WO2009115085A2

WO2009115085A2 - Sun collector for energy generation by focusing sunlight

Info

Publication number: WO2009115085A2
Application number: PCT/DE2009/000375
Authority: WO
Inventors: Juri Koulechoff
Original assignee: Juri Koulechoff
Priority date: 2008-03-19
Filing date: 2009-03-17
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: DE102008016110A1; EP2368079A2; WO2009115085A3

Abstract

The sun collector (15) according to the invention has a novel unit for focusing and transmitting light (9). It comprises at least one transparent sphere (1), which generates a focal point (5) onto a spherical surface outside of the sphere (1) as a function of the position of the sun. A mechanical device (2, 3, 4, 8) following the focal point (5) fixes the same in any position predetermined by the sun. Due to the matrix-shaped arrangement of a plurality of transparent spheres (1) having a small diameter, a flat sun collector (15) is formed, which corresponds to the conventional integrable installation size of commercially available hot water collectors. The same may therefore be permanently installed in roof or cladding elements and has no interfering mechanical elements on the outside. Despite the position of the sun constantly changing, the collector is able to focus the direct sunlight and utilize the same in a focused manner. When supplying sun energy to a light conductor, said energy may be conducted to any arbitrary location where the focused light fulfills various tasks by means of a light conductor switch.

Description

[Patent application]

[Name of the invention]

Solar collector for generating energy by concentrating sunlight

[Description]

The invention relates to a solar collector for generating energy by concentrating sunlight and its tracking or transport.

[State of the art]

The use of concentrated sunlight to generate energy is becoming increasingly important. The current state of the art is currently such that light is concentrated in a focal point with the aid of parabolic mirrors or converging lenses. The disadvantage is that these systems of sunlight bundling and the constantly changing position of the sun must be tracked. This usually requires large mechanical moving parts that are very space consuming and heavy. A use for everyday household use, such as from other solar panels (hot water collectors, solar collectors) ago, is not possible with these systems. It is also necessary, in order to ensure versatile applications, to effectively transport the sunlight using optical fibers.

From DE 10 2004 063 853 A1 a device and a method for collecting light, its transport and the delivery of the collected light at a selectable other location for illumination purposes known. By means of one or more converging lenses, incident light, preferably sunlight, is focused towards the respective focal spot of the individual lenses in such a way that the largest possible portion of the focused light enters into one or more focal points several optical fibers enter, is passed through the light guide and is available at the other end for illumination purposes.

Also, this device has the disadvantage that the entire lens system of the sun must be tracked for effective use throughout the day. In addition, this system can not realize large-scale solar panels for placement on roofs.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a solar collector for energy production by concentration of sunlight, which allows for an effective use of solar energy, a planar arrangement in a housing and in its size and structure everywhere, such as. can be used on roofs of single-family homes. In addition, he should have no externally visible mechanical elements that only interfere with roof-integrated surfaces. Furthermore, he should have the ability to transport high concentrations of light to any location in order to cover a wide range of applications.

The object is achieved with the features of the first claim. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims. The solar collector for focusing and transmitting light consists of at least one transparent sphere which, depending on the position of the sun, generates a focal point on a spherical surface outside the sphere.

Compared with the principle of light bundling by means of lenses, the invention uses a ball for concentration of sunlight. A lens focuses the light at a focal point on a focal plane, changing the angle of incidence of the parallel light (the position of the sun changes), and the focal point on the focal plane moves and blurs. To prevent this, the lens must be tracked to the position of the sun. In contrast, in the present invention, the light is focused with a transparent ball. There is no focal plane for a sphere because the focal point moves at a constant distance from the sphere around it. Therefore, with a ball, only a mechanical device is to be created which follows the focal point and fixes it in any position given by the sun.

If now a plurality of transparent balls, which have a small diameter, arranged in a matrix on a support, a flat solar collector is formed, which corresponds to the usual integrable size of commercial hot water collectors. It can thus be installed firmly in roof or façade elements and has no external mechanical disturbing elements. Despite constantly changing position of the sun, he is able to focus and use the direct sunlight in a concentrated way. When fed into a light pipe, the solar energy can be led to any place where the concentrated light can fulfill different tasks by means of light guide.

In the case of the matrix-shaped arrangement of the balls on a carrier, the mechanical devices for following the foci of all the balls can be directly or indirectly connected to one another and moved synchronously.

But it is also conceivable, at the positions at which the focal points are fixed, instead of the optical fibers, other devices such as e.g. To install solar cells.

[Examples]

With reference to drawings, the structure and operation of the invention will be explained in more detail.

Show it:

1 a planar solar collector consisting of a plurality of light-collecting transparent spheres in a front and side view and a side view with an intimation of an integrated mechanism, Fig. 2 shows the behavior of a focal point a) in a lens and b) a

Bullet,

Fig. 3 shows a mechanical skeleton with a means for following the

Focal point, Fig. 4 shows a mechanical skeleton as a whole with mechanical

Connecting elements and drive motors,

Fig. 5 shows the mobility of the mechanism when fed into an integrated

Optical fiber,

6 shows the mobility of a fixed mount on a rotatable ball,

Fig. 7 different variations of a holder for the

Recording of the light guide and

Fig. 8 shows the representation of a possible application of the invention.

In Fig. 1 is a planar solar collector 15 according to the invention consisting of a plurality of light-collecting transparent balls 1 in a front and

Side view shown.

In a further side view, the integrated mechanism used for following the foci 5 can be seen in section. The mechanism consists, in each case for a ball 1, of a first slide rail 2, a second slide rail 3 and a holder 4 for feeding into a light guide 6.

At a suitable point, the light guides β emerge as a bundle from the housing 16 of the solar collector 15.

Fig. 2 shows the difference in the behavior of the focal point a) in a lens (prior art) and b) in a sphere.

The principle of light bundling with the aid of lenses 14 (FIG. 2a) is widely known and is used for sunlight concentration in a wide variety of forms. In this case, a lens 14 focuses the incident light 9 in a focal point 5 on a focal plane. The disadvantage of the lens 14 is when the angle of incidence of the parallel sunlight 9 (the sun's position changes), the focal point 5 moves on the focal plane and becomes blurred. This results in the need for the lens 14 to track the position of the sun.

In the case of a sphere according to FIG. 2b, there is no focal plane because the focal point 5 moves at a constant distance from the sphere 1 around it. For this reason, the alignment with the sun for the quality of the focal point 5 is irrelevant and a mechanical tracking of the lens 14 is completely eliminated.

Now that the light 9 from the focal point 5 of the ball 1, e.g. can be fed into a light guide 6, the light guide 6 must be able to move around the ball 1 in a predetermined constant distance in the region of the desired spherical surface.

The optical waveguide 6 is adapted to the constantly changing position of the sun and the "wandering" focal point 5 with the aid of a mechanism, essentially consisting of the slide rails 2 and 3 shown in Fig. 3. The slide rails 2 and 3 are on a cover plate 17 The cover plate 17 simultaneously includes the balls 1 for focusing the light 9, wherein one half of the ball 1 protrudes from the cover plate 17.

In order to save costs and weight, the cover plate 17 can be produced with the integrated balls 1 in a piece of plastic by injection molding.

In order to be able to control all necessary foci 5, each ball 1 requires two slide rails 2 and 3, which intersect at 90 °.

Since a collector 15 consists of several balls 1, as shown in Fig. 4, these are rows of slide rails 2, 3, which in turn are in parallel arrangement and are connected by mechanical fasteners 8 with each other, so that they move synchronously , The slide rails 2 are therefore all mechanically connected to each other and the slide rails 3 are in turn also all mechanically connected to each other and thus can move independently. For this purpose, the system requires two separately controlled motors 7. If the slides 2, 3 moves, they orbit the lower portion of the ball 1. On the slide 2 and 3, a holder 4 is fixed in each case for a ball, which in turn on the slide rails 2, 3, shown in Fig. 5, to move back and forth.

By moving the slide rails 2, 3 so the holder 4 can be placed in any position. The holder 4 has in this example a funnel-shaped inside mirrored shape (Fig. 6), which has a size to accommodate the light to be focused 9. The distance of the funnel tip to the ball 1 corresponds exactly to the focal point. 5

By the rotational movements of the slide rails 2 and 3 and the mobility of the holder 4, it is ensured that all necessary foci 5 can be controlled below the ball 1 as shown in Fig. 5. If sunlight 9 shines through the sphere 1, the holder 4 can assume such a position that the resulting focal point 5 shines exactly into the funnel tip of the holder 4. The entire mechanism 2, 3, 4, 8 is controlled by light sensors 12. These can be located below a single ball 1 (shown in Fig. 1). It would be conceivable, e.g. that the real sensor 12 is located in a funnel tip 4 instead of the light guide 6 (FIG. 1). This controls the two motors 7 for the slide rails 2, 3 so that the sensor 12 is always optimally fixed in the focal point 5. Since all funnel tips 4 align synchronously, an optimal correction of the moving focus 5 is given. A complicated measurement, as with other systems, is not necessary as the system controls itself (cost savings through fast and uncomplicated assembly possible).

It would of course also be possible, as shown in Fig. 6, to integrate the transparent ball 1 indirectly in the cover plate 17 so that they can rotate freely. This makes it possible, the holder (funnel) 4 for the light guide 6 or firmly connect other desired components with the ball 1. In this case, therefore, the complete ball 1 with the thereon fixedly connected holder 4 depends on the respective position of the sun.

The variant according to FIG. 6 is controlled centrally via mechanical connecting elements, so that all balls 1 move synchronously.

As already mentioned, of course, there is the possibility in the funnel tip of the holder 4 to bring a variety of facilities and materials, such as a solar cell for power generation. In this case, however, there is a light guide in the holder (funnel tip) 4, in which the light 9 is launched.

In order to ensure optimal reception of the focal point 5 in the light guide 6 in this case, some examples of the possibility of variation of the funnel tip 4 are thus shown in FIG.

In FIG. 7, funnel 4a, the light guide 6 is located directly in the center of the focal point 5.

In Fig. 7, funnel 4b, the mirrored funnel tip 10 increases conically to produce a better angle of entry of the light 9 in the light guide 6. For this purpose, the light guide 6 must be located slightly outside the focal point 5.

In Fig. 7, funnel 4c, a diverging lens 11 is introduced just before the funnel tip to convert the light 9 traveling to the focal point 5 back into a light similar to a parallel. Here, the light 9 then penetrates optimally into the light guide 6. The light 9 can now be transported to any place where it can be used individually.

Thus, it is now possible, as shown in FIG. 8, that the light 9 can be used differently with the aid of an optical waveguide switch 13. So there is the possibility of direct sunlight use in hard to reach areas, such as underground garages or offices in basements. By light switching systems 13 can also be converted to hot water treatment or cooking as needed. If both are not needed, the system can, for example, switch to power generation. By the invention, therefore, a solar collector 15 was created for focusing and transporting sunlight 9, which exploits individually as desired all known ways of using solar energy.

[REFERENCE LIST]

1 transparent ball

2 first slide 3 second slide

4 bracket, funnel, light receiving device

5 focus

6 light guides

7 motor 8 mechanical fasteners

9 beams of light

10 conically enlarging funnel tip

11 dispersion lens

12 light sensor 13 light guide switch

14 condenser lens

15 solar panel

16 housing

17 cover plate

Claims

[Claims]

1. A solar collector for focusing and transmitting light (9), characterized in that it consists of at least one transparent ball (1) depending on the position of the sun creates a focal point (5) on a spherical surface outside the sphere (1) and a mechanical device (2, 3, 4, 8), which follows the focal point (5) and fixes it in any position given by the sun.

2. Solar collector according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical device (2, 3, 4, 8) of two of the curvature of the ball (1) fitted and offset by 90 ° to each other sliding rails (2, 3) exists on those a holder (4) for tracking the focal point (5) is arranged.

3. Solar collector according to claim 1, characterized in that the

Holder (4) for tracking the focal point (5) fixed to the ball (1) is connected and the ball is rotatably mounted.

4. Solar collector according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that from a plurality of transparent balls (1) in a matrix-shaped arrangement in a housing (16), a flat solar collector (15) is formed.

5. Solar collector according to claim 4, characterized in that the balls (1) protrude halfway from a cover plate (17) of the housing (16).

6. Solar collector according to claim 4, characterized in that the balls (1) are fixedly connected to the cover plate (17) of the housing (16).

7. Solar collector according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the mechanical devices (2, 3, 4, 8) of all balls (1) are directly or indirectly connected to each other and synchronously movable.

8. Solar collector according to claim 1 to 4 and 7, characterized in that all the balls (1) of a flat solar collector (15) via a mechanical device see device (8) are movable.

9. Solar collector according to claim 1 to 4 and 7 to 8, characterized in that the one or more mechanical devices (2, 3, 4, 8) via a light sensor (12) and corresponding drive motors (7) centrally controlled and so automatically the foci (5) of all balls (1) are fixable in their predetermined position.

Solar collector according to the preceding claims, characterized in that, at the positions where the foci (5) are fixed, different means, e.g. Solar cells are installed.

11. Solar collector according to the preceding claims, characterized in that in the predetermined positions light guide (6) are installed, in which the focused light (9) hineinstahlt the sun and on the light guide (6) can be transported to any location.

12. Solar collector according to claim 11, characterized in that the focal point (6) directly to a light guide (6).

13. Solar collector according to claim 11, characterized in that for

Light absorption in the light guide (6) a conically enlarged mirrored opening (10) is arranged, in which the focal point (5) hineinstahlt.

14. Solar collector according to claim 11, characterized in that shortly before the focal point (5) a diverging lens (11) is arranged, which for coupling to the light guide (6) to the focal point (5) leading light (9) in a parallel light transforms.

15. Solar collector according to claim 11 to 14, characterized in that the from the solar collector (15) in the light guide (6) fed light (9) by means of light guide switching elements (13) can be fed to different locations or applications.