US 10,895,406 B1Granted

Solar concentrator

OwnerDaryll Halversoninventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A solar concentrator utilizes an arrangement of an outer reflective ring around a centrally located inner reflective cone to concentrate light. The reflective surface of the outer reflective ring is substantially 45 degrees from a transmitted light source. Light from the light source is reflected off of the outer reflective ring to produce a reflected light having a light reflective axis. The reflected light is directed toward the inner reflective cone and is reflected off of the reflective surface of the inner reflective cone as transmitted light toward alight receiver. The reflective surface of the inner reflective cone is configured at 45 degrees from the light reflective axis. The light receiver may convert the transmitted light into electricity or heat a fluid or other article. A solar tracker may be used to keep the central axis of the solar concentrator aligned with the sun.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A solar concentrator comprising:

a) a light reflective axis;
b) a light transmission axis;
c) an outer reflective ring having a reflective surface that is substantially 45 degrees from a light source axis;
wherein the outer reflective ring has a diameter of at least 3 meters;
d) an inner reflective cone having a reflective surface that is substantially 45 degrees from the light reflective axis and centrally located within the outer reflective ring;
wherein the outer reflective ring is configured to produce a reflected light by reflecting a source light from a light source, that is substantially orthogonal to the light reflective axis, toward the inner reflective cone;
and
wherein the inner reflective cone is configured to produce a transmission light by reflecting the reflected light toward a light receiver;
wherein the outer reflective ring has a reflective surface area of at least 3.0 m2, a light pipe extending along the light transmission axis from the inner reflective cone to a light receiver;
a transfer conduit extending within the light pipe from the inner reflective cone;
and
a processing fluid that is heated by the solar concentrator and flows through the transfer conduit.

9 more elements

A method of concentrating solar energy comprising:

a) providing a light source that produces light having a light source axis;
b) providing a solar concentrator comprising:
i) a light reflective axis;
ii) a light transmission axis;
iii) an outer reflective ring having a reflective surface that is substantially 45 degrees from alight source axis, wherein the outer reflective ring has a diameter of at least 3 meters;
iv) an inner reflective cone having a reflective surface and centrally located within the outer reflective ring, wherein the inner reflective is substantially 45 degrees from the light reflective axis;
v) a light receiver;
wherein the outer reflective ring has a reflective surface area of at least 3.0 m2,
vi) a light pipe extending along the light transmission axis from the inner reflective cone to a light receiver;
vii) a transfer conduit extending within the light pipe from the inner reflective cone;
and
c) reflecting the light from the light source off of the reflective surface of the outer reflective ring to produce a reflected light that is transmitted along said light reflective axis to the inner reflective cone;
d) reflecting the reflected light off of the inner reflective cone to produce a transmitted light that is transmitted along said light transmission axis to the light receiver;
e) providing a processing fluid that is heated by the solar concentrator and flows through the transfer conduit.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/178,297Filed 1 Nov 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Nov 2017
Granted: 19 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

F24S 20/20
Solar heat collectors specially adapted for particular uses or environments: solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g.…
F24S 23/12
Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors: light guides
F24S 23/75
With reflectors: with conical reflective surfaces
F24S 23/79
With reflectors: with spaced and opposed interacting reflective surfaces