Trough-stirling concentrated solar power system

A solar power collection system for converting solar energy from the sun into electrical energy, comprising:

• a concentrator having a plurality of parabolic trough-shaped mirrors, wherein said mirrors focus reflected light to a focus line above a common vertex of said mirrors;
• at least one heat conducting shoe;
• an absorber having a plurality of tubes that are conductively coupled to said at least one shoe, wherein said tubes are fixedly connected to said mirrors, spaced apart from said mirrors to extend substantially a length of said mirrors, said tubes being coaxially aligned with said focus line to thereby receive solar energy focused on said focus line, said tubes absorbing the solar energy and producing heat, said heat being conducted to said at least one shoe, wherein said at least one shoe is disposed in longitudinal alignment with said tube;
• a converter conductively coupled to said at least one shoe and having at least one Stirling engine that converts said heat to electrical energy;
• a pointing system that aligns the concentrator to the sun, said pointing system including a single-axis system adapted to rotate said concentrator about an axis to track the sun across the horizon during the day;
• and
• wherein said converter rotates in elevation with said mirrors and said converter is disposed between said mirrors.

A method for collecting and converting solar power energy from sun light into electrical energy comprising:

• using at least one parabolic trough-shaped mirror to collect solar energy;
• providing at least one thermally conductive tube fixedly attached to and spaced apart from said mirror to extend substantially a length of said mirror and a thermally conductive tube shoe to absorb and conduct heat energy produced by said solar energy reflected by said mirror;
• providing at least one converter to convert said heat energy to electrical energy, said at least one converter disposed adjacent to said mirror;
• aligning said mirror with the sun light;
• using said mirror to focus the sun light reflected from said mirror along a longitudinally extending focus line;
• placing said tube in said focus line to absorb said reflected sun light, wherein said tube absorbs heat from said reflected sun light;
• placing said shoe in said focus line;
• transmitting said heat absorbed by said tube though said shoe to said converter;
• using said converter to convert said heat into said electrical energy;
• and
• rotating said converter in elevation with said mirror.