Hydrophobic Solar Concentrator and Method of Using and Forming the Hydrophobic Solar Concentrator
OwnerVisvamohan Yegnashankaran, Akshey Sehgal +1inventors
InventorsVisvamohan Yegnashankaran, Akshey Sehgal, Jamal Ramdani
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Abstract
A solar concentrator is implemented with a plate structure that has a surface and one or more hydrophobic regions on the surface of the plate structure. The plate structure is transparent to visible light. A fluid is sprayed onto the surface of the plate structure where the fluid forms droplets on the hydrophobic regions. The droplets capture substantially all angles of incident solar radiation and deliver concentrated solar radiation to a corresponding number of solar cells.
Claims20
A hydrophobic solar concentrator comprising a plate structure, the plate structure being transparent to visible light and having a first region and a second region, the first region lying below and touching the second region, the second region having a greater hydrophobicity than the first region.
A solar panel comprising:
- a plate structure being transparent to visible light and having a first region and a second region, the first region lying below and touching the second region, the second region having a greater hydrophobicity than the first region;
- and
- a solar structure that touches the plate structure, the solar structure including a plurality of solar cells.
A method of operating a solar panel comprising spraying a liquid on a plate structure multiple times during a day at a predefined time, the plate structure being transparent to visible light and having an exterior surface, the exterior surface being hydrophobic.
A method of forming a solar concentrator comprising forming a hydrophobic region on a surface of a plate structure, the plate structure being transparent to visible light, the hydrophobic region being transparent to visible light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.