US 4,396,006 AGranted

Solar powered, solar aiming device

OwnerRoger H. Cross, Jr.inventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A solar powered, solar aiming device pivotally mounted on a base 40 uses a pair of separate solar sensor panels 11 and 12 that are insulated from each other and oriented at an angle to each other. Hydraulics angularly pivot the sensor panels relative to the base in response to pressure produced by sunlight shining on sensor tubes 13 and 14 arranged within the sensor panels to contain refrigerant material. The refrigerant communicates with and pressurizes a pair of bladder separators 21 and 22 that separate the refrigerant from hydraulic material operating the hydraulic pivoter. Sensor tubes 11 and 12, separators 21 and 22, and the hydraulics are arranged so that when an aiming plane 18 bisecting the angle between the sensor panels is aimed at an angle from the sun thus causing the sensor tubes to receive different incident sunlight and reach different temperatures, the refrigerant material applies different pressures to the respective separators which in turn power the hydraulic means to pivot the sensor panels and correct the solar aim of bisector plane 18. The device can be used to aim a solar energy collector or other solar device oriented perpendicular to the aiming plane between the sensor panels.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A solar powered, solar aiming device pivotally mounted on a base and comprising:

a. a pair of separate solar sensor tubes insulated from each other and oriented at an angle to each other;
b. hydraulic means for angularly pivoting said sensor tubes relative to said base;
c. a pair of hydraulic bladder separators;
d. hydraulic material communicating with said bladder separators and said hydraulic means;
e. refrigerant material in each of said sensor tubes communicating respectively with said bladder separators for pressurizing said separators and said hydraulic material as a function of solar energy respectively incident on said sensor tubes;
and
f. said sensor tubes, bladder separators, and hydraulic means being arranged so that when an aiming plane bisecting said angle between said sensor tubes is aimed at an angle from the sun causing said sensor tubes to receive different incident sunlight and reach different temperatures, said refrigerant material applies different pressures to said respective separators which then power said hydraulic means to pivot said sensor tubes to correct the solar aim of said bisector plane;
and when said plane is aimed at the sun causing said sensor tubes to reach approximately equal temperatures, said refrigerant material applies approximately equal pressures to said respective separators which then hold said hydraulic means stationary.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.