US 2015/0234133 A1 · Apparatus for Concentrating Solar Energy

Abstract

A solar concentrator comprising a transparent optical material including a first light coupling portion having an outer end and an inner end tapered so that it converges from the outer end towards the inner end; a first facet formed at the outer and and arranged to reflect light along the first light coupling portion; a first primary concentrator element arranged to focus light onto the first facet; a second light coupling portion having an outer end and an inner end tapered so that it converges from said outer end towards said inner end; a second facet formed at the outer end of the second light coupling portion and arranged to reflect light along said portion the second facet vertically overlapping the first facet; a second primary concentrator element arranged to focus light onto the second facet; a common light guide portion in optical communication with said inner ends of the first and second light coupling portions and arranged to transmit said radiation therethrough; wherein a greatest vertical thickness of the common light guide portion is less than a sum of the heights of the first and second facets.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A solar concentrator comprising a transparent optical material, said optical material including:

a first light coupling portion having an outer end and an inner end tapered so that it converges from the outer end towards the inner end;
a first facet formed at the outer end and arranged to reflect light along the first light coupling portion;
a first primary concentrator element arranged to focus fight onto the first facet;
a second light coupling portion having an outer end and an inner end tapered so that it converges from said outer end towards said inner end;
a second facet formed at the outer end of the second light coupling portion and arranged to reflect light along said portion the second facet vertically overlapping the first facet;
a second primary concentrator element arranged to focus light onto the second facet;
a common light guide portion in optical communication with said inner ends of the first and second light coupling portions and arranged to transmit said radiation therethrough;
wherein a greatest vertical thickness of the common light guide portion is less than a sum of the heights of the first and second facets.

5 more elements

An apparatus for concentrating sunlight comprising;

a first primary concentrator element focusing sunlight into a transparent optical material with a refractive index greater than n1.6 and onto a point on a first reflective facet,
a second primary concentrator element, adjacent to and adjoining the first, focusing sunlight through at least one surface of said optical material and onto a point on a second reflective facet,
the two reflective facets being at different elevations,
light rays from the two reflective facets transmitted in the same general direction, perpendicular to the sun's rays, via a corresponding coupling element, with one or both of the coupling elements being vertically tapered,
all rays from the first coupling element being manipulated, (by way of precise geometry), to pass the second coupling element without interactions or interference that would result in subsequent'decoupling,
the two reflective facets with their corresponding coupling elements together constituting a dual-element coupler,
all faces within (of) the dual element coupler having a particular shape, slope and length optimized for a desired concentration ratio, array profile and angular acceptance,
all rays along the full length of the dual element coupler being confined horizontally (in a channel) by approximately parallel side walls, which are separated by a distance approximately the width of the reflective facets,
all rays subsequently injected into a planar light guide, and transmitted to a receiving edge of that light guide by Total Internal Reflection,
the vertical thickness of the planar light guide being significantly less than the sum of the heights of the two reflective facets and optimally being equal to or less than the height of the first reflective facet.

7 more elements

The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein additional dual element couplers are added in the horizontal plane distally away from the receiving edge with each additional dual element coupler longitudinally offset from the preceding one, their associated channels forming a terraced pattern (viewed from top), light rays from each of the dual element couplers being confined horizontally within said channels by side walls, until they enter a planar region of the light guide where they may mix with rays from other dual element couplers, each channel being laterally separated from the adjacent planar region of the light guide by an air gap or film of low RI material preventing rays from the dual element couplers and the planar light guide from mixing until all rays have passed the tapered part of the second coupling element, wherein the area of the said planar light guide generally expands horizontally toward the receiving edge, the area of light capture increasing proportionally to the number of channels but being limited when laterally adjacent primary concentrator elements begin to impinge on each other's space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for Concentrating Solar Energy

Life of this patent

Apparatus for Concentrating Solar Energy

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36