Conversion of solar energy
OwnerPaul Lawheedinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An array of elongated concave parabolic trough-shaped reflectors is disclosed. The orientation of the array is biaxially kept essentially perpendicular to rays of the sun by an optical control such that sunlight is reflected and concentrated along a focal line of each elongated reflector by which (a) water in a tube disposed at the focal line is heated by reflected line focused sunlight impinged thereon and/or (b) line focused reflected sunlight is optically transformed into point focused reflected sunlight using Fresnel lenses from which electricity is generated using solar cells upon which the point focused reflected sunlight is impinged.
Claims66
A method of transforming solar energy to thermal energy comprising the acts of:
- (a) impinging rays of sunshine upon an array of linear line-focusing parabolic trough reflectors arranged in series and parallel;
- (b) mechanically tilting the reflectors around at least one essentially horizontal axis and mechanically turning the reflectors collectively along a curved track in respect to an essentially vertical axis so that the reflectors individually and collectively are essentially perpendicular to the rays of sunshine;
- (c) correcting the tilt of the reflectors and the track positions of the reflectors around the essentially horizontal axis and the essentially vertical axis, respectively, to retain said perpendicular relationship;
- (d) heating influent water in a tube with reflected sunlight at a focal line of each reflector;
- (e) discharging the tube-heated water as effluent for subsequent use.
A method of transforming solar energy to electrical energy comprising the acts of:
- (a) impinging rays of sunshine upon an array of line-focusing parabolic trough reflectors;
- (b) mechanically and collectively tilting the reflectors in respect to at least one essentially horizontal axis and mechanically and collectively turning the reflectors along a curved track in respect to an essentially vertical axis;
- (c) position-correcting the tilt and track orientations of the reflectors collectively to retain said essentially perpendicular relationship;
- (d) transforming reflected sunlight to electrical energy along a focal line of each reflector;
- (e) communicating the electrical energy for use.
A method of converting solar energy to at least one other form of energy comprising the acts of:
- progressively and collectively turning and tilting an array of parabolic trough reflectors to maintain an essentially perpendicular relationship between rays of sunlight and the reflectors while converting reflected sunlight concentrated along focal lines of the reflectors to at least one other form of energy selected from the group consisting of thermal energy and electrical energy.
A method of converting solar energy to at least one other form of energy comprising the acts of:
- positioning an assembly of reflectors so that each reflector is essentially perpendicular to rays of sunlight;
- reflecting the sunlight from each reflector so as to focus the sunlight in concentrated form along a focal line;
- converting the line focused reflected sunlight to at least one other form of energy selected from the group consisting of thermal energy, electrical energy and both.
An apparatus for transforming solar energy to thermal energy comprising:
- (a) an array of linear line-focusing angularly adjustable parabolic trough reflectors arranged in series and parallel;
- (b) an upper frame supporting the array of angularly adjustable parabolic trough reflectors;
- (c) a lower frame rotatably supporting the upper frame upon a track;
- (d) a control system for collectively adjusting the angularity of each parabolic trough reflector and for curvilinearly displacing the upper frame along the track upon the lower frame, to obtain and retain essentially perpendicularity between rays of sunshine and the reflectors whereby reach reflector reflects and focuses sunlight along a line;
- (e) an energy converter located at at least one of the focus lines by which reflected line focused sunlight is transformed into thermal energy.
An apparatus for transforming solar energy to electrical energy comprising the acts of:
- (a) an array of line-focusing angularly adjustable parabolic trough reflectors upon which sunlight is impinged and reflected;
- (b) an upper frame supporting the array of angularly adjustable parabolic trough reflectors;
- (c) a lower frame rotatably supporting the upper frame upon a track;
- (d) a control system or collectively adjusting the angularity of each parabolic trough reflector and for rotating the upper frame along the track of the lower frame, to obtain and retain essentially perpendicularity between rays of sunshine and the reflectors whereby reach reflector reflects and focuses sunlight along a line;
- (e) an energy converter located at at least one of the focus lines by which reflected line focused sunlight is transformed into electrical energy.
An apparatus for converting solar energy to at least one other form of energy comprising:
- an array of parabolic trough reflectors;
- a control system for maintaining an essentially perpendicular relationship between rays of sunlight and the reflectors;
- an energy converter for converting reflected sunlight concentrated along focal lines of the reflectors to at least one other form of energy selected from the group consisting of thermal energy and electrical energy.
An apparatus for converting solar energy to at least one other form of energy comprising the acts of:
- an assembly of reflectors;
- a reflector control system so that each reflector is retained essentially perpendicular to rays of sunlight and therefore sunlight reflected from each reflector is concentrated along a focal line;
- an energy converter for receiving and converting the line focused reflected sunlight to at least one other form of energy selected from the group consisting of thermal energy, electrical energy and both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.