Cooling circuit for reciever of solar radiation
OwnerJohn Beavis Lasichinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A receiver for a system for generating electrical power from solar radiation is disclosed. The systems includes the receiver and a means (3) for concentrating solar radiation onto the receiver. The receiver includes a plurality of photovoltaic cell modules. Each module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells (5), and includes an electrical connection that forms part of the receiver electrical circuit. The receiver includes a coolant circuit for cooling the photovoltaic cells with a coolant. The coolant circuit includes a coolant flow path in each module that is in thermal contact with the photovoltaic cells so that in use coolant flowing through the flow path extracts heat from the photovoltaic cells and thereby cools the cells.
Claims36
A system for generating electrical power from solar radiation which includes:
- (a) a receiver that includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells for converting solar energy into electrical energy and an electrical circuit for transferring the electrical energy output of the photovoltaic cells;
- and
- (b) a means for concentrating solar radiation onto the receiver;
- and
- the system being characterised in that the receiver includes a plurality of photovoltaic cell modules, each module includes a plurality of photovoltaic cells, each module includes an electrical connection that forms part of the receiver electrical circuit, the receiver includes a coolant circuit for cooling the photovoltaic cells with a coolant, and the coolant circuit includes a coolant flow path in each module that is in thermal contact with the photovoltaic cells so that in use coolant flowing through the flow path extracts heat from the photovoltaic cells and thereby cools the cells.
The system defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the receiver includes a frame that supports the modules in an array of the modules.
The system defined in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for concentrating solar radiation onto the receiver is a dish reflector that includes an array of mirrors for reflecting solar radiation that is incident on the mirrors towards the photovoltaic cells.
A photovoltaic cell module for a receiver of a system for generating electrical power from solar radiation, which module includes:
- a plurality of photovoltaic cells, an electrical connection for transferring the electrical energy output of the photovoltaic cells, and a coolant flow path that is in thermal contact with the photovoltaic cells so that in use coolant flowing through the flow path cools the photovoltaic cells.
The system defined in claim 37 wherein the coolant member acts as a heat sink.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.