METHOD OF USING A STATIONARY DOME-SHAPED STRUCTURE COMPOSED OF LINKED CONVERGING LENSES AS A SOLAR COLLECTOR SYSTEM
Disclosed is a method to create a stationary solar collector system composed of linked converging lenses, structured in a dome or cone shape. The solar energy is refracted and concentrated through the converging lenses, in which then, heat specific points on the conical helix receiver pipe to heat the flowing liquid.
With the rising concerns of the effects of the usage of fossil fuel such as ozone layer depletion and health effects due to air pollution, there has been a strong demand for clean energy and have resulted in many developments and improvements in renewable energy technologies. Over the past decade, many people have adopted many usages of the solar resource, including research in solar thermal applications and electricity generation. The main advantages of solar energy are that it is renewable, reliable, ubiquitous, and that it has no discharge of pollutants.
There have been many developments in reflecting-type solar collectors such as parabolic solar collectors. These types of collectors, however, would require the solar collector system to tilt at differing angles depending on the position of the sun at a given time and date. A solar collector system designed as a dome-structure would be stationary, regardless of the time of day or the position of the sun.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThis method presents an alternative solution for capturing the solar resource with a stationary dome or cone shaped solar collector system composed of linked converging lenses, which concentrate the solar energy into specific focal points of a conical helix receiver pipe, which lies underneath the linked converging lenses.
As the sun's rays hit the surface of the solar dome, the converging lenses refract and focus the solar energy onto specific points inside the solar dome on the conical helix receiver pipe, which would then heat the liquid flowing inside the pipe.
This method can be clearly explained with reference to the following drawings:
FIG. 1A/B/C are illustrations of linked converging lenses shaped as a dome or cone.
FIG. 2A/B are illustrations of connected converging lenses in different shapes covered in all surfaces of the dome or cone.
The solar collector system is composed of linked converging lenses which refract and focus the solar rays onto specific points of a conical helix receiver pipe, which then heats the liquid flowing in the pipe.
Depending on the location where the solar collector system is installed, the layout of the linked converging lenses may be arranged into a dome shape, as shown in
The purpose of the “dome-shaped” layouts is to capture solar energy in a stationary position during any time of the day or in any direction.
The shape of the converging lenses may take differing shapes, for example, as shown in
The linked converging lenses refract the solar rays, which are then directed to specific points in the receiver pipe, as shown in
The conical helix receiver pipe, as illustrated in
The coiled receiver pipe is divided into two bordering sections as shown in
In the entrance region, as shown in
As the low temperature liquid 1 becomes heated as it ascends 3 to the top region (as shown in
The solar collector system and heating system are presented in
Claims
1. A method to refract and focus the solar resource inside the solar dome at any time of the day or in any direction by using a solar collector system composed of linked converging lenses structured as a dome or cone shape.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 16, 2014
Inventor: JAE HYUN LIM (CRESSKILL, NJ)
Application Number: 13/549,488
International Classification: F24J 2/00 (20060101);