive and complicated.
- an added disadvantage of systems which employ a focussing lens is the fact that dirt particles on the lens create shadows which result in uneven distribution of radiation on the PV cells. Apart from the fact that this reduces the efficiency of the PV cells, it can also cause permanent damage to the cells. Dirt particles on the reflectors of a reflector-type concentrating system can also be problematical.
- One example of a known solar collector uses an assembly of parallel wedges to reduce the angular dispersion of incident solar radiation. Radiation refracted by the wedges is then transported to the target by internal reflection in thin modules composed of wedge-shaped glass elements.
- a disadvantage of the system is however a relatively low concentration ratio of around 2:1.
- Concentrration ratio refers to the ratio of the area of the solar aperture, i.e. the area on which the solar radiation is incident, to the area of the target onto which the radiation is concentrated. The low concentration ratio is indicative of a low level of efficiency.
- Another example described in US 4,344,417, makes use of a narrow, wedge- shaped collector to receive incident radiation and reflect it internally to the target area. The concentration ratio is however again relatively low, indicating a low level of efficiency.
- JP 11305130 and JP 62266879 Further examples of prior art collectors are described in JP 11305130 and JP 62266879.
- the collector has wedge-shaped prisms and external reflectors arranged at a divergent angle with respect to one another in order to collect radiation over a larger solar aperture and to concentrate such radiation, by both internal reflection in the prisms and external reflection from the reflectors, onto a solar battery.
- N-S aligned, connected wedge-shaped prisms are again used to concentrate incident radiation by internal reflection.
- the prism assembly is used in conjunction with a conventional solar panel.
- a solar collector capable of single axis tracking and comprising:
- At least one radiation-transmitting prism which is wedge shaped in cross section and which has major side surfaces converging at an acute angle to a relatively narrow, operatively upper end of the prism, the prism having an opposite, operatively lower, relatively wide end;
- a refractor arranged over the prism to refract solar radiation incident thereon onto the major side surfaces of the prism, as the sun moves relative to the earth, at angles allowing such radiation to enter the prism and be internally reflected therein towards a target at or adjacent the relatively wide end of the prism.
- the collector is preferably configured for single axis tracking in a plane transverse to the narrow ends of the prisms.
- the collector is movable to track the sun in an E-W plane during the course of a day, typically with means for rotating the collector about a N-S axis.
- the collector is movable to track the sun in a N-S plane during the course of a year, typically with means for rotating the collector about an E-W axis.
- the preferred refractor is a linear refractor, in particular a linear Fresnel lens.
- the narrow ends of the prisms may be adjacent to or in contact with the refractor, or they may be spaced from the refractor.
- the collector may include a reflector arrangement configured to reflect radiation incident thereon at angles appropriate for acceptance thereof by the prism for internal reflection therein, such as an arrangement including convergent reflectors which stand up from the refractor over the narrow ends of the prisms and are arranged to reflect solar radiation outwardly onto the refractor.
- the collector may be located beneath a radiation transmitting cover, for instance in greenhouse or building heating application.
- the collector may include a radiation transmitting secondary solar concentrator at the wider end of each prism. This may have side walls, typically planar or concave, which converge towards one another to a width less than that of the wider end of the prism.
- the secondary solar collector should be made of a material with a higher refractive index than the material of which the prism is made.
- the prism and secondary solar concentrator should meet one another at a curved, typically an upwardly convex, interface.
- Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic plan view of a solar collector according to one embodiment of the invention
- Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic cross-section at the line 2-2 in Figure 1;
- Figure 3 shows an enlargement of the circled area in Figure 2;
- Figure 4 shows a cross-section at the line 4-4 in Figure 1;
- Figure 5 shows a diagrammatic plan view of a solar collector according to a second embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic cross-section at the line 6-6 in Figure 5;
- Figure 7 shows a cross-section at the line 7-7 in Figure 5;
- Figure 8 shows a diagrammatic plan view of a solar collector according to a third embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic cross-section at the line 9-9 in Figure 8.
