Solar collector for solar energy systems
AssigneeSunbear Technologies, LLC
InventorsMatthew Cherney, Michael Stiles, Norman Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar collection system and method having means for receiving solar radiation through a main refractive interface and means for internally reflecting at least once, at least a portion of the received solar radiation. The refractive medium may be liquid, gel or solid. The device may be integrated with a photovoltaic device, photohydrolytic device, a heat engine, a light pipe or a photothermal receptor.
Claims30
A solar collector comprising an elongated light guide, having an axis, said light guide comprising a high optical refractive index liquid or gel material and an optical interface between said high optical refractive index liquid or gel material and a relatively lower optical refractive index solid material, and an entrance aperture structure adapted to receive incident light deviating from said axis, said optical interface having portions convergent with respect to increasing optical distance from said entrance aperture through said high optical refractive index liquid or gel material, wherein said high optical refractive index liquid or gel material of said elongated light guide concentrates light received through said entrance aperture and provides light concentration as compared to incident optical density on said entrance aperture;
- and a photoelectronic solar transducer for employing energy from said incident light, immersed within scud high optical refractive index liquid or gel material.
A solar collector comprising a tapered elongated light guide having an axis, comprising a high optical refractive index material and an optical interface between said high optical refractive index material and a relatively lower optical refractive index solid material, and an entrance aperture adapted to receive incident light deviating from said axis, wherein said high optical refractive index material of said elongated light guide transmits and concentrates light received through said entrance aperture by a process of total internal reflection, said optical interface having portions convergent with respect to increasing optical distance through said high optical refractive index material from said entrance aperture, said tapered elongated light guide having a taper angle dependent on a ratio of the high optical refractive index to the relatively lower optical refractive index.
A solar collector comprising an elongated light guide, having an axis, said light guide comprising a high optical refractive index material and an optical interface between said high optical refractive index material and a relatively lower optical refractive index material, and an entrance aperture structure adapted to receive incident light deviating from said axis, said optical interface having portions convergent with respect to increasing optical distance from said entrance aperture through said high optical refractive index material, wherein said high optical refractive index material of said elongated light guide concentrates light received through said entrance aperture and provides light concentration as compared to incident optical density on said entrance aperture, at least a portion of the light exiting into said relatively lower optical refractive index material;
- and a reflector for recovering light from the relatively lower optical refractive index material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.