# US 2014/0190552 A1 · Variable Optical Density Solar Collector

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- Number: US 2014/0190552 A1
- Document ID: US20140190552A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/691,779
- Filed: 2012-12-01
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-01
- Assignees: Judith Campbell
- Inventors: Harry R. Campbell; Judy Campbell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190552A1

## CPC

- F24S 23/00: Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
- F24S 23/30: with lenses
- F24S 80/52: characterised by the material (for preventing heat loss F24S80/56)
- H02S 20/26: Building materials integrated with PV modules, e.g. façade elements (H02S20/25 takes precedence)
- H10F 71/134: {Irradiation with electromagnetic or particle radiation}
- H10F 77/484: {Refractive light-concentrating means, e.g. lenses}
- F24S 80/56: characterised by means for preventing heat loss
- Y02B 10/10: Photovoltaic [PV]
- Y02E 10/44: Heat exchange systems
- Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators
- Y10T 29/5313: Means to assemble electrical device
- F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00)
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- 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
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The invention described here is a variable optical density solar collector optimized to be used in a nominally vertical orientation and in synergy with an adjacent, complementary solar concentrator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device and method of fabrication for the collection of solar energy; a solar energy collector array of collector elements employed in a variably transparent solar collector panel to be utilized in a predominantly vertical orientation comprising:
a) said solar collector elements, designed and configured to maximize solar energy collected from concentrated sunlight via a complementary adjacent solar concentrator, whose concentrating elements correspond in size and location to the collector elements;
b) the number, configuration, orientation of the collector elements, and their density in the solar collector array, may be varied from one area of the array to another providing varied light transmission and transparency;
c) said collector element shape being based on the direction of the installation relative to the sun's path through the sky, at the latitude of the installation, during the daytime cycle in all seasons, comprising:
i.) said solar collector elements, each of whose shape is approximately a crescent;
ii.) the length of each solar collector element is determined by the travel length of the focal spot from the sun traced on the collector panel through a corresponding adjacent concentrator element at the summer solstice for the latitude of installation;
iii.) the width of each solar collector element is determined by the focal spot from the sun on the collector panel through a corresponding adjacent concentrator element, the width of each collector element being determined by the focal spot traced throughout the year at the latitude of installation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar collector of claim 1, wherein the collector element material is comprised of polysilicon, germanium silicon, gallium nitride, or gallium arsenide, and may be formed in a multilayer sandwich structure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solar collector panel in claim 1, wherein surface texturing, coatings, or other materials are applied or other treatments selected to improve device efficiency or the optical transmission characteristics of the device, or to reflect solar radiation back to the solar collector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar collector panel in claim 1, wherein said panel may have a curvature or topology that is configured to maximize solar energy collected based on the direction of the installation relative to the sun's path through the sky at the latitude of the installation during the daytime cycle in all seasons.

### Claim 5

A method of fabrication for variably transparent solar collection arrays comprising:
a. forming a first conductive layer overlying a transparent or semitransparent substrate;
b. next deposit one or more photovoltaic semiconductor layers overlying the conductive layer;
c. then a P-N or N-P junction layer is formed;
d. then a second conductive layer is applied overlying the prior structure;
e. then apply a mask to the structure describing the array of collector cells and the connections between them;
f. then etch all unmasked material above the substrate by means comprising photolithography or laser ablation, exposing collector elements, connections, and contacts, connecting the collector elements forming a complete electrical circuit;
g. optionally a transparent or semitransparent electrically insulating material is then deposited over the entire area, filling the voids between collector elements and providing a thin transparent or semitransparent protective layer over the structure.