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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the advent of the "energy crisis" brought on by the increased per
capita consumption of energy and the dwindling reserves of energy sources,
a great amount of attention has been devoted to alternate sources of
energy. Among these alternate sources is the energy transmitted to or by
the sun's rays. Various devices have been built to utilize the energy
inherent in the sun's rays in many ways.
Among the leading types of devices for extracting energy from the sun's
rays are solar heat panels which utilize the energy present in the
infrared portion of the sun's rays to raise the temperature of a liquid
such as water.
Prior art is replete with solar heat devices generally including means to
focus the sun's rays through mirrors and reflecting bodies onto heat
absorption surfaces in order to utilize the energy in the infrared portion
to the maximum efficiency. These heat cells generally comprise a
transparent surface with a black body heat absorption surface in parallel
spaced relation thereto with the liquid to be heated transmitted between
these surfaces in heat conductive tubing of copper, aluminum, or the like.
The developments in these systems include means to move the panel or cell
to track the sun and/or means to focus the sun's rays on the panel through
parabolic mirrors set up in appropriate relation to the panel.
Another very important prior art device for extracting energy from the
sun's rays is the solar energy panel or cell which utilizes properties of
material such as selenium which, when contacted by the sun's rays, emit
electrons displaced by photons in the sun's rays to thereby generate
electrical current. This type of device has found wide utility in
present-day industry, particularly in space where such cells power
satellite systems of various types.
Applicant is aware of the following patents in the prior art:
3,279,457 Kyryluk
2,989,575 Wallace
2,312,920 Litton
1,946,184 Abbot
1,855,815 Abbot
These references represent the best known prior art known to the applicant.
Of these the Kyryluk patent discloses in FIG. 3 a spherical embodiment of
a solar heat concentrator which, geometrically, is similar to one
embodiment of the applicant's invention; however, there is no intention of
incorporating solar cells or a liquid within the sphere. The two Abbot
patents disclose solar heaters utilizing glass envelopes around a heat
absorbing tube. These references do not contemplate utilizing a liquid
within the envelope. The Wallace and Litton patents relate to solar cells,
the Litton patent specifically relating to a cooling system or jacket for
solar cells. The Litton patent does not contemplate the use of liquid
coolant for focusing the sun's rays nor does it contemplate utilization of
the coolant as a source of energy itself. Wallace is pertinent only in
that it discloses in the embodiment of FIG. 8 thereof a spherical
substrate for the solar cells. Other than the geometrical similarity,
there is no further relevance of the Wallace reference to the present
invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a novel system for extracting energy from the
sun's rays which utilizes the best technology of the prior art in a way
such that an improved efficiency and increased level of energy is
extracted from the sun's rays over that heretofore possible in the prior
art.
The invention provides a system which utilizes the extractable electrical
potential in the sun's rays in combination with the extractable thermal
properties of the sun's rays and the inherent optical properties of the
liquid are utilized to receive and transmit the heat energy generated by
the system.
This invention also provides a system which increases the extractable
electrical energy capability of prior art solar cells by providing a means
to concentrate the amount of sunlight impinging on the cell while, at the
same time, providing means to preclude overheating of that cell, thereby
eliminating the temperature limitation on prior art cells so that it may
be operated at much higher energy input levels than heretofore possible.
The invention further provides a system for extracting thermal energy from
the sun's rays in a much more efficient manner than the prior art by
providing means to focus the sun's rays on the heat-absorbing portion of
the panel by forming the heat-transmitting liquid in a geometric
configuration which will accomplish such focusing.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a transparent container
configured as a body of rotation, selenium cells disposed in the container
at the focal point of the body of revolution, and a liquid filling the
container to focus rays of the sun on the selenium cells and to extract
and transmit heat from the cells, and means to circulate the liquid in the
container and to transmit cold liquid to the container and liquid from the
container as it is heated.
These and the other attendant advantages and benefits of the invention will
become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the
following detailed description wherein like numerals throughout the
figures thereof indicate like components and wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view in elevation of a device in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along the line
2--2 thereof;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the device
of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view of another device in accordance with
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1 the device shown generally at 10 comprises a body of revolution
defining a sphere. The device is formed of a pair of shells, outer shell
12 and inner shell 14 mounted in spaced relationship and affixed together
to form a gas-tight space 16 therebetween. The space 16 is evacuated to
provide an insulating medium between the shells 12 and 14 to insulate the
interior of the container formed thereby. The shells 12 and 14 are formed
of some transparent material such, for example, as glass or the like.
A central tube 18 is disposed along the axis of the housing formed by the
shells 12 and 14, existing at the bottom end thereof and connecting with a
conduit 20 connected to some load 22 such as a heater, heat exchanger, or
storage device. The conduit 20 then returns to the device 10 entering the
housing formed by the shells 12 and 14 in an inlet manifold 24
concentrically disposed with respect to the tube 18. As is best seen in
FIG. 2, a series of corregated panels 26 are mounted on the tube 18
extending radially therefrom toward the inner shell 14. The panels 26 are
semicircular in configuration and are sized to conform closely in spaced
relationship to the inner surface of the shell 14.
