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US 4,154,219 AGranted
Prismatic solar reflector apparatus and method of solar tracking
AssigneeE-Systems, Inc.
InventorsYoudhishthir P. Gupta, Mark J. O'Neill
Life of this patent
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AssigneeE-Systems, Inc.
InventorsYoudhishthir P. Gupta, Mark J. O'Neill
Estimating the term…
A prismatic plate is mounted with its flat face exposed to the sun on a reflector panel for use in a solar energy collection system. The plate includes a plurality of triangular prisms with parallel longitudinal axes shaped to provide total internal reflection of incident light rays. Each prism has a cross section forming a right-angled isosceles triangle with the two equal-length, rear faces of the prism oriented at 45 degrees relative to the front face of the plate. The base of each prism forms or is parallel to a front plate surface which receives incident solar light rays. The rays are transmitted through the plate cross section without refraction in the plane of the cross section to be reflected from the two rear faces and back out the front face toward a solar receiver. The prism material has an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two so that there is total internal reflection from the prism faces. The prismatic plate is mounted on a movable heliostat panel controlled by a tracking system to reflect to a solar receiver. The panel has a fixed axis directed toward a central receiver and a moving axis orthogonal to the fixed axis. The prismatic plate is mounted on the panel with the longitudinal axes of the prisms perpendicular to the moving axis. Tracking is accomplished by adjusting the panel orientation so that the plane of incidence of the incident solar rays is parallel to the longitudinal axes of the prisms and also so that the reflected solar rays intercept the receiver.
Apparatus for reflecting and concentrating solar rays in a solar energy collection system, comprising a receiver for collecting said reflected solar rays, and a prism member having an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two to provide total internal reflection of incident solar rays toward said receiver, said prism member including a first face for receiving the incident solar rays and transmitting the rays through the prism member, and a plurality of pairs of prism faces each pair being oriented at substantially 90 degrees relative to each other to totally reflect each transmitted ray back through said first face to the receiver in a plane of reflection parallel to the plane of incidence of the corresponding incident ray.
Apparatus for reflecting and concentrating solar rays in a solar power tower energy collection system, comprising a stationary receiver in a solar power tower for collecting said reflected solar rays, and a prismatic heliostat member having an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two to provide total internal reflection of incident solar rays toward said receiver, said prismatic heliostat member including a first face for receiving the incident solar rays and transmitting the rays through the heliostat member, and a plurality of pairs of prism faces each pair being oriented at substantially 90 degrees relative to each other to totally reflect each transmitted ray back through said first face to the receiver in a plane of reflection parallel to the plane of incidence of the corresponding incident ray.
In a solar energy collection system for focusing the solar energy to reflect solar rays to a central location, the combination comprising a central receiver positioned at the central location to collect the focused solar energy, and a reflective surface for focusing the solar energy comprising a unitary transparent uncoated plate of material having an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two, said plate having a smooth front surface, an intermediate thickness and a prism-shaped back surface, said back surface having a plurality of triangular prisms with parallel longitudinal axes, each prism having a cross section forming an isosceles, right-angle triangle with first and second sides oriented at substantially 45 degrees relative to the front surface, whereby solar rays incident to the front surface are transmitted through the intermediate thickness, totally internally reflected from the first side and the second side and transmitted back through the intermediate thickness and out the front surface to the receiver.
In a solar energy collection system for focusing solar energy to reflect solar rays from a heliostat panel to a solar power tower, the combination comprising a central stationary receiver positioned in the solar power tower to collect the focused solar energy, and a reflective surface on the heliostat panel for focusing the solar energy comprising a unitary transparent uncoated plate of material having an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two, said plate having a smooth front surface, an intermediate thickness and a prism-shaped back surface, said back surface having a plurality of triangular prisms with parallel longitudinal axes, each prism having a cross section forming an isosceles, right-angle triangle with first and second sides oriented at substantially 45 degrees relative to the front surface, whereby solar rays incident to the front surface are transmitted through the intermediate thickness, totally internally reflected from the first side and the second side and transmitted back through the intermediate thickness and out the front surface to the receiver of the solar power tower.
In a solar energy collection system having a reflective surface for focusing the solar energy at a central location, and a solar receiver positioned at the central location to collect the focused solar energy, the improvement wherein said reflective surface comprises a prism member having an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two to provide total internal reflection of incident solar rays, said prism member including a first face for receiving the incident solar rays and transmitting the rays through the prism member, and a plurality of pairs of prism faces each pair being oriented at substantially 45 degrees relative to the first face and at substantially 90 degrees relative to each other to totally reflect each transmitted ray back through said first face to the solar receiver in a plane of reflection parallel to the plane of incidence of the corresponding incident ray.
A solar energy conversion system for intercepting, reflecting and collecting solar rays to generate useful energy comprising:
A solar energy conversion system for intercepting, reflecting and collecting solar rays to generate useful energy comprising:
A solar power tower energy conversion system for intercepting, reflecting and collecting solar rays to generate useful energy comprising:
A system for use in the reflection of solar rays to a solar energy receiver, comprising:
A system for use in the reflection of solar rays to a solar energy receiver, comprising:
A system for use in the reflection of solar rays to a solar energy receiver in a solar power tower, comprising:
A method of tracking the sun with a reflector panel having a plurality of prisms with parallel longitudinal axes to reflect incident solar rays to a solar energy receiver, comprising:
A method of tracking the sun with a heliostat reflector panel having a plurality of prisms with parallel longitudinal axes to reflect incident solar rays to a stationary solar energy receiver in a solar power tower, comprising:
A method of tracking the sun with a reflector panel having a plurality of prisms with parallel longitudinal axes to reflect incident solar rays to a radiation receiver, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.