Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
126692000 | Line focus | 26 |
20080230049 | Reflector Assembly for Energy Concentrators - In an energy wave solar reflector assembly ( | 09-25-2008 |
20090056703 | Linear fresnel solar arrays and components therefor - Described herein are solar energy collector systems, components for solar energy collector systems, and methods for installing solar energy collector systems. The components for solar energy collector systems include but are not limited to solar radiation absorbers, receivers, drives, drive systems, reflectors, and various support structures. The solar energy collection systems, solar radiation absorbers, receivers, drives, drive systems, reflectors, support structures, and/or methods may be used, for example, in LFR solar arrays. | 03-05-2009 |
20090308379 | HYPERBOLIC SOLAR TROUGH FIELD SYSTEM - The subject matter of the invention of hyperbolic solar trough field system (B, II) comprises hyperbolic reflectors ( | 12-17-2009 |
20130074831 | TORQUE TRANSFER BETWEEN TROUGH COLLECTOR MODULES - A system for transferring torque between modules in a concentrating solar collector array. A trough collector system includes at least two modules, each module including a reflector having a reflective surface shaped to concentrate incoming radiation onto a linear tube, and a structural lattice attached to the reflector. The modules are constrained to rotate about a common axis. A torque transfer connection directly connects the three-dimensional structural lattices of the two modules at a location removed from the axis of rotation. Torque is thus transmitted between the modules by a force couple acting on the module. Also described are a method of transferring torque between adjacent trough collector modules, and a three-dimensional structural lattice configured for use in the system and method. Mechanisms for accommodating thermal expansion and contraction of the array are described. A drive system is described that imparts torque to a module near an edge of the module. | 03-28-2013 |
126693000 | Circular | 1 |
20150377516 | AN IMPROVED SOLAR UNIT ASSEMBLY AND A METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY - The present invention relates to a solar unit assembly adapted for reflecting light onto a receiver, comprising a plurality of solar collector units, a primary support element, a plurality of secondary support elements, and two side support elements. The invention furthermore relates to a method of providing such a solar unit assembly. | 12-31-2015 |
126694000 | Parabolic | 21 |
20080308094 | TROUGH REFLECTORS FOR SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS - A trough reflector for solar energy collection is constructed from transverse ribs which support a reflective surface. Side edge support rails mounted on ends of the ribs support linear edges of the reflective surface. The edge support rails have a channel-like construction with an inner flange member which is in contact with a top of the reflective surface, and a lip member extending from an outer flange member. The edge region of the reflective surface rests on the lip member with the edge of the reflective surface in contact with the outer flange member. A turning moment is applied to the edge regions of the reflective surface to ensure that the entire reflective surface is parabolic. An arcuate profile of ribs of the trough reflector is converted into a parabolic profile by the application of a force to the ends of the ribs. | 12-18-2008 |
20090056704 | Reflecting parabolic construction for solar heating systems - A reflecting parabolic construction for solar heating systems comprises at least a reflecting parabola for concentrating solar beams on a thermal carrier containing receiver tube, wherein the parabola comprises an aluminum fretted central layer, on the faces thereof two opposite aluminum layers are applied. According to a first embodiment, in the concave part of the reflecting parabolic construction a crystal mirror of minimum thickness is applied. According to a further aspect of the invention, one of the layers is a reflecting aluminum layer made by depositing vapors, and protected by a sol-gel protective layer having a thickness corresponding to few microns. | 03-05-2009 |
20090211569 | REFLECTOR ELEMENT FOR A SOLAR HEAT REFLECTOR AND THE METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Reflector element ( | 08-27-2009 |
20100018520 | HIGH LEVERAGE TROUGH SOLAR COLLECTOR - This invention is a trough solar collector that uses the principles of high leverage in order to produce a lightweight, inexpensive thermal solar collector. The parabolic reflectors are held in proper shape by rigid ribs that are spaced apart along the length of the collector. The structure of the trough is held rigid by a unique sun-tracking system that not only guides a long trough row to point it toward the sun, but also maintains the whole length of the row in rigid configuration. Small-diameter cables are wrapped around a rotatable pipe that extends along the row. The cables extend around circular arches attached to the parabolic ribs that provide high leverage for rotating the troughs. Since the arches rotate in unison, the long trough row is maintained in rotational rigidity. Rather than having heavy concrete foundations and heavy structures to support the troughs, lightweight support posts are placed into the ground, and guy wires maintain the position of the posts. | 01-28-2010 |
20100043779 | Solar Trough and Receiver - A solar receiver unit comprises a generally tubular body having an internal passage for conducting a heat-transfer fluid, and an inlet chamber for receiving concentrated sunlight from a solar reflector when in use. The inlet chamber is shaped to direct reflection of concentrated sunlight at least one time in a direction that provides the reflected sunlight with an additional opportunity to heat the heat-transfer fluid. | 02-25-2010 |
