Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications
Abstract
Innovative tracking heat flux sensors located at or near the solar collector's focus for centering the concentrated image on a receiver assembly. With flux sensors mounted near a receiver's aperture, the flux gradient near the focus of a dish or trough collector can be used to precisely position the focused solar flux on the receiver. The heat flux sensors comprise two closely-coupled thermocouple junctions with opposing electrical polarity that are separated by a thermal resistor. This arrangement creates an electrical signal proportional to heat flux intensity, and largely independent of temperature. The sensors are thermally grounded to allow a temperature difference to develop across the thermal resistor, and are cooled by a heat sink to maintain an acceptable operating temperature.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1084256
- Patent Number(s):
- 8459865
- Application Number:
- 12/955,954
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01K - MEASURING TEMPERATURE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY
Citation Formats
Andraka, Charles E, and Diver, Jr., Richard B. Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web.
Andraka, Charles E, & Diver, Jr., Richard B. Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications. United States.
Andraka, Charles E, and Diver, Jr., Richard B. Tue .
"Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1084256.
@article{osti_1084256,
title = {Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications},
author = {Andraka, Charles E and Diver, Jr., Richard B},
abstractNote = {Innovative tracking heat flux sensors located at or near the solar collector's focus for centering the concentrated image on a receiver assembly. With flux sensors mounted near a receiver's aperture, the flux gradient near the focus of a dish or trough collector can be used to precisely position the focused solar flux on the receiver. The heat flux sensors comprise two closely-coupled thermocouple junctions with opposing electrical polarity that are separated by a thermal resistor. This arrangement creates an electrical signal proportional to heat flux intensity, and largely independent of temperature. The sensors are thermally grounded to allow a temperature difference to develop across the thermal resistor, and are cooled by a heat sink to maintain an acceptable operating temperature.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Tue Jun 11 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
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