Solar concentrator and portable tracking device
AssigneeD-Rev: Design for the Other Ninety Percent
InventorGregory Jin-keng Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a concentrator, particularly a terrestrial solar concentrator to harness the sun's energy, and a tracking system. The concentrator includes a parabolic or other curved reflective surface and an absorber positioned at the focus of the curved reflective surface. Parabolic ribs give shape to the reflective surface. The tracking system includes a rotating, swiveling, or pivoting joint. One or more cables attach to the tracking system. Selectively applying tension to the cables causes the tracking system to rotate, swivel, or pivot at the joint to track an object.
Claims14
A tracking system, comprising:
- a platform configured to accommodate an object;
- at least one support leg attached to the platform, the at least one support leg having a pivoting anchor point situated away from said platform;
- and
- at least one flexible cable attached to the platform,
- wherein the at least one flexible cable passes through a fixed anchor point, wherein the platform is adapted to pivot at the pivoting anchor point in response to a tension applied to the at least one flexible cable, and wherein said pivoting anchor point allows tracking along separate axes.
A portable solar concentrator, comprising:
- a reflective surface having a curved shape and at least one focal point above the reflective surface, wherein the reflective surface comprises a flexible sheet of reflective material;
- a reinforcement sheet supporting the reflective material, wherein the reinforcement sheet is stiffer than the reflective material;
- a plurality of curved ribs attached to the reinforcement sheet;
- an absorber located at the at least one focal point;
- and
- a support stand hingedly connected to the curved ribs,
- wherein the curved ribs, reinforcement sheet, and reflective material may swivel relative to the support stand on a roughly horizontal axis;
- wherein the portable solar concentrator is adapted to track a target along separate axes by applied tension to cables attached to a platform of the portable solar concentrator, which cables pivot said platform about an anchor point situated away from said platform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.