WO2008003004A3 - Electro-optic reflective beam-steering or focussing assembly, and solar energy conversion system - Google Patents

Electro-optic reflective beam-steering or focussing assembly, and solar energy conversion system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008003004A3
WO2008003004A3 PCT/US2007/072289 US2007072289W WO2008003004A3 WO 2008003004 A3 WO2008003004 A3 WO 2008003004A3 US 2007072289 W US2007072289 W US 2007072289W WO 2008003004 A3 WO2008003004 A3 WO 2008003004A3
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
electro
optic
steering
light rays
solar energy
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2007/072289
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2008003004A2 (en
Inventor
Dwight P Duston
Daniel T Colbert
Allan Carmichael
Original Assignee
Solbeam Inc
Dwight P Duston
Daniel T Colbert
Allan Carmichael
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 Solbeam Inc, Dwight P Duston, Daniel T Colbert, Allan Carmichael filed Critical Solbeam Inc
Publication of WO2008003004A2 publication Critical patent/WO2008003004A2/en
Publication of WO2008003004A3 publication Critical patent/WO2008003004A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
    • 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
    • F24S23/70—Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors with reflectors
    • 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
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
    • G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
    • G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
    • G02F1/1335—Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. polarisers or reflectors
    • G02F1/133526—Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/13—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
    • G02F1/133—Constructional arrangements; Operation of liquid crystal cells; Circuit arrangements
    • G02F1/1333—Constructional arrangements; Manufacturing methods
    • G02F1/1347—Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells
    • G02F1/13471—Arrangement of liquid crystal layers or cells in which the final condition of one light beam is achieved by the addition of the effects of two or more layers or cells in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
    • G02F1/291—Two-dimensional analogue deflection
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
    • G02F1/292—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/29—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
    • G02F1/294—Variable focal length devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2201/00—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00
    • G02F2201/12—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 electrode
    • G02F2201/122—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 electrode having a particular pattern
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2201/00—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00
    • G02F2201/16—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 series; tandem
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2201/00—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00
    • G02F2201/34—Constructional arrangements not provided for in groups G02F1/00 - G02F7/00 reflector
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2202/00—Materials and properties
    • G02F2202/20—LiNbO3, LiTaO3
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2203/00—Function characteristic
    • G02F2203/24—Function characteristic beam steering
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F2203/00—Function characteristic
    • G02F2203/28—Function characteristic focussing or defocussing
    • 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
    • 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

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Optical Modulation, Optical Deflection, Nonlinear Optics, Optical Demodulation, Optical Logic Elements (AREA)

Abstract

Techniques and apparatus for steering and/or focusing light rays. A. system configurable to steer or focus or both steer and focus light rays includes an electro-optic steering assembly including a substrate (201) having an optically reflective surface (202) and an electro-optic layer in optical communication with the substrate (201). The electro-optic layer includes- a first electrode layer (205) having separately addressable electrode components, a second electrode layer (203) and an electro-optic material (206) positioned between the first and second electrode layers. Voltages applied to the separately addressable electrode components can be controlled to provide a controllable refractive index gradient in the electro-optic material. The refractive index gradient can be controlled, such that light rays (209) impinging on the electro -optic steering assembly and reflecting from the optically reflective surface (202) can be σontrollably steered in a direction, focused to a point (210) in space, or steered and focused (212). An application includes focusing sunlight onto a photovoltaic device (211).
PCT/US2007/072289 2006-06-27 2007-06-27 Electro-optic reflective beam-steering or focussing assembly, and solar energy conversion system WO2008003004A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US81660006P 2006-06-27 2006-06-27
US81660106P 2006-06-27 2006-06-27
US60/816,601 2006-06-27
US60/816,600 2006-06-27

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008003004A2 WO2008003004A2 (en) 2008-01-03
WO2008003004A3 true WO2008003004A3 (en) 2008-02-21

Family

ID=38736093

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2007/072289 WO2008003004A2 (en) 2006-06-27 2007-06-27 Electro-optic reflective beam-steering or focussing assembly, and solar energy conversion system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2008003004A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1401905B1 (en) * 2010-07-29 2013-08-28 Rosso DEVICE FOR CATCHING SOLAR ENERGY WITH HIGH ANGULAR EFFICIENCY
KR101262559B1 (en) * 2011-06-09 2013-05-08 현대자동차주식회사 Engine Oil Pump
CA2894550C (en) 2012-12-28 2018-06-05 E-Vision Smart Optics, Inc. Double-layer electrode for electro-optic liquid crystal lens
ES2981413T3 (en) 2013-07-25 2024-10-08 E Vision Llc Methods for manufacturing electrochromic films
US10808965B2 (en) * 2016-06-24 2020-10-20 Alliance For Sustainable Energy, Llc Secondary reflectors for solar collectors and methods of making the same

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4143941A (en) * 1977-12-01 1979-03-13 Sperry Rand Corporation Low loss optical data terminal device for multimode fiber guide optical communication systems
WO1989001647A1 (en) * 1987-08-19 1989-02-23 Hughes Aircraft Company Phase controlled light deflector
EP0878729A2 (en) * 1997-05-09 1998-11-18 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Polarisation independent optical phase modulator
US20020154377A1 (en) * 2001-01-11 2002-10-24 Hrl Laboratories, Llc Optical phased array for depolarized optical beam control
US20050200983A1 (en) * 2001-05-23 2005-09-15 Blum Ronald D. Focusing mirrors having variable reflective properties
US6958868B1 (en) * 2004-03-29 2005-10-25 John George Pender Motion-free tracking solar concentrator
US20060119928A1 (en) * 2004-12-06 2006-06-08 Cicchiello James M Electro-optic crystal, diffraction-based, beam-steering element

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4143941A (en) * 1977-12-01 1979-03-13 Sperry Rand Corporation Low loss optical data terminal device for multimode fiber guide optical communication systems
WO1989001647A1 (en) * 1987-08-19 1989-02-23 Hughes Aircraft Company Phase controlled light deflector
EP0878729A2 (en) * 1997-05-09 1998-11-18 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Polarisation independent optical phase modulator
US20020154377A1 (en) * 2001-01-11 2002-10-24 Hrl Laboratories, Llc Optical phased array for depolarized optical beam control
US20050200983A1 (en) * 2001-05-23 2005-09-15 Blum Ronald D. Focusing mirrors having variable reflective properties
US6958868B1 (en) * 2004-03-29 2005-10-25 John George Pender Motion-free tracking solar concentrator
US20060119928A1 (en) * 2004-12-06 2006-06-08 Cicchiello James M Electro-optic crystal, diffraction-based, beam-steering element

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2008003004A2 (en) 2008-01-03

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