- Figure 10 shows an enlargement of the cross-sectional view seen in Figure 9;
- Figure 11 shows a cross-section at the line 11-11 in Figure 8.
- Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic plan view of a solar collector according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 13 shows a diagrammatic cross-section at the line 13-13 in Figure 12
- Figure 14 shows a cross-section at the line 14-14 in Figure 12;
- Figure 15 shows an enlargement of the cross-sectional view seen in Figure 13;
- Figure 16 illustrates a secondary solar concentrator which can be used in the embodiments illustrated in the earlier Figures.
- N, S, E and W refer respectively to north, south, east and west.
- FIGS 1 to 4 illustrate a first embodiment of solar collector according to this invention. It includes a module 10 having a rectangular bounding frame 12 which supports at an assembly 14 of side-by-side, parallel generally wedge-shaped prisms 16 of, for instance, glass, acrylic or polystyrene as well as a linear refractor 18, typically in the form of a linear Fresnel lens.
- the linear refractor 18, which may also be of glass, acrylic or polystyrene, is in use exposed to solar radiation and may include an ultraviolet (UV) filter.
- UV ultraviolet
- each prism 16 is elongate both in a vertical sense and a horizontal sense.
- each prism has major, planar side surfaces 20 and 21 which converge at an acute angle 22, in this case 3°, to one another towards a relatively narrow end 24 of the prism.
- the opposite end 26 of the prism is relatively wide and has mounted to it a series of PV cells 28 arranged side by side with one another in a direction into the plane of the paper in Figure 3.
- the cells are in turn mounted in contact with aluminium heat sinks 30 which remove excess heat from the cells.
- the numeral 32 indicates an axis about which the module 10 can be rotated.
- the narrow ends 24 of the prisms are attached to the underside of the linear refractor. Although the narrow ends are shown as sharp edges, they may in practice be slightly truncated.
- the prisms are arranged operationally with their narrow edges 24 extending N-S, and the linear refractor is designed to refract solar radiation incident thereon onto the major side surfaces 20 and 21 of the prisms.
- the numerals 34 in Figure 3 indicate solar rays, assumed to be parallel when incident upon the linear refractor.
- the sun moves relative to the earth, and the module 10, in a N-S direction.
- With the sun at equinox solar rays 34.1 incident upon the linear refractor are refracted towards the lower, i.e. wider end 26 of the illustrated prism 16.
- the angle at which the rays fall upon the major surface 20 of the prism 16 is within the acceptance angle of the prism, i.e. the rays enter the prism and are not externally reflected at the prism/air interface.
- the surfaces 20 and 21 may be externally coated with a non-reflective coating.
- the sun moves relative to the earth from an easterly to a westerly position.
- the module 10 is rotated at the appropriate angular speed about the axis 32 in order to track the sun during this relative movement.
- the collector illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 requires single axis tracking only to take account of different solar angles during the course of the day. It is believed that it will be possible to achieve such single axis tracking in a simple, reliable and economical manner without the necessity for complicated arrangements to vary focal length as in 1.5 times tracking systems.
- the solar rays are refracted parallel to one another on each side of the prism by the linear refractor 18.
- all solar rays incident on the linear refractor 18 within the illustrated solar aperture, i.e. within the lateral dimension 38, will be concentrated onto the PV cells 28.
- the side by side spacing of the prisms 16 will accordingly be selected to ensure that all radiation incident on the refractor 18 is captured and concentrated.
- FIGS 5 to 7 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention.
- components corresponding to those in Figures 1 to 4 are designated with the same reference numerals.
- a major difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is the fact that the narrow end 24 of each prism is spaced vertically below the linear refractor 18.
- the refractor 18 is formed with a gap 40 aligned with the central, vertical axis of the prism 16, and the gap is spanned by a reflector structure 42 composed of upstanding reflector panels 44 arranged at an acute angle to one another.
- solar rays 34.7 which would not be refracted by the refractor 18 at an angle acceptable to the prism, i.e. the rays would otherwise be externally reflected by the surfaces 20 and 21 of the prism, are reflected by the reflector panels to angles which result in acceptance by the prism.
- the prisms are, as in Figure 1 , aligned N-S and the facility is again provided for rotation about the N-S axis 32 in order to track the sun during the course of the day.
- FIGS 8 to 11 illustrate a third embodiment.
- like components are designated by like numerals.
- the prisms 16 are aligned E- W and the facility is provided for N-S tracking.
- each prism is, as in the second embodiment, spaced some distance below a refractor 18.
- the target for each prism is a PV solar cell 27 mounted on a fluid pipe 28 through which a fluid such as water is conveyed.
- the wider end of the prism is connected to the pipe 28.
- the prism is connected to the refractor 18 by light transmitting side panels 50, possibly of acrylic, which also provide structural integrity.
- the pipe 28 is rotatable about its own E-W aligned axis in order to track the sun during the course of the year. Rotation of the pipe is accompanied by rotation of the prism 16 and refractor 18. One or more counterweights (not shown) may also be provided to assist the rotational movement.
- the numerals 34.7 indicate solar rays refracted by the refractor 18 at mid-day for different latitude angles of the sun while the numerals 34.8 indicate solar rays refracted by the refractor at times early and late in the day, for example 08h00 and 16h00, again for different latitude angles of the sun.
- pipe(s) 28 could be arranged to move in an arc, in a N-S plane as in Figure 9, as opposed to rotating.
- PV cells could be embedded during moulding in the wider ends of the prisms 16.
- FIG 16 illustrates a modification in which a secondary solar radiation concentrator is indicated by the reference numeral 70.
- the concentrator 70 which extends for the full length of the prism 16, is a solid or liquid body made of a material having a higher refractive index than the material of which the prism is made.
- the prism is made of an acrylic, such as PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) having a refractive index of less than 1.5 and the secondary concentrator 70 of polystyrol or glass having a refractive index of more than 1.5.
- PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate
- the secondary concentrator is placed at the wider, lower end of the prism 16 and is intimately connected to the prism at an upwardly convex interface defined by a convex surface 72 of the secondary concentrator and a concave surface 74 of the prism.
- the secondary concentrator 70 has planar side surfaces 76 and 78 and a planar lower surface 80 to which, in this example, a heat transmitting coupler 81 is intimately attached.
- the coupler 81 is in intimate contact with the pipe 28.
- the numeral 82 indicates a solar ray which enters the prism 16 through the side surface 20, is refracted at the prism/air interface and travels through the lower part of the prism to the convex interface between the prism and the secondary concentrator 70. At this interface the ray is refracted into the secondary concentrator and is thereafter reflected internally for eventual impingement on the coupler 81. It will be understood that other solar rays that have been internally reflected in the prism will likewise be refracted into the secondary concentrator 70 for subsequent passage directly or through internal reflection onto the coupler.
- inwardly facing mirrors 84 may be placed against the surfaces 76 and 78 or these surfaces may themselves be mirrored.
- the side surfaces of the secondary concentrator may be concave as indicated diagrammatically by the numeral 86, or convex.
- the convex interface defined by the surfaces 72 and 74 is preferred to a planar, horizontal interface because it will tend to refract radiation in the appropriate direction for subsequent reflection onto the coupler 81.
- a secondary concentrator having a convex interface as illustrated may be referred to as a secondary convex concentrator (SCC).
- SCC secondary convex concentrator
- the refractive index of the SCC be greater than that of the prism 16 in order to ensure that solar rays are appropriately refracted.
- FIGS 12 to 15 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which SCCs 70 are used.
- the numeral 60 indicates an enclosure mounted for example in a fixed position on a building (not shown).
- the enclosure 60 has a light-transmitting roof panel 62, possibly made of glass or a fluoropolymer.
- Solar collection units 63 each including a linear refractor 18, prism 16 and SCC 70, are supported by bearings 64 fixed in spaced metal frames 66.
- a heat pipe is rotatable in the associated bearing and the linear refractor 18 is supported by support arms or radiation-transmitting sheets 67.
