Solar energy powered sun tracking device
AssigneeUniversity of Florida
InventorsClayton Morrison, Norman Cope
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solar powered tracking device for controlling radiation exposure of surfaces, wherein solar radiation increases the vapor pressure of a liquid in a sensing device and the vapor pressure acts on opposed pneumatic cylinders to produce mechanical movement of the controlled surface to track the sun with a maximum deviation of not more than 0.5.degree. under normal clear sky radiation conditions.
Claims12
In a solar powered solar tracking device including a solar radiation receiving surface, a power translation means for rotating said surface about an axis to follow the source of said solar radiation in response to variations in vapor pressure of a fluid in a solar radiation sensor;
- the improvement in which said solar radiation sensor comprises a light weight, rapidly heat conductive tube in the form of an elongated closed loop with a heat conductive fin attached lengthwise thereto, a large volume reservoir forming part of said loop and being located adjacent the end of said loop which is at the highest elevation, said tube and said reservoir being partially filled with a vaporizable liquid, said fin being positioned to shield said reservoir from said solar radiation, said loop, said fin, and said reservoir being enclosed by a tubular wind screen.
A heat radiation sensing element comprising a closed loop of metal tubing partially filled with a vaporizable liquid and an outlet in the tubing connected to a vapor pressure-sensitive device, the loop including a large volume reservoir for said liquid, an elongated metal fin heat-conductively attached lengthwise to a length of the tubing in the loop with said length of tubing being located on the side of said fin facing the source of heat radiation being sensed and said reservoir being located on the opposite side of said fin shielded from said radiation.
A solar powered tracking device for receiving solar energy comprising a mirror with a parabolic cross section and tubular energy receiver positioned along the axis of the parabolic mirror, a radiation sensor fixed to each side of said mirror including a tubular loop partially filled with a vaporizable liquid with a heat conductive fin attached to said loop and a large volume reservoir included in said loop, a wind shield substantially enclosing said sensor loop, fin, and reservoir, shading means fixed to said mirror to shade said sensor from solar radiation when said mirror is within 0.5.degree. of tracking the sun, and pneumatic cylinder means operatively connected to said sensors to receive and respond to vapor pressure of the liquid in said sensors and operatively connected to said mirror to rotate it about its axis in response to said vapor pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.