# US 9,520,519 B2 · Direct solar-radiation collection and concentration element and panel

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- Number: US 9,520,519 B2
- Document ID: US9520519B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/983,117
- Filed: 2011-02-11
- Published: 2013-12-12
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-11
- Applicants: Jaime Caselles Fornés
- Inventors: Jaime Caselles Fornés
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520519B2

## CPC

- F24S 30/45: with two rotation axes
- F24S 23/30: with lenses
- F24S 23/31: {having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses}
- F24S 25/12: using posts in combination with upper profiles
- F24S 30/455: Horizontal primary axis
- F24S 50/20: for tracking
- G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD]
- H02S 20/32: specially adapted for solar tracking
- H10F 77/484: {Refractive light-concentrating means, e.g. lenses}
- H10F 77/488: {Reflecting light-concentrating means, e.g. parabolic mirrors or concentrators using total internal reflection}
- F24S 23/75: with conical reflective surfaces
- F24S 2030/115: {Linear actuators, e.g. pneumatic cylinders}
- F24S 2030/134: {in the form of gearings or rack-and-pinion transmissions}
- Y02E 10/47: Mountings or tracking
- Y02E 10/52: PV systems with concentrators
- F24S: SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS (for producing mechanical power from solar energy F03G6/00)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Element, panel and direct solar radiation collecting and concentrating system by means of panels with collecting and concentrating elements which are allowed freedom of movement during diurnal and seasonal sun tracking. The elements in question incorporate a primary lens concentrating direct radiation. The element includes hollow compartments which contain a given fluid at a given pressure. The lower section includes a secondary lens and/or internally reflexive conical element allowing the introduction of radiation, in parallel, into tubes or optical fiber, or irradiation onto radiation converting systems. The movement of the device is produced by fluid heating and pressure in the side compartments. This pressure is communicated to the axes via pistons which cause the device to rotate in search of the optimal position with a view to optimizing its focus on the secondary lens.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A direct solar radiation collecting and concentrating element for tracking the diurnal and seasonal movement of the sun, the direct solar radiation collecting and concentrating element comprising:
(a) a primary lens (5A); and
(b) a container (5) comprising a lower vertex (6K) and at least one upper surface upon which the primary lens (5A) is disposed, the container being configured such that radiation striking the primary lens (5A) on the at least one upper surface is concentrated onto the lower vertex (6K); the container further comprising at least one hollow, airtight and watertight compartment (5B) for housing a fluid that causes the container (5) to self-rotate based on a position of a source of the radiation striking the primary lens (5A) so as to cause the radiation to strike the primary lens with a more precise focus; the container further comprising at least one communication hole or pressure outlet (10C, 10D).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 1, wherein the compartment (5B) comprises a plurality of the pressure outlets (10C, 10D) and a plurality of pressure communication tubes (10F, 10G, 10H) connected to the plurality of pressure outlets on respective daily movement and seasonal movement axes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 2, wherein the compartment (5B) comprises at least one hole (5H) for introduction of the fluid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 3 comprising an external supporting structure and the container (5) comprises at least one support arm (7H) attached to the external supporting structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 4, comprising a toothed piston (7I, 8C, 9C) on the support arm (7H) upon which variations of the fluid in compartment (5B) are transmitted to set the container (5) in motion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 5 comprising a fixed cogwheel (7F, 8D), wherein the toothed piston (7I, 8C, 9C) is disposed to moved longitudinally to act upon the fixed cogwheel to cause the fixed cogwheel to act on an axis of the container to cause the container to rotate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 6 comprising a pressure valve (9E) and at least one tube (9H) connected to the pressure valve to allow an exchange of fluid pressure between opposite sides of the container (5).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 7, wherein the fixed cogwheel (8D) comprises a gear lever (8H) for readjusting an initial fixed position of the fixed cogwheel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 8, wherein the external supporting structure comprises a plurality of supporting lines (2C) and the container (5) is secured to the support arm (7H) either by a single arm (5E) with integrated pressure tubes, by two arms on respective north and south sides of the container attached on a first of the supporting lines (2C) or by four arms attached on respective north and south sides of the container supported by two of the supporting lines (2C).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 9, wherein the cogwheel comprises fine grooves and the piston (7I, 8C, 9C) comprises a self-rotating groove with thread which engages with the fine grooves of the fixed cogwheel (7F, 8D).

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 10 comprising an oblique surfaced wedge (12B) attached to a pyramid supporting arm (9A); and four toothed pistons (7I, 8C, 9C) for cooperating with the oblique surfaced wedge to cause the container to rotate on a movement axis (7E, 9B) in the event of a change in fluid pressure on a side of the container (5).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 11 comprising a dilatable material on the obliquely shaped wedge (12B) which interacts with the support arm (7H) when the dilatable material dilates.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The direct solar radiation collecting and concentration element according to claim 11 comprising a fluid circuit (9I) comprising a bleeding mechanism that allows air to be expelled from the compartment (5B) of the container (5).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method comprising providing a surface comprising a plurality of the direct solar radiation collecting and concentrating elements (5) of claim 1 and calculating the distribution of the radiation collecting and concentrating elements (5) on the surface to maximize the concentration of radiation incident on the surface.