Title: Sunlight collection system with lightguide having solid and fluid components

Abstract

The system captures and concentrates sunlight for transmission to interior spaces or to a PV system. A solar collector uses arrayed refractive lenses and opposing concave focusing mirrors and a movable coupling sheet forming part of a lightguide. The transparent sheet contains small angled mirrors, where each angled mirror corresponds to a particular set of the lenses/focusing mirrors and is in the focal plane. The lightguide also includes a fluid surrounding the transparent sheet, and lower index cladding layers sandwich the fluid. The sheet is translated within the fluid by an actuator to position the angled mirrors at the focal points of the sunlight for maximum deflection of the sunlight to an edge of the lightguide for extraction to a light transmission system or to a PV system. A position sensor on the sheet provides feedback regarding the position of the angled mirrors relative to the focal points.

Inventors:

Kozodoy, Peter; Gladden, Christopher; Pavilonis, Michael; Rhodes, Christopher

Issue Date:

Tue May 28 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:

Glint Photonics, Inc., Burlingame, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1568409

Patent Number(s):

10304983

Application Number:

15/333,970

Assignee:

Glint Photonics, Inc. (Burlingame, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F21 - LIGHTING F21S - NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS

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F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F21 - LIGHTING F21S - NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES

F21S11/002 - {characterised by the means for collecting or concentrating the sunlight, e.g. parabolic reflectors or Fresnel lenses}

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS

F24S23/00 - Arrangements for concentrating solar-rays for solar heat collectors
F24S23/12 - {Light guides}
F24S23/30 - with lenses
F24S23/70 - with reflectors

G - PHYSICS G02 - OPTICS G02B - OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS

G02B6/0018 - {Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide}
G02B6/003 - {Lens or lenticular sheet or layer}
G02B6/3538 - {based on displacement or deformation of a liquid

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L31/0543 - {comprising light concentrating means of the refractive type, e.g. lenses}
H01L31/0547 - {comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02B - CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

Y02B10/20 - Solar thermal

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

Y02E10/44 - Heat exchange systems
Y02E10/52 - PV systems with concentrators

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DOE Contract Number:  

AR0000332

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 10/25/2016

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English