Solar antenna array fabrication
AssigneeNovaSolix, Inc.
InventorsJyotsna IYER, Paul COMITA, Robert E. COUSINS, Laurence H. COOKE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar antenna array may comprise an array of carbon nanotube antennas that may capture and convert sunlight into electrical power. A method for constructing the solar antenna array from a glass top down to aluminum over a plastic bottom such that light passing through the glass top and/or reflected off the aluminum both may be captured by the antennas sandwiched between. Techniques for patterning the glass to further direct the light toward the antennas and techniques for continuous flow fabrication and testing are also described.
Claims14
A solar antenna array configured to convert sunlight into electrical energy comprising:
- a glass sheet;
- a plurality of parallel ground lines under the glass sheet;
- a plurality of parallel voltage lines under the glass sheet;
- a clear insulating sheet under the parallel ground lines and the parallel voltage lines;
- a power bus bar under the clear insulating sheet;
- a ground bus bar under the clear insulating sheet;
- a plurality of carbon nanotubes forming fuzz on the ground lines;
- a plurality of carbon nanotube antennas connected between adjacent voltage and ground lines of the plurality of parallel voltage lines and the plurality of parallel ground lines, respectively;
- and
- a plurality of diodes;
- wherein the plurality of parallel ground lines are alternatingly interleaved with the plurality of parallel voltage lines,
- wherein each of the plurality of parallel ground lines is electrically connected to the ground bus bar,
- wherein each of the plurality of parallel voltage lines is electrically connected to the power bus bar, and
- wherein each of the respective carbon nanotube antennas is coupled to a ground line and, through a respective one of the plurality of diodes, to a voltage line.
A method of fabricating a solar antenna array comprising
- a plastic cover;
- power and ground bus bars;
- a clear insulating sheet;
- power and ground lines;
- and
- a glass sheet;
- wherein the method comprises:
- a) forming the power and ground lines on top of the glass sheet;
- b) forming the clear insulating sheet on top of the power and ground lines;
- c) forming the ground and power bus bars on top of the clear insulating sheet;
- and
- d) forming the plastic cover on top of the ground and power bus bars.
A reconfigurable array of double-diode structures comprising:
- a plurality of double-diode structures, organized in an array of rows and columns, each double-diode structure containing a power line and a ground line;
- and
- a plurality of switches, each containing two opposing geometric diodes;
- wherein in each row the ground lines of the double diode structures are connected together, in each row the power lines of the double diode structures are connected together, in each column the ground line of each double diode structure is connected to the power line of an adjacent double diode structure, and the switches connect each of the double diode structures in at least one row to other rows.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.