Solar energy trap and turbine
OwnerEvangelos Arkas, Nicholas Arkasinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solar energy turbine includes solar energy trap (1110) having a chamber with an inlet port (12), such that solar energy (13) entering the chamber through the inlet port is absorbed and reflected within the chamber means until substantially all the solar energy is absorbed by the chamber. Preferably, the inlet port is arranged to cause photons of the solar energy entering the chamber to circulate substantially in a single direction within the chamber until absorbed, such that on re-passing the inlet port substantially no photons emerge from the inlet port. The solar energy turbine includes a heat exchanger (1150, 1160, 1170) for extracting energy from the solar energy trap to drive a turbine (1120).
Claims47
A solar energy turbine comprising:
- a solar energy trap chamber defining an internal volume, the chamber having an inlet port for communicating with the internal volume, such that solar energy entering the chamber through the inlet port is absorbed and reflected within the chamber until substantially all the solar energy is absorbed by the chamber;
- a heat exchanger;
- and
- a turbine in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger extracting heat energy from the chamber and the turbine such that energy of photons in the solar energy trap is absorbed by a fluid contained within the heat exchanger to drive the turbine,
- wherein the inlet port is adapted to cause photons of the solar energy entering the chamber to circulate substantially in a single direction within the chamber until absorbed, such that on re-passing the inlet port substantially no photons emerge from the inlet port.
A method of converting solar energy comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a chamber defining an internal re-circulating volume;
- b. providing an inlet port communicating with the internal volume;
- c. admitting solar energy through the inlet port into the internal volume such that the solar energy is repeatedly reflected within the chamber until substantially all the solar energy is absorbed by the chamber such that photons of the solar energy entering the chamber are caused to circulate substantially in a single direction within the chamber until absorbed, such that on re-passing the inlet port substantially no photons emerge from the inlet port;
- and
- d. providing a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the chamber and a turbine in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, such that energy of the photons in the solar energy trap is absorbed by a fluid contained within the heat exchanger to drive the turbine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.