Photovoltaic solar concentrator
Abstract
A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1243033
- Patent Number(s):
- 9287430
- Application Number:
- 11/933,458
- Assignee:
- Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G02 - OPTICS G02B - OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2007 Nov 01
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Citation Formats
Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, and Watts, Michael R. Photovoltaic solar concentrator. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web.
Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, & Watts, Michael R. Photovoltaic solar concentrator. United States.
Nielson, Gregory N., Gupta, Vipin P., Okandan, Murat, and Watts, Michael R. Tue .
"Photovoltaic solar concentrator". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1243033.
@article{osti_1243033,
title = {Photovoltaic solar concentrator},
author = {Nielson, Gregory N. and Gupta, Vipin P. and Okandan, Murat and Watts, Michael R.},
abstractNote = {A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {3}
}
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