# US 11,440,814 B2 · Solid state solar thermal energy collector

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- Number: US 11,440,814 B2
- Document ID: US11440814B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/370,852
- Filed: 2019-03-29
- Published: 2019-07-25
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-23
- Assignees: Planet A Energy, Inc.
- Applicants: Planet A Energy, Inc.
- Inventors: Richard Lee Johnson; Braden Eric Hines; Guido Hamacher; Russ Neff; Christian T. Gregory; John Terry Bailey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440814B2

## CPC

- C02F 1/14: using solar energy
- F03D 9/007: {the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy}
- F24S 20/25: using direct solar radiation in combination with concentrated radiation
- F24S 23/00: Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
- F24S 23/12: {Light guides}
- F24S 23/31: {having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses}
- F24S 23/77: with flat reflective plates
- F24S 23/79: with spaced and opposed interacting reflective surfaces
- F24S 30/45: with two rotation axes
- F24S 50/20: for tracking
- F24S 60/00: Arrangements for storing heat collected by solar heat collectors (working fluids forming pools or ponds F24S10/10)
- F24S 60/10: using latent heat
- F24S 80/60: Thermal insulation (transparent coverings F24S80/50)
- F28D 20/0056: {using solid heat storage material (F28D20/0052 takes precedence)}
- F28D 2020/0026: {the heat storage material being enclosed in mobile containers for transporting thermal energy}
- F28D 2020/006: {Heat storage systems not otherwise provided for}
- F28F 2270/00: Thermal insulation; Thermal decoupling
- Y02A 20/212: Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation
- Y02B 10/20: Solar thermal
- Y02B 10/70: Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
- Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
- Y02E 10/44: Heat exchange systems
- Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- Y02E 60/14: Thermal energy storage
- Y02E 70/30: Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A system for receiving, transferring, and storing solar thermal energy. The system includes a concentrating solar energy collector, a transfer conduit, a thermal storage material, and an insulated container. The insulated container contains the thermal storage material, and the transfer conduit is configured to transfer solar energy collected by the solar energy collector to the thermal storage material through a wall of the insulated container.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar thermal power plant, comprising:
two or more conduit modules,
each of two or more of the conduit modules comprising:
an insulated barrier surrounding an insulated region,
a concentrating solar energy collector,
a light transfer conduit for transferring received energy through the insulated barrier from outside the insulated region to inside the insulated region, and
a thermal energy storage material within the insulated region,
the insulated region barrier of each of the conduit modules having openings to allow a fluid to enter and exit the insulated region,
the two or more conduit modules forming a first conduit to help guide the flow of a heat transfer fluid along a portion of a fluid circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer fluid in the insulated region, wherein the heat transfer fluid is air.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer fluid in the insulated region, the heat transfer fluid being at substantially ambient atmospheric pressure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, wherein the fluid circuit is a closed circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, wherein the fluid circuit is in fluid communication with the atmosphere.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, wherein the insulated barrier is insulated at least in part with soil found on-site.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conduit modules is at least partially embedded in a trench.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, comprising a chimney and/or solar updraft tower, in the fluid circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, further comprising a supercritical CO2 generator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, comprising a manifold to help combine fluid flows from:
the first conduit, and
a second conduit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The solar thermal power plant of claim 1, wherein a portion of the first conduit shares a common wall with another portion of the first conduit and/or with a portion of another conduit.

### Claim 12

A method for collecting and storing energy with two or more conduit modules, the method comprising:
collecting solar energy with a concentrating solar energy collector of a first conduit module of the two or more conduit modules;
transferring the solar energy, with a light transfer optic of the first conduit module, through an insulating layer of the first conduit module, into an insulated region inside the insulating layer; and
absorbing and storing the transferred energy in an energy storage medium within the insulated region; and
causing a heat transfer fluid to flow through a conduit formed by the two or more conduit modules.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer fluid is air.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the heat transfer fluid is at substantially ambient atmospheric pressure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the insulated region is insulated at least in part with soil found on-site.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the causing of the heat transfer fluid to flow comprises causing the heat transfer fluid to flow by natural convection.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising causing the heat transfer fluid to flow through and/or over the concentrating solar energy collector.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising heating the energy storage medium with wind or grid energy.