Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly
Abstract
A modular solar energy collector having elongated V-shaped side walls formed by a pair of coplanar panels for each side wall. The upper panels, occupying most of the wall area are diffusely reflective, but the lower panels are specularly reflective. A Fresnel lens, having a snap fit relation to the side walls focuses some light on the lower specularly reflective panels which direct light to the solar cells at the base of the V-shaped walls. A heat sink provides support for the two panels with two opposed, upwardly extending wings terminating in opposed linear clips located near the lengthwise seam of the coplanar panels, each clip holding two coplanar panels in parallel alignment. The clips not only provide support for the panels, but also transfer heat to the remainder of the heat sink. The clips are shaped so that edges of the panels engage each clip by a snap fit, outside of the clip in one embodiment and inside of the clip in another embodiment. End caps are also formed with structures which snap to the wall panels. Since all junctions of components snap together, the collector of the present invention is easily assembled without specialized tools. Using side wallsmore »
- Inventors:
-
- Boulder Creek, CA
- (Bothell, WA)
- Toronto, CA
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 879583
- Patent Number(s):
- 6020554
- Application Number:
- 09/276083
- Assignee:
- Photovoltaics International, LLC (Sunnyvale, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F24 - HEATING F24S - SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- DOE Contract Number:
- NREL-ZAF-5-14271-11
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Citation Formats
Kaminar, Neil R, Ross, III, James G., and Carrie, Peter J. Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly. United States: N. p., 2000.
Web.
Kaminar, Neil R, Ross, III, James G., & Carrie, Peter J. Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly. United States.
Kaminar, Neil R, Ross, III, James G., and Carrie, Peter J. Tue .
"Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/879583.
@article{osti_879583,
title = {Tracking Solar Energy Conersion Unit Adapted For Field Assembly},
author = {Kaminar, Neil R and Ross, III, James G. and Carrie, Peter J},
abstractNote = {A modular solar energy collector having elongated V-shaped side walls formed by a pair of coplanar panels for each side wall. The upper panels, occupying most of the wall area are diffusely reflective, but the lower panels are specularly reflective. A Fresnel lens, having a snap fit relation to the side walls focuses some light on the lower specularly reflective panels which direct light to the solar cells at the base of the V-shaped walls. A heat sink provides support for the two panels with two opposed, upwardly extending wings terminating in opposed linear clips located near the lengthwise seam of the coplanar panels, each clip holding two coplanar panels in parallel alignment. The clips not only provide support for the panels, but also transfer heat to the remainder of the heat sink. The clips are shaped so that edges of the panels engage each clip by a snap fit, outside of the clip in one embodiment and inside of the clip in another embodiment. End caps are also formed with structures which snap to the wall panels. Since all junctions of components snap together, the collector of the present invention is easily assembled without specialized tools. Using side walls which are only partly specularly reflective permits a large angle of acceptance, yet provides an economical wall design because the entire wall need not be specularly reflective.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}