Solar Concentrator Configuration With Improved Manufacturability and Efficiency
AssigneeCEWA Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn Stewart Fangman, Michael E. Fangman, John Matthew Fangman, Sudhakar Neti, Arali Shah-Yukich
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Abstract
A solar concentrator comprises a pair of concentric reflectors having a spindle toroid geometry for focusing the collected solar radiation into a ring-shaped focal area, as opposed to the “point” or “line” focus of prior art configurations. In a preferred embodiment, each reflector is formed of a plurality of curved petals that are disposed in a contiguous, keystone arrangement that requires no additional fixturing to hold the petals in place. Such an arrangement reduces the weight, complexity and cost of the final solar concentrator structure.
Claims21
A solar concentrator, comprising:
- a spindle toroid-geometry outer solar reflector, comprising:
- a first circular center region having a first radius R1 and a first focal length L1;
- a spindle toroid-geometry inner solar reflector overlying the circular center region of the outer solar reflector, comprising:
- a second circular center region having a second radius R2<R1 and a second focal length L2;
- a focal plane solar energy receiving device, comprising:
- an outer receiving ring at a common focal plane, and having a first ring radius r1, that receives solar energy from the outer solar reflector, and
- an inner receiving ring at the common focal plane, and having a second ring radius r2 that receives solar energy from the inner solar reflector.
A solar energy system, comprising
- a solar concentrator including a plurality of concentric solar reflectors having a common optical axis, comprising:
- an outer solar reflector having a center region and a first spindle toroid geometry;
- an inner solar reflector overlying the center region of the at least the outer solar reflector and a second spindle toroid geometry;
- a configurable primary solar energy collection region comprising a primary receiver positionable along the common optical axis, wherein changing a position of the primary receiver along the common optical axis changes a solar radiation collection area of the primary receiver.
A solar concentrator, comprising:
- a spindle toroid-geometry outer solar reflector, comprising:
- a first circular center region having a first radius R1 and a first focal length L1;
- a spindle toroid-geometry inner solar reflector overlying the circular center region of the outer solar reflector, comprising:
- a second circular center region having a second radius R2<R1 and a second focal length L2;
- a focal plane solar energy receiving device, comprising:
- a disc-shaped receiver defined by an outer receiving ring having a first ring radius r1 and an inner receiving ring having a second ring radius r2 that receives solar energy from the outer solar reflector and the inner solar reflector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.