Device for concentrating solar radiation
AssigneeDeutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
InventorThomas Litterst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Solar radiation is concentrated onto an absorber which includes a concentrator element. The concentrator element concentrates incident solar radiation in a focal spot on the absorber to obtain a measurable variable which reliably characterizes the alignment of the concentrator element on the sun. The variable is independent of variations in the apparent position of the sun, weather influences, thermal expansion, and play in the suspension of the concentrator element. The device measures the flux density of the solar radiation in the region of the focal spot using an inlet opening, through which part of the solar radiation passes, a diffuser for reducing the flux density of the solar radiation, and a detector for measuring the flux density which is reduced by the diffuser.
Claims24
Device for concentrating solar radiation onto an absorber, comprising a concentrator element concentrating incident solar radiation in a focal spot on the absorber, characterized in that the device (10) has at least one measuring means for measuring the flux density of the solar radiation in the region of the focal spot and that the measuring means comprises an inlet opening (86), part of the solar radiation passing through said opening into the measuring means, a diffuser (70, 72, 74, 76;
- 106, 108, 110, 112) for reducing the flux density of the solar radiation reaching the measuring means and a detector (98) for measuring the flux density reduced by means of the diffuser (70, 72, 74, 76;
- 106, 108, 110, 112).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.