20100051021 | PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR - A parabolic trough collector having a supporting construction which is connected in an articulated manner to a substructure carrying the parabolic trough collector. In order to provide a parabolic trough collector which is simply designed, easy to assemble and which, therefore, can also be transported in sections while at the same time ensuring a highly accurate parabola with high rigidity and greater maximum overall length, a complicated supporting construction at the underside of the parabolic trough collector is eliminated, and the static and dynamic forces that occurr at the parabolic trough collector are conducted away in an optimal manner. | 03-04-2010 |
20100065045 | Parabolic Trough Solar Reflector With An Independently Supported Collector Tube - A parabolic trough solar collector system has a parabolic reflector used with an independently supported collector tube. The parabolic reflector has a reflective surface formed on a reflective surface support structure, supported by a circular support beam. This assembly rests on a plurality of support and drive rollers supported by a roller support arm, supported by a roller support column. The parabolic reflector assembly rotates against the rollers along a single axis to maintain a focus line of the parabolic reflector surface at the same location as the center of the circle described by the outer edge of the circular support beam. Located at this same focus line is the independently supported collector tube not attached to the parabolic trough reflector. The collector tube is supported on pipe roller hangers, which in turn are supported by a wire catenary system connected to support towers which straddle the parabolic reflector. | 03-18-2010 |
20100206302 | Rotational Trough Reflector Array For Solar-Electricity Generation - A rotational trough reflector solar-electricity generation device includes a trough reflector that rotates around a substantially vertical axis. A strip-type photovoltaic (PV) device, or other solar-energy collection element, is fixedly mounted along the focal line of the trough reflector. A tracking system rotates the trough reflector such that the trough reflector is aligned generally parallel to the incident sunlight (e.g., in a generally east-west direction at sunrise, turning to generally north-south at noon, and turning generally west-east at sunset). A disc-shaped support structure is used to distribute the reflector's weight over a larger area and to minimize the tracking system motor size. Multiple trough reflectors are mounted on the disc-shaped support to maximize power generation. Flat mirrors are disposed at the end of the troughs to increase power in “hot” PV sections that are connected in series. | 08-19-2010 |
20100252030 | TORQUE TRANSFER BETWEEN TROUGH COLLECTOR MODULES - A system for transferring torque between modules in a concentrating solar collector array. A trough collector system includes at least two modules, each module including a reflector having a reflective surface shaped to concentrate incoming radiation onto a linear tube, and a structural lattice attached to the reflector. The modules are constrained to rotate about a common axis. A torque transfer connection directly connects the three-dimensional structural lattices of the two modules at a location removed from the axis of rotation. Torque is thus transmitted between the modules by a force couple acting on the module. Also described are a method of transferring torque between adjacent trough collector modules, and a three-dimensional structural lattice configured for use in the system and method. Mechanisms for accommodating thermal expansion and contraction of the array are described. A drive system is described that imparts torque to a module near an edge of the module. | 10-07-2010 |
20110000479 | SOLAR TRACKER WITH THERMAL CONCENTRATION - The invention relates to a solar tracker with thermal concentration, formed by a distribution of mirrors ( | 01-06-2011 |
20110067692 | SOLID CORE STRUCTURE PARABOLIC TROUGH SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTION SYSTEM - Foam backed solid support structure and trough solar energy collector. A support structure has foam or other polymeric material, a plurality of end arms, and a plurality of end caps secured to the formed foam material. The foam material is cut into a parabolic or semi-parabolic shape, and a reflective element may be placed onto the formed foam material and secured mechanically, with adhesion, and/or integrated with the surface. A solar energy collector formed using a polymeric core may have longitudinally-extending cowling, end caps, and end arms as described. | 03-24-2011 |
20110120452 | SOLAR FLUX CONVERSION MODULE - In one embodiment a solar collector is provided. The collector has a modular heat transfer component which includes a heat transfer core to heat up a heat transfer fluid. The collector makes use of the heat transfer fluid itself to prevent heat loss through radiation. | 05-26-2011 |
20120103323 | SEGMENT OF A SOLAR COLLECTOR AND SOLAR COLLECTORS - The segment of a solar collector comprises a top side, a bottom side and a circumferential end face having at least one longitudinal side, wherein the longitudinal side forms a top edge with the top side and forms a bottom edge with the bottom side, and comprises a core structure having at least one core made of foamed material. The segment of a solar collector further comprises a shell made of one or a plurality of layers of a fiber material, wherein the shell at least partially covers the top side, the bottom side and at least the longitudinal side of the circumferential end face, wherein at least one layer of the shell extends about the top edge and at least one layer of the shell extends about the bottom edge, and a reflection layer disposed on the top side. | 05-03-2012 |
20120325201 | SOLAR REFLECTIVE CONDENSING DEVICE - A solar reflective condensing device, including a condensing film ( | 12-27-2012 |
20130047978 | VORTEX-INDUCED CLEANING OF SURFACES - A solar panel configured to reduce contaminant accumulation thereon, including a surface adapted to harvest solar energy; and a vortex-inducing generator including chevron-shaped features disposed across at least a portion of the surface to reduce contaminant accumulation thereon by causing air flow passing over the surface to remove at least some contaminants deposited thereon and/or keeping particles entrained in the air flow to reduce deposition on the surface. A method of passively cleaning a solar panel includes providing the solar panel, and positioning the solar panel such that the leading edge is oriented to intercept a prevailing wind direction. A solar array includes a plurality of the solar panels, wherein each solar panel is positioned such that the leading edge is oriented to intercept a prevailing wind direction. | 02-28-2013 |
20140069416 | CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER WITH GLASSHOUSES - A protective transparent enclosure, such as a greenhouse, encloses a concentrated solar power system having line-focus solar energy concentrators. The line-focus solar energy concentrators have a reflective front layer, a core layer, and a rear layer. The core and the rear layers, when bonded with the reflective front layer, enable the line-focus solar energy concentrator, in some embodiments, to retain a particular form without additional strengthening elements. In some embodiments, the core layer and/or the rear layer are formed by removing material from a single piece of material. | 03-13-2014 |
20140144428 | STRUCTURAL FRAME AND SOLAR COLLECTOR MODULE - Solar collector modules and techniques for their construction are disclosed. In one aspect, a solar collector module includes a reflector and a three-dimensional structural frame that supports the reflector. The structural frame includes a set of primary structural shapes and a set of axial frame members connected between corners of the primary structural shapes forming helical paths for the transmission of torque from one end of the structural frame to the other. In another aspect, a method for assembling a solar collector module includes pre-assembling part of the module. | 05-29-2014 |
20140209091 | SOLAR LIGHT REFLECTING PLATE AND LIGHT COLLECTING/HEAT COLLECTING DEVICE - A solar light reflecting plate used for a light condensing and heat collecting device which includes a solar light reflecting plate that reflects and condenses solar light and a heat collecting tube that receives the solar light condensed by the solar light reflecting plate and is heated by the condensed solar light, wherein the solar light reflecting plate includes at least a rolled substrate, a surface roughness of a solar light reflecting surface that is an outermost surface and that reflects solar light is 0.02 μm to 1.0 μm in terms of arithmetic mean roughness Ra, and the solar light reflecting plate is disposed so that an angle between a rolling direction of the substrate and a longitudinal direction of the heat collecting tube is 80° to 100°. | 07-31-2014 |
20140246012 | THIN MIRROR WITH TRUSS BACKING AND MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR - A thin-sheet panel assembly. In one embodiment, a substantially rigid thin-sheet panel assembly having a non-rigid thin-sheet component includes the thin-sheet component which has selected plan area and shape, a backer having a plan shape and area substantially similar to the thin-sheet component, and plural riser elements of selected height and configuration each extending from the backer to distal ends connected to a reverse surface of the thin-sheet component, the riser elements being configured and disposed in an array which causes the assembly to have substantial rigidity in a selected direction in the thin-sheet component, and the thin-sheet panel assembly further includes a bar coupled to the backer and extending between at least one pair of adjacent riser elements of the plural riser elements. | 09-04-2014 |
20140345602 | SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTOR - A trough type solar thermal collector which uses a curved mirror to make a heat tube which is arranged in the front of the curved mirror collect sunlight and to heat a fluid which flows through the inside of the heat tube, the trough type solar thermal collector configured to be able to avoid damage to the curved mirror due to vortex-induced vibration, is provided. The trough type solar thermal collection apparatus of the present invention is provided with, at an outer edge of the curved mirror in the direction of change of curvature of the curved shape of the curved mirror, vortex control means for controlling the flow of vortices which forms at the outer edge, whereby it is possible to avoid damage to the curved mirror such as occurs due to vortex-induced vibration at the time when higher windspeed resistance specifications are sought from the apparatus. | 11-27-2014 |
20140360490 | RECEIVER SYSTEM FOR A FRESNEL SOLAR PLANT - A receiver system for a Fresnel solar plant is provided that includes an absorber tube defining a longitudinal direction, a mirror array that runs parallel to the longitudinal direction and is used for concentrating light beams onto the absorber tube, and a support frame for the absorber tube and the mirror array. A first suspension for holding the absorber tube and a second suspension for holding the mirror array or at least parts of the mirror array are independently mounted on the support frame. The first suspension has first compensation device while the second suspension has second compensation device. The first and second compensation devices allow for different expansions of the absorber tube and the mirror array or at least parts of the mirror array in the longitudinal direction. | 12-11-2014 |