- Each unit includes a counterweight 68 connected to the associated heat pipe by an arm 69.
- the counterweight may, for instance, be provided by a weight or by a length of heavy rod or pipe extending parallel to the associated prism 16.
- the embodiment of Figures 12 to 15 employs single axis tracking, for each unit about an E-W axis, to track the sun as it moves relative to the earth during the course of the year.
- the units 63 are shown as independent of one another it will be understood that they would in practice be linked and would move synchronously.
- the numeral 34.7 in Figure 15 designates solar rays refracted by a refractor 18 at mid-day for different latitude angles of the sun while the numeral 34.8 designates solar rays refracted by the refractor at times early and late in the day, for example 08h00 and 16h00, again for different latitude angles of the sun.
- an important advantage of these embodiments is the fact that internal reflection by the prisms ensures that radiation is evenly distributed across the receiving surfaces of the PV cells in electricity generating applications, and that shadows attributable to dirt particles on the lenses do not occur.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Photovoltaic Devices (AREA)
- Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)
Abstract
L'invention concerne un capteur solaire (10) qui comprend au moins un prisme (16) transmettant les rayonnements, ce prisme présentant une forme de coin en coupe transversale. Ledit prisme comprend des surfaces latérales principales (20, 21) convergeant à un angle aigu vers une extrémité fonctionnellement supérieure (24) étroite. L'extrémité inférieure (26) opposée du prisme est plus large que l'extrémité supérieure. Un réfracteur (18) est disposé par-dessus le prisme pour réfracter le rayonnement solaire incident sur ledit réfracteur sur les surfaces latérales principales du prisme, à mesure que le soleil se déplace par rapport à la terre, à des angles permettant à un tel rayonnement d'entrer dans le prisme et d'être réfléchi de façon interne à l'intérieur de celui-ci en direction d'une cible sur l'extrémité large du prisme ou à proximité de celle-ci. Cette configuration permet d'obtenir des niveaux élevés de concentration solaire.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ZA200606274 | 2006-07-28 | ||
ZA200608651 | 2006-10-17 | ||
PCT/IB2007/052984 WO2008012779A2 (fr) | 2006-07-28 | 2007-07-27 | Capteurs solaires |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2052195A2 true EP2052195A2 (fr) | 2009-04-29 |
Family
ID=38981865
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP07805251A Withdrawn EP2052195A2 (fr) | 2006-07-28 | 2007-07-27 | Capteurs solaires |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20090301469A1 (fr) |
EP (1) | EP2052195A2 (fr) |
WO (1) | WO2008012779A2 (fr) |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2052194A2 (fr) * | 2006-07-28 | 2009-04-29 | Angus Muir Edington Scrimgeour | Capteurs solaires non orientés |
GB0911514D0 (en) * | 2009-07-02 | 2009-08-12 | The Technology Partnership Plc | Solar concentrator |
US20110083664A1 (en) * | 2009-10-13 | 2011-04-14 | William James Todd | Collecting solar radiation using fresnel shifting |
US9509247B1 (en) * | 2015-08-07 | 2016-11-29 | David Fredrick Hinson | Greenhouse used as a solar panel support structure |
WO2019024080A1 (fr) * | 2017-08-04 | 2019-02-07 | 博立多媒体控股有限公司 | Appareil solaire vertical |
Family Cites Families (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2913583A (en) * | 1956-04-20 | 1959-11-17 | Hoffman Electronics Corp | Solar tracking system or the like |
US3467840A (en) * | 1966-07-05 | 1969-09-16 | Melvin Weiner | Solar thermionic convertor |
US4108540A (en) * | 1976-06-17 | 1978-08-22 | Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company | Refractor-reflector radiation concentrator |
FR2549242B1 (fr) * | 1983-06-27 | 1986-09-26 | Opthra | Procede et dispositif optique de concentration d'une energie rayonnante sur un element recepteur, et application a la captation d'energie telle que l'energie solaire |
US5255666A (en) * | 1988-10-13 | 1993-10-26 | Curchod Donald B | Solar electric conversion unit and system |
DE4111608A1 (de) * | 1991-04-10 | 1992-10-15 | En Techno Grimm Gmbh | Hybrid-strahlungssammler |
US5554229A (en) * | 1995-02-21 | 1996-09-10 | United Solar Systems Corporation | Light directing element for photovoltaic device and method of manufacture |
US5877874A (en) * | 1995-08-24 | 1999-03-02 | Terrasun L.L.C. | Device for concentrating optical radiation |
JPH10221528A (ja) * | 1996-12-05 | 1998-08-21 | Toyota Motor Corp | 太陽電池装置 |
US6104446A (en) * | 1996-12-18 | 2000-08-15 | Blankenbecler; Richard | Color separation optical plate for use with LCD panels |
US6061181A (en) * | 1997-06-09 | 2000-05-09 | Fereidooni; Fred | Nontracking light converger |
US6256153B1 (en) * | 1999-08-11 | 2001-07-03 | Souhei Suzui | Circumscribing ray route lens, the system condensing light therewith, and the lighting therewith |
RU2154777C1 (ru) * | 2000-01-24 | 2000-08-20 | Всероссийский научно-исследовательский институт электрификации сельского хозяйства | Солнечный фотоэлектрический модуль с концентратором |
JP2002031035A (ja) * | 2000-07-13 | 2002-01-31 | Yozo Oko | 太陽光発電装置 |
-
2007
- 2007-07-27 US US12/375,508 patent/US20090301469A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2007-07-27 EP EP07805251A patent/EP2052195A2/fr not_active Withdrawn
- 2007-07-27 WO PCT/IB2007/052984 patent/WO2008012779A2/fr active Application Filing
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See references of WO2008012779A2 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2008012779A3 (fr) | 2008-06-26 |
WO2008012779A2 (fr) | 2008-01-31 |
US20090301469A1 (en) | 2009-12-10 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7442871B2 (en) | Photovoltaic modules for solar concentrator | |
US20090084374A1 (en) | Solar energy receiver having optically inclined aperture | |
US20110079267A1 (en) | Lens system with directional ray splitter for concentrating solar energy | |
US20100154866A1 (en) | Hybrid solar power system | |
US20120255540A1 (en) | Sun tracking solar concentrator | |
US20100218807A1 (en) | 1-dimensional concentrated photovoltaic systems | |
US20070199563A1 (en) | Apparatus for concentration and conversion of solar energy | |
TW200941747A (en) | Thin and efficient collecting optics for solar system | |
US20160079461A1 (en) | Solar generator with focusing optics including toroidal arc lenses | |
AU2006244561A1 (en) | Reflecting photonic concentrator | |
US20080314437A1 (en) | Multiple Heliostats Concentrator | |
CA1265397A (fr) | Systeme heliocapteur heliotrope | |
US20090301469A1 (en) | Solar collectors | |
US20100206356A1 (en) | Rotational Trough Reflector Array For Solar-Electricity Generation | |
WO2020007292A1 (fr) | Système de poursuite à un axe de rotation permettant d'améliorer l'intensité lumineuse d'un élément | |
CN101388625A (zh) | 一种太阳能聚光发电装置 | |
US20100307480A1 (en) | Non-tracking solar collectors | |
KR102223870B1 (ko) | 곡면형 반사판을 이용한 양면형 태양광 집광장치 | |
CN201584928U (zh) | 槽式光伏聚光装置 | |
JP2010169981A (ja) | 太陽レンズと太陽光利用装置 | |
Ameer et al. | Characteristics review of optical concentrators | |
JP2013537612A (ja) | 太陽エネルギの集光装置 | |
CN107947726A (zh) | 固定单板式反光聚光太阳能集热发电装置 | |
CN219576993U (zh) | 一种双面光伏发电系统 | |
US20140202448A1 (en) | Production of Electricity and Heat Storage Using Solar Mirrors |
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 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20090227 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA HR MK RS |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN |
|
18W | Application withdrawn |
Effective date: 20110428 |