# US 2018/0003412 A1 · Low concentration solar collector system

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- Number: US 2018/0003412 A1
- Document ID: US20180003412A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/637,450
- Filed: 2017-06-29
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-29
- Inventors: Howard Y. Yuh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180003412A1

## CPC

- B01D 15/08: Selective adsorption, e.g. chromatography
- C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation}
- B01D 1/0035: {Solar energy (for treatment of water C02F1/14)}
- B01D 3/04: pipe stills
- B01J 20/046: {containing halogens, e.g. halides}
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- B01J 20/28004: {Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size}
- B01J 20/28014: {characterised by their form}
- B01J 20/283: based on silica
- C02F 1/12: Spray evaporation
- C02F 1/14: using solar energy
- C02F 1/265: {Desalination}
- F24S 20/20: Solar heat collectors for receiving concentrated solar energy, e.g. receivers for solar power plants
- F24S 23/77: with flat reflective plates
- F24S 23/79: with spaced and opposed interacting reflective surfaces
- F28D 15/0275: {Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores}
- H02S 20/10: Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground (H02S20/30 takes precedence)
- H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking
- H02S 40/44: Means to utilise heat energy, e.g. hybrid systems producing warm water and electricity at the same time (directly associated with the PV cell or integrated with the PV cell H10F77/67)
- H10F 77/488: {Reflecting light-concentrating means, e.g. parabolic mirrors or concentrators using total internal reflection}
- B01D 1/26: Multiple-effect evaporating
- B01D 3/146: {Multiple effect distillation}
- B01D 2253/102: Carbon
- B01D 2253/106: Silica or silicates
- C02F 1/04: by distillation or evaporation
- C02F 1/28: by sorption (using ion-exchange C02F1/42; sorbent compositions B01J)
- C02F 2103/08: Seawater, e.g. for desalination
- Y02B 10/20: Solar thermal
- Y02B 10/70: Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
- Y02E 10/40: Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
- Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators
- Y02E 10/60: Thermal-PV hybrids
- Y02W 10/37: using solar energy
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- 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
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A device and system for providing low concentration solar collection is disclosed. The device comprises a reflective parabolic trough, an evacuated tube collector, and a geared element for enabling the trough to utilize one-axis solar tracking. The system utilizes arrays of the solar collection devices, connected to a motor or actuator, to synchronize the tracking of each of the solar collection devices in the array. The heated fluid in each solar collection device is then transferred to a fluid flowing in a fluid transfer tube, where the fluid can be transported to a storage system for future power generation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solar collector device comprising:
an evacuated tube collector having an end portion;
a low-concentration parabolic trough having an end wall and at least one reflective surface facing the evacuated tube collector, the trough connecting to the evacuated tube collector; and
a geared element connected to the end wall.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solar collector device according to claim 1, wherein the parabolic trough is comprised of polycarbonate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The solar collector device according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the trough is twin walled.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The solar collector device according to claim 1, further comprising a sleeve bearing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The solar collector device according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve bearing is comprised of ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The solar collector device according to claim 1, wherein the parabolic trough is between 1.5 and 3 meters in length.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The solar collector device according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the system is between about 3 and about 20.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The solar collector device according to claim 1, wherein the evacuated tube collector is the physical axis for the rotation of the parabolic trough.

### Claim 9

A solar collection system comprising
a plurality of solar collector devices, each device comprising:
an evacuated tube collector having an end portion and at least one thermosiphoning tube;
a parabolic trough having an end wall and at least one reflective surface facing the evacuated tube collector, the trough connecting to the evacuated tube collector; and
a geared element connected to the end wall;
a means for rotating the parabolic trough of each of the solar collector devices; and
a fluid transfer tube connected to each thermosiphoning tube.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The solar collection system of claim 9, wherein the means for rotating the parabolic trough and a thermal fluid manifold operably connected to the thermosiphonic tubes are both housed within a first housing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The solar collection system of claim 9, wherein the means for rotating the geared element is selected from the group consisting of:
an actuator connected to a shaft with teeth on one surface, the teeth meshing with the geared element of each of the solar collector devices,
a motor connected to a gear, the gear connected to a chain, the chain connected to the geared element of each of the solar collector devices, or
a motor connected to a shaft, the shaft connected to a plurality of worm gears, each worm gear meshed with the geared element of one of the solar collector devices.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The solar collection system of claim 9, further comprising a processor adapted to control the means for rotating the parabolic trough of each of the solar collector devices.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The solar collection system of claim 9, wherein the number of solar collector devices is between 10 and 50.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The solar collection system of claim 9, wherein each collection system is between 5 and 14 meters wide.