US 8,428,417 B1 · Modular solar collector system and method

Abstract

A modular solar collector system (MSCS) and modular solar collector method (MSCM) utilizing one or more solar/optical radiation waveguides (SOWs) having radiation input, radiation output, and radiation injection ports is disclosed. The MSCS permits individual SOWs to be cascaded in a modular fashion to permit collection and transmission of incident solar radiation in combination with radiation received from adjacent SOWs. The collection/summation nature of the SOWs may be utilized in vector and/or array configurations to permit collection and transmission of arbitrary areas of incident solar radiation to a focal point, vector, and/or area for the purposes of utilizing the collected radiation for a variety of purposes. The SOWs may optimally incorporate optically reflective areas on surfaces not comprising the radiation input, radiation output, and radiation injection ports to maximize the overall collection and transmission of radiation from the radiation input and radiation injection ports to the radiation output port.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A Modular Solar Collector System (MSCS) comprising a solar/optical waveguide (SOW) having a waveguide body comprising:

(a) front top radiation injection port;
(b) front face radiation input port;
and
(c) rear face radiation output port;
wherein
said front top radiation injection port collects incident radiant solar energy from a solar radiation source at a variety of incident angles on the top surface of said waveguide body;
said incident radiant solar energy is summed within said waveguide body with that of a pass-thru radiation source input into said front face radiation input port to produce a summed radiation result;
said summed radiation result is emitted at the rear face radiation output port to a solar radiation sink;
said waveguide body further comprises optically reflective surfaces exclusive of said front top radiation injection port, said front face radiation input port, and said rear face radiation output port;
and
said optically reflective surfaces direct solar energy from said front top radiation injection port and said front face radiation input port to said rear face radiation output port.

8 more elements

A Modular Solar Collector System (MSCS) comprising a solar/optical waveguide (SOW) having a waveguide body comprising:

(a) top surface;
(b) bottom surface;
(c) left side surface;
(d) right side surface;
(e) front top injection port surface;
(f) front face input port surface;
(g) rear face output port surface;
and
(h) bottom injection/input interface surface;
wherein
said bottom surface is substantially rectangular and substantially flat;
said front face input port surface is substantially rectangular and substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said rear face output port surface is substantially rectangular and substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said right side surface is substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said left side surface is substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said top surface has a substantially rectangular perimeter and is not parallel to said bottom surface;
said bottom injection/input interface surface has a substantially rectangular perimeter and is not parallel to said bottom surface;
said rear face output port surface contacts said top surface, said bottom surface, said left side surface, and said right side surface;
said front top injection port surface connects said top surface, said right side surface, said left side surface, and said bottom injection/input interface surface;
said front top injection port surface curves from said top surface to said bottom injection/input interface surface;
said bottom injection/input interface surface connects said front top injection port surface, said right side surface, said left side surface, and said front face input surface;
said top surface, said bottom surface, said right side surface, and said left side surface reflect radiation scattered within said waveguide body;
and
solar radiation entering said front top injection port surface is combined with radiation input from said front face input port surface to produce a summed radiation result, said summed radiation result being transmitted to said rear face output port surface.

21 more elements

A Modular Solar Collector Method (MSCM) wherein said method operates within the context of a Modular Solar Collector System (MSCS) comprising a solar/optical waveguide (SOW) having a waveguide body comprising:

(a) top surface;
(b) bottom surface;
(c) left side surface;
(d) right side surface;
(e) front top injection port surface;
(f) front face input port surface;
(g) rear face output port surface;
and
(h) bottom injection/input interface surface;
wherein
said bottom surface is substantially rectangular and substantially flat;
said front face input port surface is substantially rectangular and substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said rear face output port surface is substantially rectangular and substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said right side surface is substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said left side surface is substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface;
said top surface has a substantially rectangular perimeter and is not parallel to said bottom surface;
said bottom injection/input interface surface has a substantially rectangular perimeter and is not parallel to said bottom surface;
said rear face output port surface contacts said top surface, said bottom surface, said left side surface, and said right side surface;
said front top injection port surface connects said top surface, said right side surface, said left side surface, and said bottom injection/input interface surface;
said front top injection port surface curves from said top surface to said bottom injection/input interface surface;
said bottom injection/input interface surface connects said front top injection port surface, said right side surface, said left side surface, and said front face input surface;
and
said top surface, said bottom surface, said right side surface, and said left side surface reflect radiation scattered within said waveguide body;
said method comprising:
(1) Receiving solar energy into injection port of a current solar/optical waveguide;
(2) Receiving solar energy from a prior solar/optical waveguide into the input port of said current solar/optical waveguide;
(3) Combining said solar energy from said injection port and said input port within said current solar/optical waveguide;
(4) Transmitting said combined solar energy from the previous step to the output port of said current solar/optical waveguide;
(5) Repeating for all solar/optical waveguides in the current vector selecting a new current solar/optical waveguide and looping to step (1) as necessary;
(6) Transmitting combined solar energy from the output port of the last solar/optical waveguide in the current vector to a radiation sink;
(7) Repeating for all array waveguide vectors in a solar/optical array by selecting a new solar/optical waveguide vector and looping to step (1) as necessary;
and
(8) Transmit the combined solar energy from the output port of the last solar/optical vector to a radiation sink.

30 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Modular solar collector system and method

Life of this patent

Modular solar collector system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims40