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US 2020/0049379 A1Published application
System and method for collecting solar energy with a stationary thermal storage device
AssigneeThermal Storage Systems
InventorsFrank Stephen Wyle, Alan J. Spero
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A novel portable solar energy system includes a solar concentrator, a thermal storage device, an azimuth adjustment system, an elevation system, and a heat exchanger, all mounted on a rotatable support frame. In a particular embodiment, the thermal storage device remains at a fixed vertical height and fixed tilt orientation when adjustments are made to the azimuth adjustment system and/or the elevation adjustment system.
Claims19
A solar energy system comprising:
- a support frame;
- a thermal energy storage device supported by said support frame, said thermal energy storage device including a solar energy receiving surface operative to convert solar energy incident thereon into thermal energy and to transmit said thermal energy to a thermal storage medium within said thermal device;
- a shutter having a surface complementary to said solar energy receiving surface of said thermal energy storage device, said shutter being movable with respect to said solar energy receiving surface and including an aperture to expose different regions of said solar energy receiving surface to solar energy depending on the relative orientation of said shutter and said thermal energy storage device;
- a solar energy concentrator adjustably coupled to said support frame to direct solar energy to said thermal energy storage device through said aperture;
- and
- an elevation adjustment system coupled to adjust an elevational angle of said solar energy concentrator and said orientation of said shutter in a coordinated manner.
3 more elements
A solar energy system comprising:
- a support frame;
- a thermal energy storage device supported by said support frame, said thermal energy storage device including a solar energy receiving surface operative to convert solar energy incident thereon into thermal energy and to transmit said thermal energy to a thermal storage medium within said thermal device, said solar energy receiving surface having a concave shape;
- an insulating structure at least partially surrounding said thermal energy storage device and defining an opening exposing said solar energy receiving surface;
- a shutter disposed in said opening defined by said insulating structure, having a spherical body including a surface complementary to said concave solar energy receiving surface of said thermal energy storage device, being movable with respect to said solar energy receiving surface and including an aperture to expose different regions of said solar energy receiving surface to solar energy depending on the relative orientation of said shutter and said thermal energy storage device;
- a solar energy concentrator mechanically coupled to said shutter and adjustably coupled to said support frame to direct solar energy to said thermal energy storage device through said aperture;
- an elevation adjustment system coupled to adjust an elevational angle of said solar energy concentrator and said orientation of said shutter in a coordinated manner;
- an azimuthal adjustment system adapted to adjust the azimuth of said solar energy concentrator, and wherein the alignment of said solar energy concentrator and said aperture of said shutter remain fixed as azimuthal adjustments are made to said solar energy concentrator.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.