As is best seen in FIG. 3, the panels indicated generally there at 26 are
composed of a corrugated substrate 28 of some suitable material such, for
example, as aluminum, plastic, glass, or the like. Superimposed on the
substrate 28 are solar cells 30 composed of a suitable material which will
generate electricity when exposed to the rays of the sun such, for
example, as selenium, silicon, or the like, as is well known in the art of
solar cell fabrication. The cell 30 is preferably composed of a single
crystal extruded in corregated sheet form and adhered to the substrate 28
with adhesive or the like. Electrical leads 32A and 32B are connected to
the cell 30 and to an electrical load 34 such, for example, as a storage
battery or the like.
Referring again to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the leads 32A and 32B are
disposed proximate to the tube 18 to exit from the device 10 for
connection to the load 34. The leads 32A and 32B are preferably connected
through the medium of a bus or collector from each of the panels 26 as is
well known in the electrical art.
Structural details of the device include an annular support 25 between the
bottom of the shells and a support 27 between the tops of the shells to
transfer loads between the sheels and increase the structural efficiency
of the device. Evacuation of the space between the shells may be
accomplished through valved conduit 29 and may be repeated if need be due
to opening of the device.
With the aforedescribed structure complete, the interior of the housing
formed by the inner shells 14 is filled with a suitable transparent liquid
36 such, for example, as water.
Pump means 37 are provided in the conduit 20 to circulate the liquid 36
from the tube 18 to the manifold 24.
In operation, the device is exposed to the rays of the sun. The rays of the
sun penetrate the transparent shells 12 and 14 and are focused by the
liquid 36 within the inner shell onto the solar panels 26, whereupon
electrical energy is generated by the impinging sun's rays and is
extracted from the device 10 through the leads 32A and 32B to the load 34.
The sun's rays impinging on the solar panels also raise the temperature
thereof, thereby heating the interior of the shell 14. The insulation
provided around the shell 14 by the evacuated space 16 holds the heat
generated thereby within the shell and thereby raises the temperature of
the liquid 36. Circulation of the liquid by the pump 37 provides
withdrawal of heated water through the tube 18 from the top portion of the
inner shell 14 and entry of cooled liquid through the manifold 24 at the
bottom of the shell. Heat is removed from the circulated liquid 36 by the
load 22. The circulation of the liquid thereby provides for removal of
useful heat from the device 10 and, at the same time, for cooling of the
solar cells 30. The presence of the liquid 36 within the inner shell 14
further provides for optical focusing the sun's rays on the solar panels
26.
Another important feature of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the
spherical configuration can be mounted through the roof of a building in
such a way as to function as a skylight, providing a portion of the
concentrated light to the interior of a building on which it is mounted.
In FIG. 4, another embodiment incorporating the features of this invention
is illustrated. In this embodiment components thereof corresponding to
like components of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3 are indicated by like
numerals only of the next higher order. In this embodiment, the body of
revolution comprises a semicylindrical housing formed of an outer shell
112 and an inner shell 114 comprising a transparent material with a sealed
space 116 therebetween, which space is evacuated to form an insulating
vacuum as in the embodiment of the preceding figures.
Within the housing formed by the shells 114 and 112, and forming a bottom
surface thereto, is a solar panel 126 formed, as in the preceding
embodiment, on a substrate of corregated material as was shown
specifically in FIG. 3.
The interior of the housing formed by the inner and outer shells 114 and
112 is filled with a liquid 136 which, as in the preceding embodiment,
preferably is water or the like. Inlet and outlet connections are provided
at the lower and upper areas of the housing, respectively, to provide for
circulation of the liquid 136 through the housing. A lower inlet (not
shown) and an upper inlet 120 are preferably provided in opposite ends of
the housing formed by the shells 112 and 114. An insulating material 138
such, for example, as urethane foam or the like is disposed beneath the
panel 126 to provide complete insulation for the device 110.
The device of the embodiment of FIG. 4 functions in substantially the same
manner as that described for the embodiment of the preceding figures. The
sun's rays penetrate the transparent shells 112 and 114 and are focused by
the liquid 136 within the inner shell 114 to concentrate on the solar
panel 126, whereby electrical and thermal energy is produced and
transmitted from the housing in a manner identical to that of the
embodiments described in FIGS. 1-3.
As can be seen from the aforegoing description, the invention provides a
combined solar electrical and solar thermal generating system utilizing a
liquid for focusing the sun's rays, cooling the electrical generating
panels, and for transmitting the thermal heat generated from the system.
What has been set forth above is intended primarily as exemplary of a
teaching in accordance with the invention to aid those skilled in the art
in the practice thereof.
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