Prismatic solar reflector apparatus and method of solar tracking

Patent · Tue May 15 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:6077513

Gupta, P G; O'Neill, M J

A prismatic plate is mounted with its flat face exposed to the sun on a reflector panel for use in a solar energy collection system. The plate includes a plurality of triangular prisms with parallel longitudinal axes shaped to provide total internal reflection of incident light rays. Each prism has a cross section forming a right-angled isosceles triangle with the two equal-length, rear faces of the prism oriented at 45 degrees relative to the front face of the plate. The base of each prism forms or is parallel to a front plate surface which receives incident solar light rays. The rays are transmitted through the plate cross section without refraction in the plane of the cross section to be reflected from the two rear faces and back out the front face toward a solar receiver. The prism material has an index of refraction equal to or greater than the square root of two so that there is total internal reflection from the prism faces. The prismatic plate is mounted on a movable heliostat panel controlled by a tracking system to reflect to a solar receiver. The panel has a fixed axis directed toward a central receiver and a moving axis orthogonal to the fixed axis. The prismatic plate is mounted on the panel with the longitudinal axes of the prisms perpendicular to the moving axis. Tracking is accomplished by adjusting the panel orientation so that the plane of incidence of the incident solar rays is parallel to the longitudinal axes of the prisms and also so that the reflected solar rays intercept the receiver.

• Assignee: E-Systems, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4154219
• OSTI ID: 6077513
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140702 -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
CENTRAL RECEIVERS
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
DESIGN
HELIOSTATS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC DISH COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR REFLECTORS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
SOLAR TRACKING
SUPPORTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS